THE LWV Positions on Local Issues
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
Adopted 1996, Revised 1998
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County supports reorganization of
local government and/or governmental units or changes of jurisdiction which will improve
services to citizens and provide economy of government financing. Citizen participation and
public review are essential in any plans or changes in government jurisdiction or
organization.
LAND USE
Adopted 1973, Revised 1998
1 Louisville and Jefferson County should adopt comprehensive urban growth and land
use policies that reconcile the conflicting demands development and environmental
preservation which are in the long term public interest.
2 To achieve these goals, urban growth and land use policies should ensure land use
consistent with physical attributes and capacity of the land, environmental protection
and wise use of resources should include:
3 Intergovernmental and interagency cooperation and coordination;
4 Planned, balanced and controlled economic growth and population distribution;
5 Adequate and balanced transportation systems, including mass transit;
6 Control of the extension of utilities and roads, including expenditure and timing, to
satisfy environmental protection in areas of development;
7 Preservation of open space, both public and private;
8 Land use consistent with land capability, environmental protection and wise use of
resources to provide equal opportunities for access to housing, employment and
education;
9 Preservation of natural resource lands (including significant farmland, forests, unique
scenic, ecological or historical areas) and protection of land subject to natural
disasters (hillsides, flood plains, wetlands, etc.);
10 Citizen review of all development proposals, both private and public, affecting the
county to ensure consideration of social and economic needs and consistency with
public policies and plans;
11 Balancing of public versus private rights and regional and local rights.
LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Adopted 1991, Revised 2001
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County believes that a well-funded
free public library system is essential for an educated and economically healthy community.
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County continues to support
increased accessibility through building new branches and keeping neighborhood branches
open and increased quality of the collection.
FAIRNESS AMENDMENT
Adopted 1991, Revised 2000
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County endorses the amendment
of local civil rights ordinances to include protection from discrimination in employment,
housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The
endorsement is based upon the League of Women Voter's principle that no person or group
should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination. Protection from discrimination
is a basic human right. Citizens need a clear legislative statement that our community will
not permit individuals to be deprived of their opportunities for employment, housing, or public
accommodations based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
CONSENSUS ON LOCAL HOUSING RESOURCES
Februrary 8th, 2010
Adopted 1991 and Re-affirmed November 2009
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County believes that decent,
suitable, desirable, and affordable housing should be available for all in our community
without discrimination as to economic status, race, color, creed, ethnic origin, familial status, sex, age, or physical or mental handicap.
Therefore, the League supports constructive governmental measures to guarantee freedom of choice for all in the rental or purchase of housing, private or public. Although the local Housing Codes represent the minimum standards only as to what is safe, standard, and sanitary housing, but not necessarily decent and desirable, the League believes that the local Housing Codes must be enforced. However, the League urges that those portions of the relevant Housing, Zoning, and Building Codes that act as impediments to housing rehabilitation and/or in-fill opportunities be modified or administratively waived, on a case-by-case basis. Also, the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government should have adequate Housing and Building Codes.
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County believes that the households displaced by community development must be protected by safeguards,
including open meetings and adequate communications with those affected. These should not only be outlined in written regulations, but also enforced in spirit as well as deed.
Recognizing that every person not only has a legal right but also a human right to live in a decent, affordable home and a suitable living environment, and;
Recognizing the diminishing role of the Federal Government in supplying funds, subsidies, and incentives for the creation of an adequate supply of affordable housing,
and;
Recognizing the rise of the number of homeless, including the increase in families with
children due to the above problems as well as economic and social problems, and;
Recognizing the need to provide people with increased job skills and education levels.
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County supports both governmental and private initiatives which will increase the development of permanent,
affordable housing for both renters and homeowners and which will provide support
programs in the areas of health, social services, education, and employment necessary to encourage individuals to move toward self-sufficiency.
Positions of the LWV of Louisville and Jefferson County
Revised June 14, 2010
CONSENSUS ON OPTIONAL SCHOOLS
Adopted June 1990; Revised June 14, 2010
The purposes of optional schools/programs in the public schools should be to enhance the quality of education available to all children and to support the regular programs by:
1. Providing choices of teaching strategies or special curricula;
2. Meeting student needs beyond those addressed in the regular program;
3. Serving as pilot programs for ideas that might possibly be incorporated into the regular program.
4. Promoting economic and ethnic diversity in all of Jefferson County Public Schools.
The following criteria should be met in establishing an optional program school:
1. Professional staff should document a need, taking into account parental and student requests.
2. Ongoing per pupil expenses taken from the general fund should be equitable (i.e., fair) in relation to regular program costs. Outside funds (such as federal) should be used whenever possible.
