We take action to defend democracy!
Actions for the week of 9.15.2025
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.
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
– STEPHEN KING
State-Level Actions
Find your SC Legislators.
ACTION 1. VERY URGENT! South Carolina lawmakers are pushing S. 323, an extreme bill that would ban abortion in all circumstances—with NO EXCEPTIONS.
According to Planned Parenthood, this bill is one of the most dangerous in the country.
It would:
- Expose patients to the harshest criminal penalties, treating people who seek abortion care as murderers under the law.
- Target doctors with felony charges, decades in prison, loss of their medical licenses, and even private lawsuits.
- Ban certain forms of birth control and place severe restrictions on in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Criminalize support, making it a felony—punishable by up to 30 years in prison—to share information about legal abortion in another state, provide financial help for travel, or even post resources online.
What can you do?
- As a constituent, call your Senator Rice, (803) 212-6124; Senator Cash (803) 212-6116; or Senator Alexander (803) 212-6220. Demand that they abandon this egregious attack on our autonomy, privacy, speech, and safety before October 1. Personal calls from constituents are the most effective means of influencing Legislators!
- Call Senator Verdin, 803-212-6250, on the Health and Human Services Committee.
- Attend the hearing and testify on October 1, at 9:30am in the Gressette Building, Room 105 at the Columbia Statehouse.
- Amplify this message by liking and sharing the Facebook posts from LWVSC and LWVOP.
- Join the Health Policy Team, see Action Item 3 below.
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Be Informed.
Read more about the League position.
Read the joint statement with ACLU-SC and other reproductive rights groups.
ACTION 2: Redistricting Update from Post and Courier claims: “Congressman wants to eliminate SC’s only Democratic district. Republicans say they have a plan.”
Stay informed on the redistricting issue. More information on redistricting on LWVSC.org.
LWV information available: No Harm to Our Communities, to ensure our elected leaders protect historically disenfranchised communities and prioritize voter participation when drawing new maps.
Local-Level Actions
ACTION 3: JOIN the Health Policy Team
Concerned about plans of the SC Legislature to make all abortions illegal? Want to pressure SC legislators to continue Medicaid coverage for 200,000 South Carolinians who will lose Medicaid coverage in 2026? With SC ranking low on most health measures, there are many health issues to tackle.
An organizing meeting of members will be held in late September to determine:
- interest in forming a team and, if so,
- what issue(s) does the group want to pursue.
Please jmarsh [at] clemson.edu (subject: Health%20Policy%20Team, body: ) (contact Janet Marsh) if you are interested.
Action 4: ATTEND meetings of your local government and stay informed on local issues.
LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.
- Monday, September 15: 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 2025 Council Meeting Calendar, Pickens County Calendar, and to the agenda and minutes and videos.
- Monday, September 15: 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. The 2025 calendar is here.
- Tuesday, September 16: 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.
- Tuesday, September 23, 7:00 pm: Meeting of Pendleton Area Advocates for Intellectual Freedom. This group mobilizes against book bans and other infringements on intellectual freedom. They meet monthly at the First Baptist Church in Pendleton and welcome new members and interested parties.
ACTION 5: SAVE the Date: October 4 Read and Rise 2025.
Join the Pendleton Area Advocates for Intellectual Freedom for Read and Rise 2025. October 4, 10am - 2pm. LWVOP will be there registering voters!
ACTION 6: SAVE the Date: October 18.
The next national day of action for Indivisible, 50501, and a wide number of related organizations will be Saturday, October 18, when the theme will again be No Kings. Details to come.
ACTION 7: SAVE the Date: September 27.
National-Level Actions
ACTION 8: READ League of Women Voters Statement on USCIS Policy Restricting Voter Registration at Naturalization Ceremonies
“For decades, local Leagues have empowered new citizens and supported their local election offices by providing voter registration support at naturalization ceremonies — something I have personally participated in over the years as a League volunteer. However, earlier this week new guidance from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was issued that bars groups like the League from providing voter registration services at naturalization ceremonies. This change in USCIS policy makes it harder for new citizens to register to vote and is yet another attack on the immigrant community. Our democracy is stronger with the voices of new citizens. Read our statement online at www.lwv.org. LWVUS will share specific guidance for Leagues on voter registration at naturalization ceremonies in the coming days.”
— Dianna Wynn, President League of Women Voters of the US
ACTION 9: TELL your congressperson to support free, fair, and accessible elections.
LWV Statement on Mail-in Ballots and Voting Machines: The League of Women Voters CEO, Celina Stewart, Esq., issued the following statement in response to President Trump's vow to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines:
“Free, fair, and accessible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. President Trump’s call to eliminate vote-by-mail is a direct attack on Americans’ freedom to vote.”
“President Trump has no constitutional authority to take this action. Under our US Constitution, the states have the power to run elections, and only Congress can step in to regulate those elections when needed. This move is yet another overreach by an unpopular president who seeks to silence the public to hold onto power.”
Action 10: 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.
ACTION 11: Join the League (if you are not already a member!
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
ACTION 12: 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 (subject: Defending%20Democracy, body: ) (Cherie Walker) know.
