The Statehouse Report

Increasingly, watchdogs say, legislators are using provisos to push through controversial social policies, such as statewide restrictions on public school lesson plans, without proper public scrutiny or committee review. “Social policy issues should be addressed through the full legislative process, including public hearings,” said Lynn Teague, Vice President of the League of Women Voters. “It’s an evasion of public responsibility to tuck these things in as budget provisos.”

South Carolina Daily Gazette

Elections for just over half of South Carolina’s 170 legislative seats will be settled by the end of this month. That’s because 80 incumbents seeking re-election and candidates for six open seats will have no competition at all in November. That’s why it’s so important for voters to participate in next week’s primaries and — for the contests not decided June 11 — the run-offs two weeks later, said Lynn Teague with the state League of Women Voters.

“People who are very angry, who are operating at the extremes, are probably going to vote in that primary,” Teague said. “Whereas somebody sitting at home, mainly concerned about the fact they just had to have their car repaired because of all the potholes, may not pay attention to the fact an election is happening until October."

WIS 10 TV

For those who want a say in who makes the choices that impact South Carolinians’ day-to-day lives, the primary elections will very likely be their chance. “We are one of the least competitive states in the nation,” said Lynn Teague with the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. ."If you’re wondering why the polling shows South Carolina’s people as a whole are more moderate than what happens at the State House, it’s because at the State House we see legislators responding to that base that votes in the primary. If we had really, really good turnout, all of these predictions could go out the window."

The League is deeply disappointed with today’s Supreme Court ruling that allows our state to move forward with discriminatory maps that divide the political power of Black communities in Charleston County. We believe, without exception, that Black voters in South Carolina deserve justice for our state's historical and continued efforts to disenfranchise them. The League of Women Voters will continue to fight for voters across South Carolina to be fairly represented.