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The League has consistently advocacted for government reform and will continue to work with the Governor’s office, legislative leaders and the public to realize the following reforms:

• Campaign Finance Reform: support measures to close loopholes and reform New York State’s lax campaign finance laws; move toward full public financing of campaigns.
• Redistricting: support the creation of an Independent Redistricting Commission.
• Voting Technology: support of a single statewide voting system using paper ballot/optical scan.
• Election Law: support of measures to protect, extend, and encourage the use of the franchise. Support uniformity in election laws and procedures. Support adequate funding for training of election personnel.
• Court Restructuring/Judicial Selection: Support a constitutional amendment to restructure the NYS court system to combine current trial courts into a statewide two-tier system guaranteeing litigants a hearing in one court by one judge. Support of a constitutional amendment to replace judicial elections with a qualification-based appointive system for selecting all judges in New York State and the establishment of a broadly based, diverse nonpartisan nominating commission.
• Legislative Procedures: Support measures to allow legislators greater independence over their staff and resources. Support the use of conference committees to resolve differences in similar bills.

• A single-payer system as an acceptable way to contain cost and provide equitable access.
• A basic level of quality physical and mental health care for all state residents.
• Planning and regulations assuring New Yorkers, including the medically indigent, access to a basic level of quality care.
• Containment of costs without compromising accessibility or quality care.
• Enhanced budgetary appropriation for health promotion and disease prevention.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Foster energy efficiency and encourage renewable energy.
• Protect water quality.
• Promote programs dealing with waste management and hazardous waste.
• Promote smart growth, contain sprawl, encourage regional planning, enhance urban neighborhoods and protect agricultural land, open space, watersheds, and other sensitive areas.
• Support a budget appropriation that will expand effective public transit, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage smart growth.
  

Capital Punishment - The League supports abolition of the death penalty, with the use of life without parole as the primary alternative.

Equity in School Financing – The League supports narrowing the spending gap between the wealthiest and the least wealthy school districts in New York State. It supports reform to the STAR (School Tax Relief) program to make it less regressive, in furtherance of the goal of targeting tax relief where it is most needed.

Reproductive Rights – The League supports a woman’s constitutional right of privacy in making reproductive choices.

Salary Equity Reform - The League supports legislation requiring the use of gender neutral job evaluation systems, to end underpayment of job titles where women and people of color predominate. We support legislation to enable employees to obtain salary information and reveal salaries, without reprisal.

Take Action!!!
The League of Women Voters of New York State makes it easy for you to advocate on these and other issues by logging on to http://www.lwvny.org/ and by clicking the “Take Action” button at the top of the page. By clicking “Take Action” you can e-mail your representatives directly, click on one of the preformatted letters to support League positions, or compose your own letter on a League position or other issues. By viewing the document: Impact on Issues in New York State 2005-2007, you will learn more about the League positions listed here, as well as other League positions such as: Alternatives to Incarceration, Child Care, Domestic Violence, Gun Control and Lead Poisoning.