Introduction to LWV Committees and Task Forces

Committees in the League of Women Voters are an important way for League members to educate themselves, their colleagues in the League and the public at large about local issues important to them.

Committees learn about issues in the following ways:

• do online and library research (your local college or public librarian can help!)
• attend meetings of relevant government bodies or local organizations as an observer
• seek out studies done and positions taken by other local Leagues around the country

Committees educate others about issues in the following ways:

• organize public forums or media events presenting objective information and/or multiple sides of a topic
• work on studies with the intent of presenting findings to the local League in monthly unit meetings and building support for a vote for a consensus position (see below)
• on issues where local League consensus has been reached, organize public forums or media events articulating and advocating for League positions on issues
• on issues where local League consensus has been reached, lobby local government on behalf of the League
• work with relevant government bodies or local organizations to organize tours

Committees may lead studies which can eventually lead to the League adopting a consensus position on an issue, and lobbying & advocating on behalf of that issue. Positions taken by the local League relate to issues on which the desired political action is local, for instance, a position that favors barring junk food machines in schools (decisions are made at the local school board or individual school level). Local positions are often a local extension of state and national League positions, as articulated in the LWVMO's Guide to State Action and the LWVUS' Impact on Issues. Local positions may not contradict state and national LWV consensus positions but may speak where these overarching positions are silent.

A Task Force is similar to a committee, but it may have a more narrow focus. Its existence may be related to a national LWV issue that members are interested in publicizing directly at the local level. The most prominent example of a Task Force right now is the Defense of Liberties Task Force.

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