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Official Statement on the Vote for Speaker of the House
This week, when members of the House of Representatives reconvene to vote for a speaker, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their enduring commitment to our Constitutional system of government. While a handful of extremists have precipitated a crisis of leadership, an equally small number of courageous and reasonable actors have the opportunity to exhibit bipartisanship and restore faith in ethical governance. As leaders and members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we ask all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, to find a pathway to the election of a speaker who has proven they will support the peaceful transfer of power. We are once again faced with…
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Media Literacy Toolkit
The founders of the United States knew an educated public would be key to the strength of a democratic republic. The creation of the First Amendment ensured citizens would have access to the information needed to make good decisions about their representatives and policies. At Mormon Women for Ethical Government, all of our advocacy and education efforts flow from our Principles of Ethical Government, and this is also true of media literacy. These principles include the idea that, “All individuals have a duty to educate themselves about the actions of government officials and current events in the world, taking care to ascertain facts from reliable sources of information.” Knowing where…
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Official Statement on Idaho’s Open Primaries Initiative
Today the Idaho chapter of Mormon Women for Ethical Government joins the Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition in supporting representative government through free and open elections. This support is a manifestation of our commitment to peacemaking within our community and our determination to advocate for democratic processes wherein every voter can meaningfully participate. In 2011, after nearly a century of open primaries, the Idaho legislature adopted a closed primary law requiring voters to register with a party in order to vote in the primary election — the election of most consequence in Idaho. This change stripped more than a quarter of a million independent voters of their ability to cast…
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Water Rights on the Colorado River in a Drought-Prone World
The Colorado River is the beating heart of the West, pumping life into the region’s cities, farms, and deserts. Its water is used for reasons as diverse as growing alfalfa that is shipped to Saudi Arabia to providing hydroelectric power to over 40 million people in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The Colorado River is the principal source of water for seven states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and California); it also provides water for Mexico. Water rights on the Colorado River are governed by a complicated network of laws, court decisions, contracts, and regulations known as the Law of the River. The Colorado River Compact The…
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Official Statement on the Trump Indictment and the Rule of Law
Democracy is not guaranteed. It depends on the engagement of good citizens united around common principles. As Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we urge our fellow citizens to become familiar with and learn about the facts and underlying relevant legal processes associated with both United States of America v. Donald J. Trump and The State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump. These cases will mark an inflection point in the history of our government: We the people can decide if our nation will uphold Constitutional government by insisting that even our most powerful leaders be held accountable to the rule of law. It is critical that as citizens we retain…
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MWEG Op-Ed: ‘Are Your Elected Officials Principled or Stubborn?
“As I watched the debt ceiling standoff between Republican lawmakers and President Biden over the last several months, I returned to a question I have been contemplating for several years: What is the difference between taking a principled stand on an issue and being a stubborn, egotistical obstructionist?” Click here for the full text of this Fulcrum op-ed written by Megan Rawlins Woods, MWEG’s senior director of nonpartisanship.
