Actions for the week of 1.10.2026
We’ve returned from our holiday hiatus with a briefer version today. We will return to the full version next week, but wanted to get out the word about the Seneca protest this Sunday.
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.
Local Level Actions
ICE OUT FOR GOOD
Sunday, January 11, 1-2:30, Seneca City Hall
“Injustice for one is injustice for all. Let us join hands and voices until our leaders hear us.” Details here on Mobilize.us.
LWVOP Discussion group
Tuesday, January 13, 4 pm, 2 Birch Place, Clemson, SC.
Members and their guests welcome.
Video presentation by Celina Stuart, CEO of LWVUS about 2026 midterm elections will be viewed and discussed. Contact reed.juniata [at] gmail.com (subject: LWVOP%20Discussion%20Group, body: ) (Ruth Reed) for more information.
Webinar with Sierra Club and South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP)
Thursday, January 15, 12 pm
From Conservation Voters of SC: “Duke Energy is asking regulators to approve a polluting, expensive gas plant in Anderson County.” In this webinar, Sierra Club and SCELP will share everything you need to know about the public hearing, from registration, to drafting your comment, to navigating the hearing room.
“The clock is ticking towards April 2026, when regulators at the Public Service Commission (PSC) must approve, deny, or modify Duke’s proposed gas plant in rural Anderson County. Here are two actions you can take today to get involved:
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Have more time? Register for the February 2 public hearing! The most powerful advocacy is in-person at the public hearing on February 2. Your comment will become part of the official record and show regulators the real impact of their decision.
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Have less time? Submit a written comment! Use this link and the provided message template to tell regulators you oppose the gas plant. You can personalize this template to make it more impactful.
ATTEND meetings of your local government and stay informed on local issues.
LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.
- Monday, January 12: Pickens City Council meeting in City Hall, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. Find the Schedule of Meetings, City Council Minutes, Agendas, and Livestream Recordings (scroll to the bottom of the page).
- Monday, January 12: 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 2026 agendas and minutes from past meetings.
- Tuesday, January 12: City of Clemson Council meeting held at Council Chambers, Clemson City Hall, 1250 Tiger Blvd # 1, Clemson, SC 29631 at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted. View the 2026 calendar.
- Thursday, January 15: Pickens County Library System Board of Trustees meeting at 6 pm at the Hampton Memorial Library, 304 Biltmore Rd, Easley, SC 29640. Calendar Year 2026 meetings and locations; agenda and minutes. List of book titles that have been challenged.
- Tuesday, January 20: Pickens County Council Mid-Month meeting in the Main Conference Room of the Administration Facility, 222 McDaniel Avenue Pickens, SC 29671 at 6:30 pm. Here are links to their 2026 Council Meeting Calendar, Pickens County Calendar, and to the agenda and minutes and videos (scroll down the page).
- Tuesday, January 20: Oconee County Council meeting in the County Council Chambers located at 415 South Pine Street, Walhalla, SC at 6 pm. Here are links to the Calendar, agenda and minutes and videos of past county council meetings.
- Monday, January 26: Pickens City Council work session, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. Find the Schedule of Meetings, City Council Minutes, Agendas, and Livestream Recordings (scroll to the bottom of the page).
- Monday, January 26: Pickens County School Board meeting at 1348 Griffin Mill Rd, Easley, SC 29640 at 6 pm. Board meetings are livestreamed; to watch, please connect to the SDPC YouTube page. View video of past meetings.
- Tuesday, January 27: Oconee Library Board meeting held in the Council Chambers at 415 S. Pine St, Walhalla, SC 29691 at 5:30 pm. View the Calendar; agendas and minutes.
Immigration Bridges Workshop
Thursday, January 22, 6-8 PM, Pendleton SC
One way to bridge our disagreements around immigration is to understand what divides us. In this FREE workshop, community experts from upstate SC will describe the workings and shortcomings of our immigration system. They will also discuss immigration solutions that welcome immigrants and refugees as neighbors without harming the interests of American citizens. Just as important, workshop participants will discuss how to act on their concerns about immigration.
State Level Actions
The Con Laws Subcommittee will meet to hear two abortion-related bills. The League opposes both.
Wednesday, January 14, noon
Blatt Building Room 110, Statehouse, Columbia
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H.3537 South Carolina Prenatal Protection Act (Harris and others)
This bill is another attempt to define a fertilized egg as a legal “person.” Contrary to the claims of many bill supporters, this is a moral judgment and not a scientific fact. This bill would allow homicide charges, even the death penalty, for abortion and abortion care.
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H.4760 Abortion Inducing Drugs (W. Newton and others)
The bill creates felony charges for the delivery, possession, and distribution of abortion medication, other than possession by a pregnant person. It increases policing and surveillance of pregnancy and expands efforts to control the lives of girls and women.
The asks
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Attend the January 14, noon, subcommittee meeting and add your personal perspective through written or oral testimony.
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HJudConstitutionalLaws [at] schouse.gov (subject: , body: ) (Submit written testimony.)
Read more on this issue, or in your LWVSC Action Alert eblast.
Con Laws hearings on two bills to Close Primaries
Thursday, January 15, 9 am, Blatt Building Room 110, Statehouse, Columbia
Two bills that would close primary elections by party will be discussed in the House Judiciary Committee’ Constitutional Laws (Con Laws) Subcommittee:
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H.3643 Voter Registration, Party Affiliation (B. Newton and others)
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H.330 Closed Primaries (Burns and others)
Primaries are the elections in which individual votes are most powerful, with the greatest potential to allow a voter to elect someone of their choosing. Every voter must be able to participate fully in this process.
The asks
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Attend the January 15, 9 am, subcommittee meeting and sign up at the desk to add your personal voice as a citizen.
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HJudConstitutionalLaws [at] schouse.gov (subject: , body: ) (Submit written testimony.)
Read more on this issue, or in your LWVSC Action Alert eblast.
LEAD Registration closes January 14
Saturday, January 24
Midlands Tech Beltline campus, Columbia, SC
Save the date for the LWVSC League Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) on January 24 at Midlands Tech’s Beltline Campus in Columbia. Program agenda, speaker details and registration. Registration closes January 14. Spaces are limited.
Energy Affordability Advocacy Day
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 am
SC State House, north steps, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC
South Carolina has some of the highest energy bills in the nation, and legislators need to hear from their constituents that affordable energy solutions must be a top priority for the 2026 legislative session.
Join a broad consortium of organizations, including the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, at the State House for a chance to speak with your legislators and urge them to take action for more affordable energy bills!
Join the League (if you are not already a member!)
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
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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.
