Mormon Women for Ethical Government

On Thursday, October 24th, join MWEG and More in Common for a deep dive into the latest research about Latter-day Saint communities, exploring how faith shapes their identity, sense of belonging, and experiences with political polarization. REGISTER: https://lnkd.in/gt7_xPNm

MWEG members Melarie Wheat and Leslie Zabriskie refute some of the most commonly cited arguments in favor of Utah Constitutional Amendment D: “The Legislature’s claim that this ruling completely restricts its ability to act is simply false. Because the Court’s ruling specifically addresses initiatives that alter or reform the government, this ruling does not impact the Legislature’s ability to amend initiatives outside of this category, such as those concerning abortion, gun control and recreational drug use, if they were to come up. Moreover, the Supreme Court’s decision does allow for significant alterations of initiatives or referendums, provided there is a ‘compelling governmental interest.’” https://lnkd.in/g6DVc9Jt

“The constitutional right of Utah citizens to reform or alter our government aligns with the very purposes of our democracy and with checks and balances on power — that citizens’ voices be heard in the halls of government and that we may check the power of our representatives.” -MWEG Co-executive director Emma Petty Addams and Director of Advocacy Annie Bentley Waddoups https://lnkd.in/g-zgUaey

MWEG Executive Director, Jennifer Walker Thomas, on how people of faith can strengthen our democracy through participating as poll workers. "This year, it is our democracy that requires an emergency response. Religious communities can and should be the first to step forward. Churches and other faith-based organizations are key non-partisan organizers in cities and towns across America, and they should take up the task of ensuring that we experience free and fair elections. Values central to our faith traditions such as hospitality and service particularly equip us to ensure a positive, smooth experience at the polls." https://lnkd.in/g38gbawe

Catch the latest episode of MWEG's Proclaim Peace podcast where hosts Jennifer Walker Thomas and Patrick Mason interview guest Sarah Perkins on the holy work of peacemaking https://lnkd.in/gS6XgBrB

Huge thanks to Trevor Potter and Campaign Legal Center for their expert legal representation and to League of Women Voters for their partnership on this lawsuit. This is a big win for the people of Utah!

Breaking News: The Utah Supreme Court upheld Utah voters’ constitutional right to reform their government. "Therefore, we hold that when Utahns exercise their right to reform the government through a citizen initiative, their exercise of these rights is protected from government infringement." MWEG is a plaintiff in this lawsuit, along with the League of Women of Voters of Utah and individual plaintiffs (several of whom are MWEG members). https://lnkd.in/dns4SNZN

MWEG members Lisa Halverson and Melarie Wheat on why “'Mutual deference and concession' were 'indispensable' to the creation of the Constitution — and they are still indispensable to its health today": https://lnkd.in/gsSxkhCP

Catch our latest Proclaim Peace Podcast episode with episode guest Becca Kearl, Executive Director of Living Room Conversations, as she discusses building bridges through dialogue: lessons from Zeniff and Ammon https://lnkd.in/gS7J4KGs

How can ordinary Americans build peace and strengthen the rule of law in response to the Trump and Biden convictions? https://lnkd.in/g_-gcT4m