Columbia Area Subscribed Articles

Columbia Area Subscribed Articles

SC majorities oppose book bans, support background checks, believe abortion should be legal in some cases, and feel diversity strengthens society
Blog Post

Like Grandma, a sizable majority of us are generally opposed to abortion. Also, a strong majority of us believe that women should be able to obtain legal abortions in a number of circumstances. Even many anti-abortion advocates believe that women who seek abortions should not be treated as criminals. S.323 does not represent the people of South Carolina.

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The State

Thousands of people protesting President Donald Trump’s leadership marched peacefully Saturday on Main Street and covered the state capitol grounds in Columbia, waving signs and cheering speeches that derided the president and his policies. Lynn Teague, League of Women Voters of South Carolina VP Issues & Action, criticized the practice of gerrymandering by which Republican majorities in the SC House and Senate have severely limited Democractic representation to far less than the 40% or more who make up the state electorate.

Nov. 14, 2025: Safe AI for Seniors
News

PROMISE-PROMoting AI's Safe usage for Elections— includes chapters by LWVSC Board members Joan Zaleski (Nothing but the Truth: Voting in the Time of AI) and Matthew Saltzman (Technology for Redistricting: Assessing and Generating District Maps).

On Nov. 14, Safe AI for Seniors, a free, hybrid event in Columbia, will empower older adults (55+) with knowledge, tools, and engaging discussions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on daily life.

Full authority for SC APRNs- a win, win, win!
Public Statement

Allowing nurse practitioners (APRNs) to provide the healthcare they are trained and licensed to give—without being tied to a smaller and smaller pool of primary care physicians—will expand quality access to care in South Carolina. Studies report increased satisfaction and lower costs. Additionally, Congress made full practice for APRNs a requirement of all states receiving any of the recently enacted $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund.

We support public education
Blog Post

Over the past three decades, stagnant weekly wages of public school teachers have fallen further and further behind those of college graduates who chose other careers, resulting in an ever increasing teacher pay gap that hit a record high in 2024. Over the last decade, inflation-adjusted weekly wages for teachers declined by $46.39 but increased by $220.46 for other college graduates.

Censorship complaints to public libraries continue with state-wide impact. The freedom to read 23 books has been eliminated or restricted. An October 7 lawsuit asks a federal court to block enforcement of unconstitutional book banning.

The status of pseudo-vouchers (Education Scholarship Accounts) remains uncertain. Public schools remain under attack from various groups, often funded by dark money, whose ultimate goal is a privatized education system.

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Charleston City Paper/The Statehouse Report

As a state Senate subcommittee began debate Wednesday in Columbia over S.323 that would criminalize abortion, hundreds protested at the S.C. Statehouse. The nine-hour hearing ended without a vote, but the subcommittee’s leader said he hoped to have another hearing to refine the bill.

League of Women Voters of S.C. Vice President Lynn Teague worried about the narrow, sectarian impetus for the bill. "But under the Constitution, we’re not a Christian nation and we were never intended to be. We were intended to be a nation that respected all traditions. I respect the depth and sincerity of everyone’s beliefs, but no one has the right to impose their beliefs on everyone else in the state.”

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WIS 10 TV

The South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee is set to hold a public hearing Wednesday concerning Senate Bill 323, otherwise known as the Unborn Child Protection Act. Watch the interview with current state Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine and Lynn S. Teague from the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. WIS also airs comments from former state Sen. Katrina Shealy recorded earlier Monday. Watch the interview.
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WLTX News19 TV (Columbia)

The deputy executive director of the SC State Election Commission has been fired and the deputy director was terminated after suspension during an internal investigation. Lynn Teague, vice president for issues and action with the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, said the agency still has the staff and resources to conduct secure elections despite the departures.

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WIS 10 TV

The deputy executive director for the South Carolina Elections Commission has been fired amid an ongoing SLED investigation. Her termination comes after former Executive Director of the South Carolina Elections Commission, Howard Knapp, was also fired on Sept. 17. Lynn Teague, LWVSC VP, Issues & Action, emphasized that voters should not lose faith in the system. “There are experienced IT specialists, staff working with counties, and people who continue to do their jobs,” she said. “Absolutely no one should panic, and no one should think this will cast doubt on the integrity of our elections.”
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ABC 4 News

Voter rights groups across South Carolina are voicing their discontent after the state Supreme Court upheld the current congressional district lines, rejecting claims that the 1st Congressional District was gerrymandered. “The whole process is supposed to be about voters and how the public is represented,” said Lynn Teague of the League. “It is not a one-winner-take-all process properly defined.”

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