Welcome to the League of Women Voters of Northwest Riverside County
Serving the People of Northwest Riverside County as We Make Democracy Work
Mission Statement
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
 Elections
Video is available for our Mayoral Candidate Forums, State Senate District 31 and State Assembly District 61.
Sponsored by Riverside's League of Women Voters The Group The Latino Network NAACP Riverside Branch
For more information and a list of other Candidate Forums see Elections
Ready to Vote June 5? The League Can Help You!
June 5, 2012 Election - Two Primary Systems on One Election Day
Next June, voters will see Presidential Primary candidates on familiar partisan ballots according to political party affiliation.
However, for statewide offices, all candidates running in the Statewide Primary Election will appear on a single primary election ballot and voters can vote for any candidate.
Look inside our new Easy Voter Guide and visit The League’s Education Fund website
SmartVoter.org – You can obtain a complete list of all federal, state and local contests on your June ballot at SmartVoter.org by entering your address.
Public Policy
Riverside
City Charter Amendments - Measure E - Creation of an Independent City Auditor's Office
Every eight years Riverside's City Council appoints a Charter Review Committee to review our City Charter. As the City Charter is our City's constitution, the committee members have a very important task
The citizen's committee met monthly from May 2011 to December 2011 and held several public hearings, judging support for amendments to be submitted to the City Council. On February 7th, Riverside's City Council approved 7 amendments on our June 2012 ballot.
Riverside's League of Women Voters
strongly supports Measure E, an amendment to our City Charter that will make our City Auditor's Office more independent.
The amendment will separate the Auditor's Office from the City Manager's Office and require that the office reports first to the City Council and the Citizen's of Riverside.
SEE OUR FACT SHEET for the neccessity of this timely reform.
Background information is available, along with our testimony at the Committee's November and December meetings and remarks from the City Auditors of Berkeley and Stockton,CA.
Vote With the League - YES on Prop 28!
We support Proposition 28, the Legislative Term Limits Reform Act. This simple reform will help make our legislature more accountable and effective. The current limits on how many terms an individual can serve in the legislature would be replaced by a twelve-year limit on the total number of years one could serve—whether in the Assembly, the Senate, or a combination of the two.
Read the latest news about Prop 28 and its endorsements by the media.
We have taken a neutral position on Proposition 29, the California Cancer Research Act. This measure would add a one-dollar per pack tax on cigarettes sold in California, with proceeds to be used for cancer and other smoking-related health issues, anti-smoking campaigns, and law enforcement. While the League supports the causes underwritten by this measure, we believe that earmarking state revenue for specific expenses reduces the flexibility needed by the legislature in setting budgets to respond to current needs. Read more about the League’s positions on issues.
Campaign Financing and Disclosure
Join the League in supporting AB 1648 (Brownley), the California DISCLOSE Act, on its way through the legislature. Tell your representative that voters need to know who is paying for political ads.
AB 1648, the California DISCLOSE Act:
- Lets voters know who is really paying for political ads - - on the ads themselves
- Applies to all kinds of political ads, including television, radio, print advertising, and campaign websites
- Requires political television ads to clearly list their three largest funders with their logos
 In January 2010, the Supreme Court upended years of campaign finance reform with its ruling in Citizens United v FEC.
Given the Citizen United ruling, special interest groups spent more than $296 million on the 2010 Congressional midterm - a 330 percent increase over 2006 - with more than $135 million of that coming from undisclosed donors. While money in elections is not necessarily corruptive, an increase like this with the promise of more to come is certainly worth our attention and action.
Learn what this new reality of campaign spending means for today's voters.
New Revenues: Put California Back on the Right Track
We support the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012, the compromise tax measure that combines the original separate measures from Governor Jerry Brown and the California Federation of Teachers. Signatures are being submitted now to put the measure on the November 2012 ballot.
If passed, this measure will begin to put California back on the road to providing adequate funding for the services all Californians want: from schools to healthcare to public safety.
The measure would temporarily raise revenues by increasing income tax rates on family incomes over $500,000 per year, and modestly increasing the state sales tax by ¼ cent. In addition it guarantees a revenue stream to the counties to fund their new responsibilities under public safety realignment.
In recent years our state budget has suffered huge cuts in every program, and this year more than $4 billion in new cuts are proposed. Without the new revenue that this measure will bring in, billions more would have to be cut from K-12 schools, universities and public safety.
Read the entire text of the initiative.
Redistricting California
The Citizens Redistricting Commission’s final certified district maps are scheduled to take effect for the June 2012 primary elections.
See State Senate and Assembly maps for our area and visit League of Women Voters California for redistricting updates.
 New Voter ID Laws
The League of Women Voters US and state Leagues across the country continue to
work together with coalitions against proposed new laws that will suppress the vote.
7 states now have strict photo ID requirements followed by 7 more states with similar restrictions.
See LWV US President Elisabeth MacNamara's comments about the War on Voting.
Natural Resources
Join the League in defense of Clean Air
Read more about Riverside League's past advocacy efforts on our Public Policy page and visit LWV US and LWV California
 
Join us! LWV California members at the 2009 State Convention If you would rather donate to our League, it is greatly appreciated.
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