How you can make change?
Take action to defend democracy!
Actions for the week of 5.26.2025
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.
National-Level Actions
Action 1: CALL OR WRITE about Federal Budget and Medicaid Cuts
“House Republicans have passed their massive bill to enact the heart of President Trump's domestic agenda, overcoming deep divisions inside the party to advance legislation that would cut trillions of dollars in taxes while scaling back safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.” From NPR: Here's what's in the GOP megabill that's just passed the House.
Tell your Senators not to gut crucial programs like Medicaid!
“Congress is currently considering a budget package that would slash Medicaid funding, putting millions of Americans’ health care coverage at risk.
Medicaid is the single largest source of health coverage in the country.
Nearly 72 million Americans, including children, pregnant people, seniors, families with limited income, and people with disabilities, rely on Medicaid for essential care, including doctor visits, hospitalizations, long-term care, maternity care, mental health care, and rural clinic services. We must protect Medicaid for the millions who rely on it.” From LWVUS
Show me more
- Medicaid Financing: The Basics kff.org
- Federal Medicaid Cuts Would Force States To Eliminate Services for Disabled Adults, Older Adults, and Children AmericanProgress.org
- Heather Cox Richardson explains the budget bill in a video.
- Take a deeper dive into some of the other provisions from Campaignlegal.org, including “Section 70302 of the legislation restricting federal courts’ authority to hold government officials in contempt if they violate judicial orders.”
“Section 43201(c) of the House reconciliation bill would impose a 10-year ban on the enforcement of all state and local laws that regulate artificial intelligence (AI), including rules for AI’s use in political campaigns and elections results. Simply put, a 10-year ban on enforcing AI laws across the country could mean a decade of false information that undermines voters’ right to make informed decisions. It would be more than misguided, and outright dangerous for the future of truth and trust in our elections.”
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LWV members can learn more by logging in to the LWV.org website and viewing the League Toolkits for action.
Write or call your Congressperson and tell them not to endanger the health of our country.
Contact information
The Honorable Lindsey Graham (Dear Senator Graham)
290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5972
The Honorable Tim Scott (Dear Senator Scott)
104 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
202-224-6121
Action 2. Stay INFORMED on National Issues
There are many good sources of news and opinions. Substack.com is one good place to connect directly with the writers behind your favorite publications and your fellow subscribers. Click here if you want more information about how Substack works, Here are a few ideas to get you started. Please email and let me know if there are others you enjoy and we will share them.
- Lynn Teague: “Retired archaeologist, active citizen, South Carolinian”
- Heather Cox Richardson: “I'm a history professor interested in the contrast between image and reality in American politics.”
- Joyce Vance: “I write while tending family, chickens, and trying to knit. Author of Civil Discourse on Substack.”
- The Contrarian: “Unflinching journalism in defense of democracy.”
State-Level Actions
Action 3: ABOLITION of the Electoral College.
The League has as a high-priority, long-range goal the abolition of the Electoral College through our One Person, One Vote campaign. One necessary step towards this is mobilizing public opinion, and, in South Carolina, that requires us — local Leagues within the state — to get the word out about the issue and the need for change.
Connect with the resources available for this campaign, including talking points, Powerpoint presentations, FAQ’s and more.
Find more information and sign up for the newsletter from LWVUS.
lawsonwetli [at] gmail.com (subject: One%20Person%2C%20One%20Vote%20campaign, body: ) (Contact Lawson Wetli) with questions.
Local-Level Actions
Action 4: CONNECT Us to Community Groups
At the January 2025 monthly program meeting the “Priority: Civic Education and Engagement” was approved and included the following goals:
- Promote Community Dialogues to bridge political divide.
- Establish Observer Corp to determine where electorate and public officials are lacking information/civic education.
- Continue existing voter education activities (Vote411.org, Candidate Forums, The Voter, letters to the editor.)
Currently, the working group, Voter Registration and Civic Education, will be focusing on the first goal and our first task is to develop a civics education curriculum to be used when speaking to community groups. The other two goals will be addressed soon.
We need your help in identifying community groups to which we could speak in both Pickens and Oconee counties. Some ideas may be church groups, women’s groups, civic/community organizations, social clubs, etc. All ideas are welcome.
carol.asalon [at] furman.edu (subject: Community%20Group%20suggestion, body: ) (Please send your ideas to Carol Asalon.) Your help is greatly appreciated! It is so incredibly important during these times to connect with our local communities to bridge the political divide. You can make a difference with your suggestions! Thank you!
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, May 26: Pickens City Council Work Session, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. For more information, choose from the following: Schedule of Meetings, City Council Agendas, City Council Minutes.
- Tuesday, May 27 (due to a holiday): 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, May 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 and the Agendas and Minutes.
Action 6: STAND with Ukraine.
Saturday, May 31, Greenville, SC
Join a rally in support of Ukraine! Court Square (130 S Main St, Greenville, SC) on Saturday, May 31st at 1pm. Learn more about this rally.
Action 7: SAVE the Date: June 14 (Flag Day)
NO KINGS is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses of the current administration. Seneca, Rock Hill, Columbia and Bluffton currently have events scheduled. This event is sponsored by Indivisible.org. (LWVUS is not a co-sponsor of this event.)
Action 8: SAVE the Date: July 17, John Lewis National Day of Action
On July 17, we honor the anniversary of the passing of civil rights icon John Lewis — not with ceremonies, but with action. Across the country, we will take to the streets and into communities to uplift his non-violent struggle for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.
Learn how to get involved in this event, including an information session.
Action 9: CELEBRATE your actions!
LWVOP members Cherie Walker, Ruth Reed, Carol Asalon, Janet Marsh, Holley Ulbrich, Pat Spurlock, Kathy Bargeron, and Carolyn Bishop-McLeod, Janie Shipley, Linda Gorry and Ken Marsh attended the 2025 LWVSC Convention May 17. Pictured here are Janet Marsh and Pat Spurlock.
You can share actions you’ve completed on Facebook, #WomenDefendDemocracy, or email me to be included in our Eblasts and social media posts. Also, please contact cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com (subject: Item%20for%20the%20Action%20List, body: ) (Cherie Walker) if you have ideas for future actions. We rely on our members for much of this information!
Action 10: SHARE a post on Facebook with your friends or public. This simple action can reach many people, and takes only minutes to do.
Some posts you might want to share are available on the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and League of Women Voters of the US pages.
If you don’t know how to share a post, here is a YouTube video to learn more.
Action 11: 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 12: Join the League (if you are not already a member!)
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
Action 13: 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 (Cherie Walker) know.
