Thanks to all of you who are contributing actions and ideas to this bi-weekly Action List.

Actions for the week of 4.6.2026

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. 

Local-Level Actions

League members Carol Asalon, Pat Spurlock, Cherie Walker and others at the Seneca No Kings Rally. It was heartening to see so many community members supporting our democracy, and waving and honking as they drove by. Great crowd!  

Upstate Votes 2026 Public Event 

Note the Monday date! Special date and location. 

Monday, April 6 at 4:00 p.m.

Clemson Central Library, 106 Commons Way, Central, SC

Most people picture November when they think about elections. But the candidates who appear on that ballot are chosen months earlier in primary elections. When turnout is low, a small number of voters can shape decisions that affect schools, roads, health care, and local leadership.

The League of Women Voters of Oconee & Pickens Counties encourages voters to understand how primaries work and why participation matters.

Learn more on MONDAY, April 6 at 4:00 p.m. at the Central Clemson Library, featuring SC State House Representative Neil Collins; and South Carolina LWV Board member Lawson Wetli. Read more about this event on our site.

Sponsored by the Oconee/Pickens League of Women Voters.

Anderson Gas Plant Update

Tuesday, April 7, 6 pm

Historic Courthouse at 101 S. Main Street, Anderson, SC

From jalen [at] cvsc.org (subject: , body: ) (Jalen Brooks-Knepfle), Conservation Voters of South Carolina:

“Despite the community's concerns, the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Duke's application last week, allowing its gas plant project to move forward. Still, important decisions remain at the local level, and your voice can make a difference.

The Anderson County Council will meet on Tuesday, April 7, 6 pm, and they’ll be discussing the gas plant project. Duke Energy is seeking a massive tax break through a fee-in-lieu-of-tax (FILOT) agreement with Anderson County, meaning the county is losing out on money that could otherwise support schools, roads, and emergency services.”

You can take action! You can speak at the April 7 meeting or contact your councilor. Urge them to prioritize fair, long-term benefits for Anderson County. You can find your councilor's contact information here.

Local Politics Matter!

Stay informed and involved by attending meetings where important decisions are made.

LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.

• Monday, April 6: Pickens County Council Meeting in the Council Auditorium at the Administration Facility, 222 McDaniel Ave., Pickens, SC 29671 at 6:30 pm. View links to their 2026 Council Meeting Calendar, Pickens County Calendar, and to the agenda and minutes and videos (scroll down the page).
• Monday, April 6: 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. See the 2026 calendar.
• Tuesday, April 7: Pickens County Board of Voter Registration and Elections Regular Board Meeting at 4:30 pm at the Pickens County Administration Facility, 222 McDaniel Ave, B-9, Pickens, SC 29671. Find the calendar, meeting agendas and minutes.
• Tuesday, April 7: Oconee County Council Meeting in the County Council Chambers located at 415 South Pine Street, Walhalla, SC at 6 pm. Find links to the calendar, agenda and minutes and videos of past county council meetings.
• Thursday, April 9: Oconee Board of Elections & Voter Registration, Regular Board Meeting at 415 South Pine St. Walhalla SC in Council Chambers at 10 am unless posted otherwise.
• Monday, April 13: Oconee County School Board Meeting at 414 S. Pine St, Walhalla, SC; the District Office at 6 pm in the SDOC Board Room, unless otherwise noted. If you cannot attend, there is a livestream option. Also, you may find the 2026 agendas and minutes from past meetings.
• Monday, April 13: Pickens City Council meeting in City Hall, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. Find the Schedule of Meetings, City Council Minutes, Agendas, and Livestream Recordings (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Find a detailed list of Pickens and Oconee public meetings.

Save the Date: Wednesday, April 29, 4pm.

Ready! Set! Vote!

LWVOP Begins Using SignUpGenius

We are pleased to share that LWVOP has started using SignUpGenius to help make event sign-ups and volunteer coordination more efficient.

You should have received a SignUpGenius invitation for our April 6 program, “Why Primaries Matter.” If you do not see it, please be sure to check your junk or spam folder, since emails from a new platform sometimes land there.

You can access SignUpGenius directly through the invitation email by clicking the included link. Over time, we hope this tool will provide an easier and more organized way for members to sign up for events, volunteer opportunities, and other League activities.

We are still exploring the best ways to use SignUpGenius, but we are optimistic that it will improve efficiency and make participation easier for our members.

If you have trouble finding or opening your invitation, please reach out to Sharon829 [at] me.com (subject: SignUpGenius%20question, body: ) (Sharon Burns) or 856.472.0556.

