Voting Rights Committee

M. Christian Green (Chair)

The function of the LWVLA Democratic Committee is to monitor legislative and other developments that present risks to democratic participation by Louisianans in state and local governance. Issues in this area fall generally under the category of “Representative Government” in LWV positions. While our Voting Rights Committee focuses on voting rights and elections, the Democracy Committee focuses on Citizen Rights and Individual Liberties of speech, assembly, and rights to protest and petition the government for redress of grievances, as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We particularly focus on the Citizen’s Right to Know and Citizen Participation, including open meetings, public records, and ethical governance. In recent years, our concerns about the value of Public Libraries, particularly as sources of information and citizen participation, and the value of Nonpartisan Civil Service for good governance have intersected with our concern for Democracy Protection.