Our Positions

2023 - 2025 Local Program

The League of Women Voters of Champaign County has positions on many issues of political import in the broad areas of human resources, natural resources, local government and the judicial system.  Positions are adopted by the chapter as a whole through a study process.  Consensus is the overall decision-making process by which substantial agreement among members is reached on an issue.  If the members reach consensus, the board forms recommended positions based on that consensus. Recommended positions are then reviewed and voted on by members.  If a position is adopted, firm action can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action can not be taken on that issue.

 To support these positions, we host public forums throughout the year with the aim of bringing useful, timely information to the community and sponsor other activities.   Our 2023 - 2025 program positions are shown below. You can also download them as a pdf document.  

Human Resources

Promote equality of opportunity for all persons in Champaign County.

• Promote responsible and effective human relations commissions in Champaign County.
• Encourage and support local school districts in the maintenance of appropriate facilities and in the development of programs which enhance the quality of education for all students, supporting accountability, transparency, and equity in the use of public funds for education.
• Promote effective library service for all residents of Champaign County.
• Support and promote the provisions of public health services, behavioral services, (including mental health and substance use services), and services for the treatment of developmental disabilities, to meet the needs of all Champaign County residents.
• Promote public understanding of the need to invest in programs that promote the welfare of children.  
• Support programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families including: income assistance, support services, housing supply, and transportation.​​

Natural Resources

To promote an environment beneficial to all life through the protection and wise management of natural resources for present and future generations.​

• Resource Management:
  • To support long range planning of the natural resources protection by local governments, business and industrial entities that take into account population growth and inherent characteristics and carrying capacity of the area’s natural resources for current and future needs.
  • Water – To support water resource conservation programs, policies and projects that protect the county’s ground and surface water quality and quantity for human use and wildlife habitat.
  • Energy – To support the use of a variety of energy sources with the emphasis on: conserving energy and encouraging research of efficient sustainable energy technologies.
  • Land Use – To support county and local governments’ land use planning that emphasize conservation and the proper management of: natural resources, sensitive historical and culture sites, wildlife habitat, and significant geological sites.
  • Parks and Recreation – To support continued improvements in administration, financing, programs, and facilities of parks and recreation in Champaign County.​
• Environmental Protection, Pollution Control and Citizen Education and Participation
  • Air – To support measures that reduce pollution from all sources through vigorous enforcement of controls and with incentives for all sectors of the county, especially concerning CO2 emissions.
  • Solid and Hazardous Waste – To support policies that ensure safe treatment, transportation, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste materials in order to protect public health and the county’s natural resources.
  • To support measures that encourage residents, local governments, and businesses to reuse and recycle appropriate waste materials.
  • Public awareness and participation – To support the public education and awareness of county-wide environmental issues including opportunities for public participation in the decision-making process.

Local Goverment

A major responsibility of local government should be to seek out, recognize and try to meet the needs of all members of the community. To fulfill this mission, local government should:

• Promote measures to improve quality and responsiveness of all local units.
  • Elected officials of local governments should be accessible to all citizens.  
  • Meetings of local government units should be open to the public and comply with the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
  • Every meeting should include Public Participation as a specific agenda item at which time residents and citizens should be free to express their opinions, views, and grievances.
  • Public hearings should be an integral and well-published part of every planning process.
  • Neighborhood associations should, where possible, be formed to further input to governmental units.
  • Use of technology as a means of communicating with the public should be encouraged. Each unit should have a website which is comprehensive, and kept current.​
• Intergovernmental cooperation and elimination and/or consolidation of services should also be encouraged when it can reduce costs and/or make delivery of services more efficient and accessible to citizens.​​

Judicial System

• Support maintaining and improving the judicial system in Champaign County including provisions for:
  • Courthouse facilities which meet Illinois Supreme Court Standards, establishment of the security for courthouse and individual courtrooms; establishment of special and safe accommodations within the courthouse complex for children involved with judicial proceedings.
  • Correctional and detention facilities providing programs that meet state standards including screening and care of mentally ill detainees.
  • Problem-solving courts with adequate funding of the resources to maintain them with
  • Equal access to the system for all individuals.
  • Encouraging and facilitating participation in the jury selection process by all eligible citizens.
  • Alternatives to imprisonment should be explored and utilized, taking into consideration the circumstances and nature of the crime. Like LWVUS, LWVCC opposes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
  • Equity in the juvenile justice system of Champaign County.