Beaufort, SC Area
Beaufort, SC Area
UPCOMING EVENTS
EVERY Monday at 4pm
Protest in front of Beaufort City Hall. Come to express your concerns about any issue and bring a poster if you’d like!
Tuesday, April 1 @ 6:30 PM
The new Beaufort chapter of PFLAG (the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them) will meet at UUFB.
Wednesday, April 9 @ UUFB
LWV Beaufort Meeting
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today is a dark day in politics. The passage of the SAVE Act in the US House is a direct attack on the fundamental right to vote and a dangerous step backward for our democracy. Full Statement
ADVOCACY
As we witness a barrage of assaults on our democratic processes, institutions, and values, it’s not surprising that many people feel overwhelmed and even frightened. Common reactions to these feelings are fight, flight, freeze, or fawn:
- Flight: Some people will avoid or minimize any political engagement;
- Freeze: Others feel so overwhelmed and powerless they will shut down, unable to do anything;
- Fawn: Fear may drive others to appease or give in to those in power; or
- Fight: We must fight back! Anti-democratic actors want us to feel defeated in order to make us compliant and/or immobile. Instead, everyone must commit to doing their part in defense of our democracy.
When we collectively rise up and challenge those in power, we make a difference. That includes you — because you have a voice. You have power.
Actions for the week of 4.14.2025
Our Challenge: Take at least one action per week to Defend Democracy!
These are suggestions of actions you could take as an individual. Always remember to express your personal views, and not to speak on behalf of the League. Only League Presidents or designees can speak on behalf of the League.
NATIONAL LEVEL ACTIONS
ACTION 1: TELL your U.S. Senators to oppose the SAVE ACT.
The House just passed the SAVE Act, a dangerous bill that could strip millions of citizens of their right to vote. It is a blatant, underhanded attempt to kick lawful voters off the rolls and suppress voter participation under the false guise of preserving and protecting election integrity. With this bill now heading to the Senate for a vote, it is halfway to becoming the law of the land. We must do everything possible to stop it.
The House just passed the SAVE Act, a dangerous bill that could strip millions of citizens of their right to vote. It is a blatant, underhanded attempt to kick lawful voters off the rolls and suppress voter participation under the false guise of preserving and protecting election integrity. With this bill now heading to the Senate for a vote, it is halfway to becoming the law of the land. We must do everything possible to stop it.
Background information from LWVUS: It doesn't happen
- “Let’s be clear: there is absolutely no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting in federal or state elections. It is just not happening anywhere in federal or state elections.
- False claims about non-citizens voting in federal elections are a pretext for undermining our access to vote, and they spread misinformation about voting.
- These claims are coming from anti-immigrant conspiracy theorists attempting to fearmonger and sow distrust in our democratic process for their own political gain.
- It is already illegal for non-citizens to register and vote in federal elections. Every state also bans non-citizens from voting in state elections. Violations can lead to imprisonment and deportation.
- Municipalities in California, Maryland, and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, allow non-citizens to vote in local elections.
- Voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote. State election officials also have existing systems to verify voter eligibility and ensure accurate voter rolls.”
What we need:
- Americans do not need MORE obstacles to vote.
- We need Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act and pass pro-voting reforms like Same-Day Registration, protections for voters with disabilities, and funding for the Election Assistance Commission.
- If legislators really want to secure and improve elections, they should invest in upgraded equipment, expanded staffing for election administrators, and training for poll workers.
Your U.S. Senator’s name and contact information:
Senator Tim Scott, 104 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
Senator Lindsey Graham, 211 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 (202) 224-5972
Find your U.S. Representative’s name and contact information here: https://ziplook.house.gov/htbin/findrep_house
Senator Tim Scott, 104 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
Senator Lindsey Graham, 211 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 (202) 224-5972
Find your U.S. Representative’s name and contact information here: https://ziplook.house.gov/htbin/findrep_house
STATE LEVEL ACTIONS
ACTION 2: CALL or WRITE your SC Senators and Representatives about House bill H.3309, Energy Regulation.
