By Susan Cochran, Director and Action Co-Chair

As the nation is reeling from a recent string of mass shootings stretching from New York to Texas to Oklahoma, and gun violence continues, many of us are asking what can be done about gun violence. The League of Women Voters has been working for sensible gun safety laws for over 30 years. LWVUS CEO, Virginia Case Solomon, decried the Uvalde tragedy and declared, “We will not be silent.” The League’s position on gun ownership is clear:

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons in the United States is a major health and safety threat to its citizens. The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens.

The Kunte Kinte Heritage Festival will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The festival runs from 10 am to 7 pm and is at the Annapolis City Dock - Susan Campbell Park.

The NAACP-Anne Arundel County branch has invited LWVAAC members to assist with voter registration during the festival.

If you are trained as a Voter Registration Volunteer and would like to volunteer, please contact NAACP-AAC VR Coordinator Ralph Thomas for details.  He may be reached at [email protected] or 410-353-9610.

LWVAAC has a robust Voter Services program. On July 4th League volunteers traditionally celebrate independence and democracy by registering newly naturalized U.S. citizens to vote. In a patriotic ceremony on the grounds of the historic William Paca house in Annapolis, ceremony participants take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America, administered by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service, Baltimore, and witnessed by family, friends, and the public of all ages. The new citizens on this July 4th came to the USA from 12 countries, including  El Salvador, Finland, Israel, Jamaica, Nigeria, the Philippines, and United Kingdom. The event, held in a tent fitting the occasion and overlooking the Paca House formal gardens, is orchestrated by Historic Annapolis. (photos by: K. Larrabee)

Paca House Ceremony
Posted by Amanda SubbaRao · July 23, 2022 1:15 PM

VOTE411 is Live!
Posted by Amanda SubbaRao · June 08, 2022 11:13 PM

Don’t go into the 2022 Election unprepared! VOTE411.org has everything you need, from registration deadlines to personalized election information! Get ready for your Election Day at VOTE411.org

“Who’s on my ballot?” “Where is my polling place?” “What should I bring with me?” “Can I vote early?” Don’t worry, VOTE411.org has you covered! 

Prefer a different format? LWVAAC offers that too! Click on the image below.

Action Committee

LWVAAC's Action Committee organizes events that promote the League’s position on an issue to government officials and the public. Such actions may include media campaigns, lobbying or advocating for a cause, and educating the public for support.

Email [email protected] for more information.

Program Committee

LWVAAC's Program Committee addresses local issues of compelling interest, often building relationships in the community and alliances with other organizations. At the local League level, the word “program” is used to describe a variety of events, including, but not limited to, speakers, panel discussions, candidate debates, and other educational activities for members and the public.

Email [email protected] for more information

Action to secure affordable housing for low and very low income residents and special populations in Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis. ⓘ 

Support for:

1. rehabilitation of the existing housing supply to maintain the stock of affordable housing;
2. meeting the housing and human service needs of special populations including, but not limited to
   the homeless;
3. increasing opportunities for people of low or moderate income;
4. ensuring an adequate stock of subsidized housing, and rental assistance and services to low and
   very low income persons.

Support for election of Board of Education members in nonpartisan elections held at the same time as partisan elections. ⓘ

Support for a charter that is clear, concise and confined to fundamentals. ⓘ

Hazardous ⓘ  Support the efforts of County government to control problems of hazardous waste. Support establishment of central collections points for disposal of hazardous wastes from households and other small generators. Urge the County to provide adequate information on how to report suspected hazardous wastes and on ways to reduce the use of hazardous products in the household.

Solid ⓘ Support a program of solid waste management that protects public health and the environment through promotions of source reduction, recycling, and adoption of a conservation ethic among individuals, businesses, and government. We believe every individual must take responsibility for his or her waste and must change disposal habits. A solid waste plan should emphasize source reduction, waste materials recovery, recycling, and composting. Incineration (waste to energy) and other alternatives should be considered only after health, environmental, and economic effects have been studied. Includes City of Annapolis.

Endorsement of the concept of controlled growth and encouragement of strong enforcement of existing land use controls (zoning, and storm water and sediment controls) and adoption of new regulations to support the concept. ⓘ

The League supports the following goals in accordance with this position.

1. Promote and pursue balanced development in appropriate target areas that will have minimum impact on the environment and maximum long-term benefit to employment and the tax base including provision of opportunity for affordable housing and a variety of commercial activities in established commercial areas and discouragement of strip development.
2. Enforce the County implementation of the critical area laws and ensure their adequacy.
3. Enforce more strongly the adequate public facilities ordinances, including those regarding water and sewer systems, waste water treatment plants, roads, and public transportation.
4. Reduce air, water, and noise pollution.
5. Expand and strengthen watershed management with storm water and sediment controls, using stronger enforcement of regulations and citizen participation, e.g. as monitors.
6. Maintain the integrity of rural residential and established farming areas by expanding the agricultural preservation program.
7. Expand programs that support carpools, vanpools, and all forms of public transportation.

ⓘ Support development and improvement of public transportation in Anne Arundel County, and encourage the county government to have thorough, professional studies made of the transportation needs of various sectors of the population, to develop proposals for meeting the needs, and to find ways to implement appropriate proposals. The LWVAA should evaluate proposals using relevant criteria regarding:

Users’ concerns–needs of various population groups and geographical areas, affordability of fares, travel time reliability and comfort, and safety;

Economics–capital costs (rights of way, construction and equipment), capital funding, operating costs, potential ridership and fare, operating revenues;

Physical matters–availability of rights of way, relation to other systems existing and planned, adaptability to future growth, and fuel type and consumption;

Environmental impact–pollution, and degradation of natural resources.

The positions summarized below are the result of studies conducted by the League of Women Voters of Anne Arundel County over many years. The studies enable the League to articulate its public policy positions and, after they are subscribed to by members, they are used to take action to impact decisions made by various county and city level policy bodies.

Select a position to view links to local information and resources.

LWVAAC encourages all Anne Arundel County residents to be active and informed participants in their government.

• Join the LWVAAC Observer Corps to monitor bills and committees in Anne Arundel County

• Find your elected officials 

• Explore the Anne Arundel County Charter, County website, AAC Board of Elections website, district maps and more

• Explore the Maryland Constitution, Code, General Assembly website, and more

• Explore links to US Government websites

• Explore the Annapolis website, Board of Elections website, and district maps

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

• MD General Assembly
• US Supreme Court
• US Senate
• US House of Representatives
• US Government Website
• US Government Budget
• US Courts
• US Constitution
• US Congress
• US Code
• Thomas Legislative Index
• White House
• Declaration of Independence
• Congressional Research Reports
• Bill of Rights
• data.gov—The US Government open data website

Restore trust in government, create economic opportunity for all, implement smart growth policies, and promote health and wellness. These are the principles that guide us as we govern and work to make Anne Arundel County The Best Place - For All.

• Anne Arundel County Website
• Anne Arundel County Code & Charter
• Anne Arundel County Board of Elections
• Electoral Maps by District
• OpenArundel—Tools and Resources that provide AAC residents with transparency, information, and data about the county and its government
• OpenArundel Demo—Learn more about tools and resources to use OpenArundel 
• Sign up for the County Executive Office's Newsletter
• View County Council Meetings and more on AACTV
• Current AAC Legislation under consideration
• The Recycle Coach App for mobile devices helps you keep track of what goes where and alerts you to ACC waste management events like Hazardous Waste Collection days. Download it from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android)