Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Voter Engagement and the Need to Measure Bills and Initiatives through Ethical Standards

August 24, 2018

Mormon Women for Ethical Government believes that one of the basic requirements for a healthy democracy is an informed and involved citizenry. A large part of our mission involves voter education and engagement.

We believe that constituents should be informed and should work hard to understand, not just candidates and issues, but also proposed legislation. Bills and initiatives should be carefully examined and measured against broadly accepted ethical principles.

Good legislation is clear, specific, based on verifiable, objective facts, and free from the taint of money from lobbyists or other special interest groups. Ideally, legislation is the result of bipartisan cooperation and compromise.

Bills and initiatives may be praiseworthy in some respects, but should nonetheless be carefully scrutinized to ensure that all of their components are likewise praiseworthy. Special attention must also be given to ensure that there is not a significant likelihood of unintended negative consequences. If an initiative or bill is seriously flawed in this way, or if it is carelessly written or vague, it should be amended before passage, not after the fact.

When analyzing bills and initiatives and seeking to sort fact from fiction, citizens must be attentive to the sources of information they are consuming, especially when certain individuals or groups who would benefit financially from the legislation may be presenting distorted information.

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Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) is a nonpartisan group dedicated to the ideals of decency, honor, accountability, transparency, and justice in governing. MWEG is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do, however, fully sustain the leaders and doctrines of the Church.

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