The Three Facets of WV Citizen Action

When I get the question, “What does WV Citizen Action do?”, it presents a challenge as we’re not a one-issue group, or a two-issue group, but a multi-faceted one, so I tell them this: We focus on three main issue or policy areas. 

#1 Climate/Environment – WV-CAG was one of the founders of the WV Environmental Council back in the late 1980s. In the mid-2000s we organized landowners (who were getting bulldozed by oil & gas drillers) to form the WV Surface Owners’ Rights Organization (wvsoro.org). A decade ago, we started Energy Efficient WV (EEWV.org), which is now out on its own as a separate non-profit. We’re also one of the founding members of the WV Climate Alliance, which grew out of the ad-hoc WV Climate Caucus we started around 2014. Our newest coalition work is with two new groups: the WV New Jobs Coalition and West Virginians for Energy Freedom. 

#2 Democracy/Voting Rights – In the late 1990’s we helped form the People’s Election Reform Coalition, which exposed how special interest campaign donations were affecting our state’s public policy. Through West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections, we’ve continued to fight big money in politics, oppose overly aggressive purging of voters by the Sec of State, and work to protect and expand access to the ballot box for all citizens of our state.

#3 Health Care for All – Health care is a human right. That’s why we support a ‘Single Payer’ or improved Medicare for All type of public health insurance that leaves no one uninsured. Until we get there, we’ll continue working to expand affordability and access to medical care for all residents of our state and nation. As a founding member of the Health Care for All WV coalition working with other state groups to lower Rx costs, make Big Insurance pay for the care we need, and remove social and income barriers to  accessing care. 

As you can see, we do much of our organizing and advocacy work in close alignment with other WV nonprofits. Coalitions are where we build strength in numbers and power. This approach leverages your membership dues and donations to increase the reach and effectiveness of our advocacy and campaigns. 

Please consider becoming a supporting member of WV Citizen Action or making a tax deductible donation to our Citizen Action Education Fund so we can continue to fight for democracy, the environment, and health care for all in Charleston and in DC, doing the work needed to make positive change in our state and nation.