April 1993 Home   Newsletters

October 1993

February 1994

President's Message (Jim Koshi)
Introducing the LWV of Hawaii Board 1993-1995
Local League Presidents
Board Highlights
Leaguer Receives Award
Convention Talk Recounted
LWVUS -- Report from the Hill
United Nations and UNICEF
Choice

LWVUS -- Report from the Hill

President Clinton signed the Motor Voter Bill at the White House on May 20. LWVUS President Becky Cain and other leaders of the motor voter coalition joined the ceremony.

Officially titled the National Voter Registration Act, the law takes effect in 1995 and will compel states to: allow citizens to apply to register to vote when they obtain or renew their motor vehicle licenses; allow voter registration by mail; and require public assistance agencies, serving Americans with disabilities, and military recruitment offices to provide voter registration services.

Long desired and long fought at Congressional hearings, League can be proud of its role in the passage of this act. The LWV Education Fund has begun work on a guide to aid Leagues in the implementation of the act.

League is also working on campaign finance reform legislation. Four essential elements of comprehensive reform are: partial public financing of Congressional races, paid for by ending the tax deductibility of lobbying expenses; voluntary spending limits for candidates; limits on special interest contributions from PACs and others; and tough controls to close the "soft money" loophole.

It is public financing that is the most important part of campaign finance reform. Public financing will return citizens and voters to their central role in elections. It will tell candidates that they do not have to go to the highest bidder to raise funds to compete. Public financing is the cleanest money in American politics. It is financing with "no strings attached." The League strongly opposes any attempts to water down or remove public financing from the campaign reform measure.

April 1993 Home   Newsletters February 1994