Focal Issues

Focal Issues

The Criminal Justice Roundtable (CJRT), formed in January of 2017 as the Social Justice Roundtable. It takes its authority from LWV national policy, “Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and the health and safety of all Americans.” We agree with the words of the American political philosopher John Rawls: ". . . Whether something is just or unjust depends on whether it promotes or hinders equality of access to civil liberties, human rights, opportunities for healthy and fulfilling lives, as well as whether it allocates a fair share of benefits to the least advantaged members of society.” Currently, the CJRT is advocating for driver's license restoration and cash bail relief in Guilford County and beyond.

The Environment Roundtable (ERT) supports the League’s longest held positions on clean water and air and care for our environment. These include sensible land use and energy policies. The ERT visits one or more sites a year, for example, recycling facility, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and Guilford County farm,  to observe care for the environment in operation. The ERT frequently hosts guest speakers addressing timely issues. 

The Fair Elections Roundtable believes the survival of our democracy requires two reforms that are fundamental to all others we seek as engaged citizens: (1) Ending gerrymandering through nonpartisan redistricting reform, and (2) improving methods of financing political campaigns.   Accordingly, we are actively advocating for the NC General Assembly’s approval of a nonpartisan redistricting process and a timely, transparent digital campaign finance reporting process and the restoration of public funding of NC election campaigns.

The Health Roundtable supports the League's position of promoting equal access to a basic level of quality health care for all residents of the US paid for by general taxes based on income and includes effective cost control measures.  To that end we seek to educate ourselves and the public concerning deficiencies in our current health care system, proposed solutions, and where candidates for public office stand on health care issues.  We promote Medicaid Expansion in NC and support efforts to bring it about.

The Immigration Reform Roundtable is a comprehensive reform roundtable with broad membership from the league and from the wider community, including those impacted by immigration policy. It supports just and humane immigration policy in the Triad, in North Carolina, in the United States and in our world as a whole. It presents educational programs to faith and community groups, conducts community-based research on how immigration laws impact immigrant and refugee lives, creates policy recommendations, speaks with legislators, and advocates for specific individuals in certain cases. Its work is heavily informed by immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations across the Triad.

The Public Education Roundtable believes that for quality education to exist and thrive locally for all children pre-K through 12, that these principles must be adhered to: funding equity, integration, high quality teachers and principals, support services to include teacher assistants and small class size especially in poverty schools and that public tax dollars must be used only for public school education with accountability and transparency required in all educational settings.