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WV Citizens for Clean Elections Action Alert

Oct 15, 2019	View / Comment Online	*Donate*

Dear Friends, Partners, & Allies,

You’re receiving this e-mail because we know that you are concerned about the health of our democracy.

You know that when legislators listen to regular West Virginians, they can work with us to pass bills that make West Virginia a better place to live, work, and raise a family. The governor can sign those bills into law, and our courts can uphold those laws.

That’s what can happen when democracy is healthy—when the legislative, executive, and judicial branches keep checks and balances on one another, and are held accountable by we, the people. But the system can only work if judges decide cases, in good faith, based on their understanding of what the law requires—and if the public believes they are doing so.

You know, too, that there’s a “big money” disease attacking democracy. You understand what happens when politicians rely on campaign contributions from wealthy donors and special interests: Lawmakers fail to solve the problems facing our state because they can’t hear the concerns and solutions regular West Virginians have to offer.

You’ve also seen the impact big money has had on judicial elections here in West Virginia. Special interest groups spending big bucks on these elections see the courts as an effective vehicle for furthering their political, ideological, or financial agendas.

WV Citizens for Clean Elections is working to restore health to our democracy, to clean up elections, and assure that our courts are fair and impartial.

Right now WV Citizens for Clean Elections has an opportunity to receive an additional $5,000 for our work if we can raise $5,000 from our friends and supporters by the end of the year.

Will you pitch in?

You can donate online at ohvec.org or by sending a check to OVEC* at PO Box 6753, Huntington, WV 25773. (Please be sure to include “WV Pro-Democracy Match” in the comment field or memo/for line.)

Katonya Hart of the WV NAACP speaks during the Restore the Voting Rights Act event in Charleston on August 6.

WV Citizens for Clean Elections is a coalition of organizations and individuals (co-founded by OVEC and WV CAG) that believes that everyone should have a voice in the decisions affecting their lives—from equal access to the ballot box, to the right to have our voices heard above the special interests that try to buy our elections.

We also believe that West Virginians deserve courts that are free from partisan and special-interest influence. That’s why we work on reforms such as public financing, strong recusal rules, and robust disclosure laws are important to preserve the fair and impartial courts upon which our democracy depends.

Your donation will help us:

Broaden and build support for our Pro-Democracy, Anti-Corruption Platform in advance of the 2020 legislative session. This set of common sense policy solutions will help move us towards a government that’s more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of ALL West Virginians.
Educate the public about the important role the courts play in protecting West Virginians and their families, and what we can do to protect the fairness and independence of the courts.
Engage and inform voters about the candidates and the values we should use to evaluate judicial candidates as West Virginians head to the polls in May to vote for an unprecedented three out of five Justices on the WV Supreme Court of Appeals.

So if you’re fed up with politics as usual, don’t give up: jump in!

Join us in the fight for a democracy that works for everyone—a democracy where everyone participates, every vote is counted, and everyone’s voice is heard—by making a donation today.

Thank you for your support!

January 4, 2020 Update: You did it! Thanks to contributions from folks like you, we raised the $5,000 needed to meet our #WVProDemocracy match. Actually, we more than made it. We raised $7,380! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Julie Archer
Project Manager, WV Citizen Action Group (WV CAG)
Coordinator, WV Citizens for Clean Elections

Vivian Stockman
Executive Director, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC)

*Note: OVEC serves as the fiscal agent for this project.

PS: We need more than your financial support. We need your voice! Join the movement by signing our petition to members of the WV Legislature asking them to join you in supporting the Pro-Democracy, Anti-Corruption Platform. Then help spread the word by sharing the petition on Facebook and/or Twitter.