Defend Democracy. Take Action.

Defend Democracy. Take Action.

Women Defend Democracy
Time Range For Action Alert: 
Mar 03 2025 to Mar 09 2025

To support our members in taking action, LWVOP will send a weekly eBlast that lists several action items from which they can choose. There will be actions on the national, state and local levels. cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com (subject: Action%20suggestion, body: ) (Members are also encouraged to submit their own action ideas.) There will be a section on the website that updates each week, and posts on social media. 

The goal is not only to encourage actions, but to raise visibility, position the League as a group that walks the walk, and provide a resource to members and non-League members who are searching for ways to help. Even taking one small action can help us fight the negative emotions we are feeling and leave us feeling empowered to do more. 

The first five actions are listed below. Going forward, look for the new eBlast each Monday with ideas for that week. If you do not wish to receive these action items, don’t unsubscribe! christineuprado [at] gmail.com (subject: Remove%20from%20list, body: I%20do%20not%20wish%20to%20receive%20the%20action%20items%20weekly%20email.) (Contact Christine) so that you can continue to receive the Voter. 

National-Level Actions

Action 1: Stand with Ukraine on Monday, March 3 at 5:00 p.m.

This event is sponsored by South Carolina Stands with Ukraine. Join this bridge outreach in Clemson at the pedestrian bridge over Highway 123 by Goldenview Baptist Church. Event will start at 5 p.m. and go until 6pm or dark. Bring flags!!! Slava Ukraini!!!  

Action 2: Send a letter to Congress about the SAVE Act (making it harder to vote.)

Below is a sample message from nonprofitvote.org:

Proponents say the SAVE Act is about preventing non-citizen voting, but it’s a trick. We already have laws against that and instances of actual non-citizen voting are vanishingly rare. Instead, the SAVE Act effectively ends all nonprofit-led voter registration drives, ends online and mail-in registration by forcing voters to go in person to election offices, and disenfranchises tens of millions of eligible voters who either don’t have ready access to birth certificates or passports, or can’t easily get to an actual elections office. Tell your Representative to vote NO on the SAVE Act.”   

Feel free to adopt this message and make it your own!

Find your U.S. Representative’s name and contact information here: https://ziplook.house.gov/htbin/findrep_house

The Honorable Lindsey Graham (Dear Senator Graham)
290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5972 (DC, may leave recorded message) 

The Honorable Tim Scott (Dear Senator Scott)
104 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
202-224-6121 (DC), Toll Free: 855-425-6324

The Honorable Sheri Biggs (Dear Representative Biggs)
1530 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5301 (DC), Anderson: 864-224-7401
E-mail: https://sheribiggs.house.gov/contact/email-me

Action 3: Call your Congressional representatives and express your opinion about issues important to you.

One easy way to do this is to use 5Calls.org. This is a website and an app for your phone. They offer 29 different topics, provide background information and a possible script for each topic, and give the phone numbers you need for your elected officials, so you can call them with one click. You can make 3 powerful calls in less than 5 minutes a day. Some current topics include: Request and attend a February Town Hall, Protect your IRS data from DOGE, and Fight the Constitutional Crisis.

State-Level Actions

Action 4: Attend the Pickens County Town Hall on Monday, March 3.

Talk to Senator Rex Rice and Representative Phillip Bowers at the Pickens County Town Hall on Monday, March 3 at the Club House at Serenity, 706 Pelzer Highway, Easley, SC 29642. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7:00. 

Action 5: Contact your State Legislators about the Total Abortion Ban, H.3457.

The House Constitutional Laws subcommittee hearing for  House Bill 3457, the TOTAL ABORTION BAN, has been officially scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 9:00am in the Blatt Building, Room 110.  

This dangerous bill could strip South Carolinians of their reproductive rights. 

Our Representative serves on this committee, giving us extra leverage as a constituent in making our voice heard. We must plead that our lawmakers protect access to care so that we can make our own decisions about our lives and our futures. 

This bill is a total ban with exceptions only for “medical emergencies.” We know from other states that have passed laws like this that they lead to girls and women dying. Under advice from hospital attorneys, it is common for doctors to refuse abortion when there is no possibility of a viable birth, but the predictable outcome of sepsis from a deceased fetus has not yet begun.  A ProPublica study documents the outcomes of a similar bill in Texas, leading to an increase of more than 50% in second-trimester sepsis cases and dozens of added deaths. 

Actions you can take:

1. Call the members of the House Constitutional Laws subcommittee:

2. Testify: Personal stories, medical expertise, and legal perspectives are all incredibly valuable in demonstrating the real harm this ban would cause.

3. Attend: Simply being in the room on March 4 will send a strong message that South Carolinians oppose this ban. carol.asalon [at] furman.edu (subject: I%20want%20to%20carpool, body: ) (Contact Carol if you are interested in carpooling.) 

Action 6: Contact your State Legislators about Education Scholarship Accounts (Vouchers).

The overarching concern is that the General Assembly is constitutionally charged with the “maintenance and support of a system of free public schools open to all children in the State.” Any mechanism that directs public money to private and religious schools instead of strengthening options within our system of public schools is unlikely to meet with approval from the majority of voters. 

Learn more at these links:

You may find your Senators and Representatives in the South Carolina State Legislature here. After clicking this link, complete your address information into the form provided and click the button labeled 'Find Legislators' to submit the search.