3. Admission policies should be based on specific criteria which reflect clearly defined interests and needs. Parents and students should be oriented to and counseled about the option before the student is admitted to a particular option.
4. The degree of parent involvement should not be a criterion for admission.
5. Optional schools/programs should be equally available to all qualified applicants and conform to school system goals and requirements for racial composition.
6. Personnel (both certified and classified) should meet the academic and experiential qualifications unique to the program and should be philosophically committed to the program.
Optional schools/programs need to be evaluated on the basis of the purposes and criteria stated above as well as on the basis of meeting system-wide and program-specific goals. These evaluations should be shared with the public.
Optional schools/programs should be terminated when evaluation indicates that the purpose, criteria, and goals are not being met or when the program itself can be incorporated into the regular program.
SCHOOL OBJECTIVES
Adopted 198; Revised 1994; Revised June 14, 2010
The League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County supports the following school system objectives for organization and administration in order to secure and sustain a quality program of public education in this community:
1. Flexibility in the educational programming within each school in order to meet the different needs of all children.
2. School attendance zones that provide for socioeconomic as well as racial integration.
3. Responsiveness to citizen concerns.
4. Fair racial, social and geographic representation on school boards, site based decision making boards and advisory boards.
5. Fiscal soundness, collecting revenue efficiently from all available sources, and efficiently using the money collected with informed community input.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SELECTION
Adopted 1987; Revised 1994; Revised June 14, 2010
A specific, detailed, written procedure for the selection and review of instructional materials (including computer and other electronic programs) is a necessary and important safeguard for the educational process, since to inhibit the use of instructional materials is to inhibit the learning process. Attempts to circumvent the review process constitute a denial of the rights guaranteed to all under the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
The appropriate policy and appropriate instructional materials selection should expressly state that:
1. A child not be penalized in any way if his/her parent does not give permission for his/her use of supplementary material;
2. Parents other than the original complainant have the right to appeal all decisions of an individual school's review or site based management council's review committee;
3. All parents of students in all affected schools must be notified in advance of cases to be heard by an individual school or central review committee;
4. There be a specified period of time during which a decision of a central review committee will remain in effect before a rehearing may take place;
5. Instructional materials must remain available until the review process is complete;
6. Criteria for teacher representatives on review committees specify a requirement for teaching experience within the subject or course area;
7. Review policies be patterned on the recommendations of professional organizations, such as the National School Board Association Advisory Service and the American Library Association.
DISCIPLINE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Adopted 1983; Revised 1994; Revised June 14, 2010
The goals of discipline in education are:
1. To create a climate in which teaching and learning can occur.
2. To help the learner develop effective, acceptable behavior with concern for his/her own rights and the rights of others.
A school system's discipline policy should include the following characteristics:
1. Emphasis on good school and classroom management.
2. Emphasis on instructional practices appropriate to each student's needs.
3. Consistency of rules and consequences with stated educational goals.
4. Participation by administrators, teachers, parents, students in developing the general policies, rules and procedures.
5. Well-defined rules and consequences for breaking the rules, so that the relationship between behaviors and consequences is uniform, consistent and clear.
6. Rules, consequences and opportunities for exercising individual responsibility are geared to student developmental level.
7. Procedures in accordance with equity and due process.
8. Positive communication of policies, rules, and procedures to all concerned.
The League emphasizes the importance of continuous in-service and support services for teachers and administrators to enable implementation of non-violent disciplinary strategies that are consistent with educational goals. The League opposes corporal punishment.
ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN
Adopted 1984; Revised June 14, 2010
If children are found to be abused and/or neglected by their families, the League of Women Voters of Louisville and Jefferson County supports efforts that will either restore a healthful family unit; or should that goal appear to be unachievable, place those children in programs seeking to provide permanent homes.
Justice for abused and neglected children requires timely action with the child's best interest as the central focus for decision making.