2021-22 Legislative Advocacy
The League remains focused most intensively on its Making Democracy Work (MDW) campaign: voting and elections, redistricting, and opposition to constitutional convention resolutions. The League, as always, will attempt to advocate on all bills falling within our areas of interest as defined in state and national policies. Follow our latest Making Democracy Work (MDW) Network Updates to organizations that share our interests.
Reference: LWVSC Human Rights & Human Services Positions/Issues
LWVSC 2021-22 Bills of Interest
LWVSC Bills of Interest 2021-2022 v.2.13.2022
Some issues of interest include the following:
Freedom to Read: Public Libraries, Schools
On October 27, 2022, the League of Women Voters of South Carolina joined “Freedom to Read SC,” a statewide coalition of advocates and community leaders that will work to defeat unconstitutional efforts to ban books from school and public libraries. Read more about the coalition and access resources.
Women’s Reproductive Health
H.5399 as approved by the House, forwarded to the Senate
The League is not asking for additional exceptions to be written into H.5399. Decisions around abortion are the moral right of those who are pregnant and are too complex for a limited array of legislated guidelines and exceptions. Most doctors and theologians from many religious groups agree with us. We are asking for a law codifying the protections associated with Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the moral agency of those who are pregnant up until viability while providing legal protection to a viable fetus after that, with appropriate exceptions. This is consistent with the beliefs of the majority of Americans, which should be the foundation of our laws. Imposing the religious beliefs of some on all, as these bills do, is religious establishment, prohibited by federal and state Constitutions.
Health Care
The League of Women Voters of South Carolina opposes H. 4776, which would permit anyone working for a health care facility to refuse any type of service to any patient on religious, ethical, moral, or philosophical grounds. The bill would further prevent hospitals and other health care facilities from changes in personnel responsibilities to try to accommodate refusals while protecting their patients. 2/23/2022 House Testimony H.4776 Health Care Refusals
Education
H. 4325, H. 4343, H. 4392, H. 4605, H. 4799: Prohibited Civics Content, Methods
The League believes that the responsibility to determine educational policy and goals as a basis for the selection and evaluation of content and methods belongs to state and local school boards. Bills like these will have unintended consequences.
Open Carry of Handguns
Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform
The League supports reforms to make our criminal justice system more effective in addressing crimes motivated by hate and also to ensure the just and equitable treatment of all citizens by all elements of the justice system. We identified 36 relevant bills in December 2020 pre-filing alone.