LWV-Canton Area Policy Regarding 2024 Special Session House Bill 1

 

 

The Ohio General Assembly has adopted restrictions on using money from non-U.S. sources to advocate for or against any statewide ballot initiative. These restrictions are presented in sweeping, complex, and, unfortunately, vague language and their precise impact on the League of Women Voters is unclear. HB1 (https://stsossharedstorageprod.blob.core.windows.net/free/publications/SessionLaws/135/135-HB-001_Special.pdf)

 

Redistricting reform is, as it has been for decades, an important goal of the League of Women Voters. To avoid any suggestion that any LWV activities might violate this new law, we adopt the following policies and procedures for the League of Women Voters of Canton Area, in connection with the Fair Districts and Citizens Not Politicians (CNP) campaign for redistricting reform in 2024 (collectively referred to here as

“the CNP initiative”).

 

LWV-Canton Area has no paid staff, so these procedures relate solely to using LWV- Canton Area funds for materials or resources to advocate for the CNP initiative directly to the public.

 

LWV-Canton Area presumes that HB 1 does not prohibit LWV-Canton Area from using its resources to communicate with its members about the CNP initiative. LWV-Canton Area further presumes that it and its volunteers may advocate for the CNP initiative to the public in any manner that does not involve using funds that might be from non-U.S. sources.

 

Plans for CNP Communications to dues-paying members:

 

1. LWV-Canton Area will use its paid communication methods to communicate only with its dues-paying members about the CNP initiative, to share information about CNP and LWV-Canton Area efforts, and to offer opportunities for its members to advocate for the CNP initiative.

 

Plans for CNP Communications to the Public:

 

1. LWV-Canton Area will make robust use of free online and social media accounts to communicate with the public about the CNP initiative, including but not limited to the use of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
2. Until the procedures described below are implemented, LWV-Canton Area will not pay to print or disseminate materials or use paid information services that advocate, directly to the public, support for the CNP initiative.
3. Until the procedures described below are implemented, LWV-Canton Area will not use online communications methods for which it pays to advocate directly to the public support for the CNP initiative. This includes the LWV-Canton Area website.
4. Unless funding for paid communication methods comes only from U.S. citizen contributions, LWV-Canton Area will not use those methods to communicate with the general public or non-dues-paying members.
5. If LWV-Canton Area considers incurring any costs when advocating for the CNP initiative directly to the public, including printing materials or purchasing space at any public event for LWV-Canton Area public advocacy, it will first solicit contributions from U.S. Citizen members to pay the vendor directly for any costs incurred.
   
   If, for any reason, a direct payment is not possible, it will ask a U.S. Citizen member to sign an affirmation of citizenship with a contribution to LWV-Canton Area to cover the costs incurred and will note the contribution in a separate line item in the LWV-Canton Area monthly financial reports. (For example, a U.S. citizen member agreed to pay for our new Constant Contact account through the end of 2024. This is documented in our financial report.)

 

Plans to coordinate with the League of Women Voters of Ohio (“LWVO”)

 

1. Whenever feasible, LWV-Canton Area will use funds and materials from the League of Women Voters of Ohio (“LWVO”) in support of advocacy for the CNP initiative because LWVO has established a separate fund for such expenditures.
2. LWV-Canton Area will encourage U.S. citizen members and supporters who want to donate to the CNP Initiative to donate to LWVO’s dedicated fund for the CNP initiative.
3. LWV-Canton Area will periodically review this policy and revise it as necessary to ensure its continued compliance with Ohio law.

 

 

Adoption of Policy

 

Adopted by an affirmative vote of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present, assuming the Quorum number has been met at a Zoom meeting of the LWV-Canton Area Board of Directors and Education Fund Board of Trustees on the 13th day of August 2024, at Canton, Ohio.

 

Cathy Toth

_________________________________________

Cathy Toth

Secretary

League of Women Voters of the Canton Area