We take action to defend democracy!
Actions for the week of 9.8.2025
Please share this with your friends.
Send your ideas for action items to: cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com
We rely on your input for these items!
These are just suggestions of actions you could take as an individual. If you are a League member, 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.
State-Level Actions
Find your SC Legislators.
ACTION 1. VERY URGENT! Senate Bill 323, a dangerous and extreme abortion ban is currently being fast-tracked through the SC Senate.
S.323 is an almost total ban on abortions, identifying it as the crime of homicide punishable by a prison term of up to 30 years for a person having an abortion or aiding in abortion.
There are NO exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomalies. This last means that women would be forced to continue to carry fetuses with no hope of life outside the womb, often fetuses that are likely to die in the uterus threatening the life of the woman.
S.323 would give control of every pregnancy, and every pregnant person, in South Carolina to the State. The implications go far beyond preventing abortion and would put at risk anyone who miscarries even the most wanted pregnancy.
Among other things, S. 323 would also:
- Restrict the use of birth control by amending the definition of a legal “contraceptive” to exclude anything that prevents ovulation or implantation of a fertilized ovum
- Restrict in vitro fertilization by defining a “human embryo” as a fertilized egg or zygote
- Make it unlawful to possess any drug or substance that can be used for abortion
- Make providing information about abortion unlawful, including via a website or phone call
What can you do?
- As a constituent, call your Senator Rice, (803) 212-6124; Senator Cash (803) 212-6116; or Senator Alexander (803) 212-6220. Demand that they abandon this egregious attack on our autonomy, privacy, speech, and safety before October 1. Personal calls from constituents are the most effective means of influencing Legislators!
- Attend the hearing and testify on October 1, at 9:30am in the Gressette Building, Room 105 at the Columbia Statehouse.
- Amplify this message by liking and sharing the Facebook posts from LWVSC and LWVOP.
- Join the Health Policy Team, see Action Item 3 below.
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Be Informed.
Read more about the League position.
Read the joint statement with ACLU-SC and other reproductive rights groups.
ACTION 2: UPDATE: DOJ seeks sensitive SC voter files, prompting privacy concerns.
WLTX News Update 9/6/25: Court blocks Department of Justice request for South Carolina voter data
From the Caitlyn Byrd, the Post and Courier:
The U.S. Department of Justice is pressing South Carolina to hand over its complete detailed list of registered voters. The DOJ is seeking personal information on 3.3 million people in the state without saying why it wants the data or how it plans to use it.
Lynn Teague, vice president for issues and action with the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, said she was deeply concerned by the DOJ’s request for such information.
“Anything that looks like a fishing expedition by people who may want to cast doubt on election integrity concerns us deeply,” she said.”
Local-Level Actions
ACTION 3: JOIN the Health Policy Team
Concerned about plans of the SC Legislature to make all abortions illegal? Want to pressure SC legislators to continue Medicaid coverage for 200,000 South Carolinians who will lose Medicaid coverage in 2026? With SC ranking low on most health measures, there are many health issues to tackle.
An organizing meeting of members will be held in late September to determine:
- interest in forming a team and, if so,
- what issue(s) does the group want to pursue.
Please jmarsh [at] clemson.edu (subject: Health%20Policy%20Team, body: ) (contact Janet Marsh) if you are interested.
Action 4: DEFEND the Freedom to Read.
Attend the Pickens County Library Board Meeting
Thursday, September 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Village Library, 124 N Catherine St., Pickens
Background from CAFE Pickens: The board will be voting again on moving the list of 10 books submitted by State Senator Rex Rice from the Young Adult collection to the Adult collection. Nine of the ten books had not gone through the local reconsideration process. One book had gone through the process and was voted to remain in the Young Adult section, meaning it could not be reconsidered for two years. None of the board members who voted had read the books in full.
Public comment signups open Monday, September 8. To sign up, boardclerk [at] pcls.fyi (subject: Sign%20up%20for%20public%20comment, body: ) (email ) or call 864-850-7077, ext. 189.
Apply to Serve on the Library Board of Trustees
We need trustees who believe in the mission of public libraries. This fall, District 3, District 6, and at-large seats are up for appointment. County Council appoints trustees to the library board and may select applicants from outside the district. So, please apply!!!
- Application period: September 1–30, 2025
- Apply here: Board & Commissions Info
- Direct Application Link: Library Board Application
- Find your district: SC Voter Info Tool
ACTION 5: ATTEND meetings of your local government and stay informed on local issues.
LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.
- Monday, September 8: Pickens City Council meeting in City Hall, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. Find Schedule of Meetings, City Council Minutes, Agendas, and Livestream Recordings.
- Monday, September 8: Oconee County School Board Meeting* at the District Office at 6 pm. If you cannot attend, there is a livestream option. Also, you may find the 2025 agendas and minutes from past meetings.
Action 6: SAVE the Date: October 4 Read and Rise 2025.
Join the Pendleton Area Advocates for Intellectual Freedom for Read and Rise 2025. October 4, 10am - 2pm. LWVOP will be there registering voters!
National-Level Actions
ACTION 7: READ League of Women Voters Statement on USCIS Policy Restricting Voter Registration at Naturalization Ceremonies
“For decades, local Leagues have empowered new citizens and supported their local election offices by providing voter registration support at naturalization ceremonies — something I have personally participated in over the years as a League volunteer. However, earlier this week new guidance from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was issued that bars groups like the League from providing voter registration services at naturalization ceremonies. This change in USCIS policy makes it harder for new citizens to register to vote and is yet another attack on the immigrant community. Our democracy is stronger with the voices of new citizens. Read our statement online at www.lwv.org. LWVUS will share specific guidance for Leagues on voter registration at naturalization ceremonies in the coming days.”
— Dianna Wynn, President League of Women Voters of the US
ACTION 8: TELL your congressperson to support free, fair, and accessible elections.
LWV Statement on Mail-in Ballots and Voting Machines: The League of Women Voters CEO, Celina Stewart, Esq., issued the following statement in response to President Trump's vow to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines:
“Free, fair, and accessible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. President Trump’s call to eliminate vote-by-mail is a direct attack on Americans’ freedom to vote.”
“President Trump has no constitutional authority to take this action. Under our US Constitution, the states have the power to run elections, and only Congress can step in to regulate those elections when needed. This move is yet another overreach by an unpopular president who seeks to silence the public to hold onto power.”
ACTION 9: SPEAK OUT against the militarization of our cities and suppression of peaceful assembly.
From LWVUS: In response to the President’s deployment of the National Guard and takeover of the city’s police department, LWVUS issued a joint statement with LWV of the District of Columbia. I strongly encourage you to take a moment to support our League in DC. Contact your representatives and demand an immediate oversight hearing. Speak out against the militarization of our cities and suppression of peaceful assembly.
And if you haven’t already, sign LWVDC’s statehood petition.
Action 10: Take CARE of yourself (and others!)
With so much going on in the world, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Take some time to do something you enjoy. Here’s a little cartoon to remind us to smile and be kind to others. Courtesy of FunnyTimes.com
ACTION 11: Join the League (if you are not already a member!
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
ACTION 12: Sign up for the mailing list.
If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get it directly!
We would love to hear from you about this initiative. Feel free to forward this email to others who wish to find ways to participate. Whether it’s how this made you feel, results you saw, or suggestions for future topics, please let cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com (subject: Defending%20Democracy, body: ) (Cherie Walker) know.
