Action Alert!

League of Women Voters^®
of Glenview

Make a difference in our community

Make a difference for our community and our league

state action. gun bills. federal campaigns. Campaign Contribution Limits.

IL Budget Crisis

CALL THIS 1-800 NUMBER TO BE EASILY CONNECTED WITH YOUR LEGISLATIVE OFFICE.
The League of Women Voters of Illinois is a member of The Responsible Budget Coalition
The RBC brings together many diverse organizations that represent and serve millions of Illinois residents. The members of the RBC are committed to building the support needed to solve Illinois' budget crisis, prevent harmful cuts to essential public services, save jobs, eliminate the state's long-term structural deficit, and make taxes fairer. The solution to our crisis is HB 174 - a comprehensive tax reform plan that would raise new revenue that's desperately needed to close the state's Responsible Budget Coalition, huge budget shortfall AND make taxes fairer. The bill would raise the income tax by 2 pennies on the dollar, broaden the sales tax base,and expand tax credits for middle-class and low-income taxpayers, homeowners and seniors. http://www.abetterillinois.com

Gun Violence Prevention 3 BILLS

TIME FOR ACTION
There may still be time to pass common sense gun laws this legislative session. Please call or email your state representative today to support the first two bills listed below and urge them to oppose the third bill, a very dangerous concealed carry bill.
SUPPORT HB 5480 (Osterman): Universal Background Checks. This bill would support universal background checks for all handgun transactions. Currently, private gun sellers are not required to conduct background checks on buyers with the result that gang members, domestic violence offenders felons and severely mentally ill people are able to access handguns.
SUPPORT HB 5751 (Acevedo): Military-Style Weapon & Ammo Ban This bill would ban the sale and ownership of military-style (assault) weapons and ammunition to protect the public, including law enforcement, from these too-efficient weapons.
OPPOSE HB 5231 (Bradley): Concealed Carry in Bars, Nightclubs, Concerts and Sporting Events. This bill would allow employers and their employees to carry concealed firearms in places where guns should never be allowed-public gatherings where children, youth & families congregate, and businesses (bars & nightclubs) that sell alcohol. Furthermore, under HB 5231, law enforcement would have no discretion as to whether those armed people should be allowed to carry concealed weapons AND would have no prior knowledge of which people are carrying weapons.
more info:issues@lwvil.org

DISCLOSE ACT

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court handed down a far-reaching decision that allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited advertising funds in candidate elections. The practical effect of the decision in Citizens United v. FEC is that such unlimited spending can be done in secret!
We must act quickly to protect the 2010 elections from being swamped with secret corporate and union money. Legislation to require complete disclosure of corporate and union electioneering has been introduced in the House and Senate, and the League of Women Voters is strongly supporting this bill, known as the DISCLOSE Act.
Please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to support the DISCLOSE ACT. Tell them that they must act quickly, in time for the 2010 elections.
The DISCLOSE Act will create strong new disclosure rules, require more complete disclaimers by those running ads, bar election spending by foreign corporations, create clearer coordination rules, and prohibit election ads by large federal contractors or corporations that receive federal bailout funds. Now, even foreign corporations can purchase ads in an effort to sway voters, and they can do so secretly.
We urgently need enhanced disclosure in time for the 2010 elections. Voters deserve to know who is paying for election advertising. Secret money, especially secret foreign money, has no place in America's democracy.
Act now to urge Congress to act quickly to protect the 2010 elections.
TAKE ACTION
1. Contact your Senators and Representative now. Tell them to support the DISCLOSE Act, and tell them to take action before the 2010 elections.
2. Send this alert to other concerned citizens - your grassroots network, your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Encourage them to contact their Senators and Representative today!
BACKGROUND
Learn more about what the League is doing to support campaign finance reform.
Sign up to receive Action Alerts directly by email. Don't miss an opportunity to take action! It's easy to sign up and the League will never share your email with others.
For additional information, please contact LWVUS Grassroots Lobbyist Christina Vamvas at lobbying@lwv.org.

HB 6200/SB 2532

Please call your State Senator and State Representative and ask them to sign on as cosponsors to legislation that will extend Campaign Contribution Limits to General Elections for contributions from the Legislative Leader Campaign PACs and Political Parties to Candidate Campaign Committees. Ask State Senators to sign onto SB 2532 and State Representatives to sign onto HB 6200. Contact information for legislators can be found at http://www.ilga.gov.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 13, 2010 13:50 PDT.