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JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MAINE
WHEREAS, on February 14, 1920, 6 months before the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, the national League of Women Voters was formally organized in Chicago; and
WHEREAS,  the purposes of the new organization included equal suffrage and citizen education aimed at all of the electorate; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan citizens' organization that strives to improve our government and engage our people and our communities in the decisions that affect our lives; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters has held the public trust for 98 years by respectfully bringing elected leaders and the public together through nonpartisan, civil means and through thoughtfully advancing policy solutions; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters operates at national, state and local levels through more than 800 state and local leagues in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters of Maine has nearly 500 active members and supporters throughout the State, with local chapters serving the Portland area, Bath and Brunswick, Hancock County, Camden and Rockland, Machias and the greater Bangor area; and
WHEREAS,  the State has benefited tremendously from the countless volunteer hours donated by league members over the league's history of enhancing democracy; and
WHEREAS,  although the League of Women Voters was formed from the movement that secured the right to vote for women, the centerpiece of the league's efforts remains to expand voter participation and give political voice to all Americans; and
WHEREAS,  since its inception, the League of Women Voters has helped millions of women and men become informed participants in government, providing information and support on such issues as protection for women and children, the rights of working women, food supply and demand, social hygiene, the legal status of women, American citizenship, aid for maternal and child care programs, social security, food and drug safety and changing the system of hiring within the federal civil service system; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters helped lead the effort to establish the United Nations and to ensure United States participation and was one of the first organizations in the country officially recognized by the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization, and the league continues to maintain official observer status; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters believes in representative government and in the individual liberties established in the United States Constitution, and that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation and respects the citizens' right to information about government records and proceedings; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters believes that every citizen's right to vote should be protected, that every person should have access to free public education that provides equal opportunity for all and that no person or group should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters believes that efficient and economical government requires competent personnel, the clear assignment of responsibility, adequate financing and coordination among the different agencies and levels of government; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters believes that government should be responsive to the will of the people and that government should maintain an equitable and flexible system of taxation, promote the conservation and development of natural resources in the public interest, share in the solution to economic and social problems that affect the general welfare, promote a sound economy and adopt domestic policies that facilitate solving international problems; and
WHEREAS,  the League of Women Voters believes that cooperation with other nations is essential in the search for solutions to world problems and that the development of international organization and international law is imperative in the promotion of world peace; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Legislature now assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this opportunity to honor the League of Women Voters of Maine on the 98th anniversary of the founding of the national organization and to recognize the distinguished service and accomplishments of the League of Women Voters of Maine for the people of the State; and be it further
RESOLVED: That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be presented to the League of Women Voters of Maine as a tangible token of appreciation.