House bill H. 3309 is now under consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senators should reject the provisions of this bill that will harm the public interest.
Ask your Senator to preserve the ability of the State to protect us from the power of monopolies,do not establish preferential treatment of utilities over citizens and citizen groups during regulatory processes, protect residential ratepayers; allow agencies to do their jobs in assessing individual projects, don’t reach their conclusions regarding individual projects for them, and require data centers to fully pay their own way.
- As currently written H.3309 would:
- Bias the Public Service Commission (PSC) toward construction of a gas-fired plant at Canadys, before the appropriate data and arguments are considered by the PSC
- Alter the mission of the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) to return to the demand that they consider the “financial integrity of utilities” in their representations before the PSC
- Gut important aspects of the regulatory protections put in place following the V. C. Summer debacle
- Damage ratepayers throughout South Carolina by allowing utilities to provide special negotiated rates to “transformative” and “qualifying” customers (including energy hog data centers) that would transfer the cost of providing their energy from those who will profit from the industry to residential and small business utility customers who will receive little or no benefit.
Further information is available in LWVSC testimony on H.3309, posted here under Advocacy: Legislative: Environmental Policy
Find your SC Legislators here.
ACTION 3: CALL or WRITE your State Senators about the Anti-DEI bill HB 3927.
“To cap this moment: we are far beyond buzz words (or defining DEI) at this point. Remember the following: the 19th Amendment is DEI work; simply, women having the right to vote is DEIwork. All citizens having access to free and fair elections is DEI work. People having the rightto make medical decisions about their own bodies is DEI work. Equitable access to Healthcare, housing, legal, and other resources is DEI work. I applaud you and our partners who act upon and embody the league’s mission in doing the work to keep our democracy intact, fighting for basic human rights, and keeping the current administration and its sympathizers’ HANDS-OFF our Democracy, Our Bodies, Our Health Care, and rights.”
Courtesy of Hannah E. Parker, Board member LWVSC and LWV Florence.
Find your SC Legislators here.
“To cap this moment: we are far beyond buzz words (or defining DEI) at this point. Remember the following: the 19th Amendment is DEI work; simply, women having the right to vote is DEIwork. All citizens having access to free and fair elections is DEI work. People having the rightto make medical decisions about their own bodies is DEI work. Equitable access to Healthcare, housing, legal, and other resources is DEI work. I applaud you and our partners who act upon and embody the league’s mission in doing the work to keep our democracy intact, fighting for basic human rights, and keeping the current administration and its sympathizers’ HANDS-OFF our Democracy, Our Bodies, Our Health Care, and rights.”
Courtesy of Hannah E. Parker, Board member LWVSC and LWV Florence.
Find your SC Legislators here.
ACTION 4: Learn more about Legislative transparency.
How Can They Do That?: Legislative Transparency with LWV Kentucky
Frustrated with your legislature's last minute hearings, substitute bills, and/or disregard of public participation in the legislative process? Wondering what your League can do? Please join LWVUS Advocacy and LWV Kentucky as we walk through LWVKY's experience producing a report on their legislature's lack of transparency. This webinar is open to all League members and leaders, and will be recorded! League members can register here.
LOCAL LEVEL ACTIONS
ACTION 5: SHARE a post on Facebook with your friends or public. This simple action can reach many people, and takes only minutes to do.
Some posts you might want to share are available on the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and League of Women Voters of the US pages.
If you don’t know how to share a post, here is a link to a YouTube video to learn more: How to Share a Facebook Post
ACTION 6: CELEBRATE your actions!
You can share actions you’ve completed on Facebook, #WomenDefendDemocracy, or email me to be included in our Eblasts and social media posts. If you have not already joined the League, you can do so here.
SUPPORT
Order a shirt and show your support for the League of Women Voters Beaufort!
You may mail the form with a $20 check (payable to LWVB) to PO Box 13, St Helena Island, SC 29920.
Or pay $20 using PayPal and email your size and address to BeaufortVotes [at] gmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
