History, Principles

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League History
	After the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, the League of Women Voters was formed at the final meeting of The National American Women's Suffrage Association, which worked for decades for universal suffrage. From the beginning, the League emphasized voter information, voter service and other issues of value for the entire nation. Its first victory was the passage of a bill which provided federal aid to needy mothers and children. The League continued its work in support of the League of Nations, the United Nations, child labor laws, and price controls and rationing in World War II. A sustained, courageous effort was put into the "Individual Liberties Program," which opposed the goals of Senator Joseph McCarthy. "McCarthyism" had a grip on the nation, and people feared being called "communist sympathizers." "Blacklisting" was common, and the fear of losing one's livelihood was very real. Other legislative efforts for which the League lobbied were Social Security, civil rights, and the food and drug acts. More recently, it established a position on gun control, lobbied for voter registration reform, federal budget and deficit issues, campaign finance reform, child care, the right of privacy in reproductive choices, and environmental protection.
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The Westport League
	The League of Women Voters of Westport was founded in 1949. Six women met and started a "provisional" League. They were required to write a handbook about Westport before being accepted as a League with full status. During that research, it was discovered that Westport had no charter for town government. The town was operating under state statutes only. At the League's suggestion, a Westport Charter Commission was established which included League members. At that time, the State of Connecticut did not have "Home Rule;" thus, Westport's first charter was passed as a special act by the Connecticut Legislature. Today, because of this "special act," Westport is permitted to include in its charter unusual provisions which other towns cannot. For instance, Westport's Representative Town Meeting (RTM) is allowed to restore funds which were denied by the Board of Finance and to override Planning and Zoning (P & Z) regulations. The League of Women Voters of Westport continues to support, among other items, adequate sewage treatment plants, education, housing options, safe disposal of hazardous household waste, recycling of solid waste, acquisition and preservation of open space, backyard composting, and protection of Westport's wetlands. The League of Women Voters of Westport is a thriving and dedicated League which will continue to support voters' rights, national, state and local issues.
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League Principles
	The League of Women Voters believes in representative government and in the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States. The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen's right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible. The League of Women Voters believes that every citizen should be protected in the right to vote; that every person should have access to free public education which provides equal opportunities for all; and that no person or group should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination. 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. The League of Women Voters believes that responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people: 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 of economic and social problems that affect the general welfare, promote a sound economy and adopt domestic policies that facilitate the solution of international problems. 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 organizations and international law is imperative in the promotion of world peace.
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