Looking for New Community Partners for Upstate Votes

One of the League’s strengths is the partnerships we have built across our community. Collaborations with organizations such as the local Democratic Party, Clemson University, and the Pickens and Oconee County branches of the NAACP have helped make possible some excellent programming and co-sponsored events.

As part of the Upstate Votes initiative, we would like to build on that foundation by developing additional partnerships with organizations throughout Pickens and Oconee Counties. By connecting with more community groups, we hope to expand our visibility, reach new audiences, and strengthen our voter outreach efforts in a nonpartisan way.

We welcome member suggestions for organizations, institutions, congregations, nonprofits, civic groups, student organizations, or other community networks that may be interested in partnering with us. If you belong to a group that you think would be a good fit and would like to make an introduction on the League’s behalf, we would be glad to provide sample outreach language and talking points.

If you would prefer for the League to handle the outreach directly, we are happy to do that as well.

Please reach to any member of the Board or the Sharon829 [at] me.com (subject: Upstate%20Votes%20collaboration, body: ) (Upstate Votes Core Working Team) (Carol Asalon, Carolyn Bishop McLeod, Kathy Bargeron, Linda Gorry, or Sharon Burns).

Thank you for helping us grow the reach and visibility of Upstate Votes through strong community connections.

Upstate Votes Steering Committee Meetings

At the Upstate Votes kickoff meeting, the Core Working Team shared its plan to hold monthly steering committee meetings open to all League members. We are pleased to invite members to take part in these meetings, beginning on April 1, 2026.

These meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom, immediately before the League’s regular Board meeting. A brief update will be circulated before each meeting so members can stay informed and prepared.

If you would like to learn more about what Upstate Votes is working on and explore ways to get involved, we hope you will join us. These meetings are a great way to stay connected, hear updates, and see where you might like to contribute.

League Board meetings are also open to all members, and we encourage you to attend those as well.

State-Level Actions

25–26 SC Bills of Interest

S.1060 affirms the authority of teachers to implement classroom management. 

This bill was informed by input from educators from across the state concerning the need to support teachers in establishing and maintaining appropriate student behavior to provide a conducive learning environment for all students in public schools. 

Background information: 

Senate Bill 1060, The Educator Safety and Classroom Authority Act was introduced on Thursday March 26, 2026 by Senator Michael Johnson. 

S 1060 affirms the following: 

• A teacher’s authority to establish classroom management rules and consequences.
• A teacher’s authority to escalate interventions when repeated attempts to direct students to correct their behavior are unsuccessful.
• Administrators must remove a student from a classroom when they are reported by a teacher for disruptive or criminal conduct. The bill further prohibits an administrator from returning the student to the classroom on the same day.
• Administrators cannot alter or destroy a student discipline referral submitted by a teacher.
• Requires the permanent removal of a student from a teacher’s classroom for behavior resulting in violence against an educator.
• Protects educators from legal action or administrative discipline for actions to restore or maintain a safe and orderly learning environment in compliance with district and state policy.

This bill aligns with the League's support of effective administration, leadership, and management with quality controls for all levels of public education. 

ACTION REQUESTED: Please call your State Senator and ask for S.1060 to immediately be heard in the Senate Education subcommittee because of the introduction of this important bill late in the second year of a two-year legislative session.

H.4756  “Bathroom Bill”

This legislation would restrict restroom and changing room use in ALL public educational facilities in SC on the basis of gender designation at birth.

The Senate version recommends a porta potty as an acceptable accommodation. 

Background information: 

The League of Women Voters does NOT believe that this bill addresses a legitimate problem. Individuals and the schools that they attend have found reasonable accommodations over the years that protect the privacy of both the person who has transitioned and other students, faculty, and visitors. 

The bill deserves complete rejection. 

Nevertheless, H.4756 is on a path to passage in the SC General Assembly. There are two versions at present, one passed by the House and the other passed last week by the Senate. Of the two, the House version is far preferable. The House version provides that "All public school buildings and all buildings in public institutions of higher learning must provide at least one single-stall restroom and changing facility for use by a person of any sex or gender.” Given the likelihood of passage in some form, this is a least harm option. 

Unfortunately, the Senate version has been amended to provide that this can include a portable facility, a “porta potty,” on site as an acceptable accommodation. To be relegated to a porta potty while other students, staff, and visitors have access to permanent facilities is demeaning and hurtful. It is reminiscent of the old “separate but equal” schools that were separate but not at all equal. 

Action Requested: Call and ask your House member to vote against concurrence with Senate amendments of H.4756. 

Read testimony on the “bathroom bills” here. 

Save the Date: Advocacy Call Date from COVERSC for April 21. 

The call is to encourage your State Representative to support commonsense solutions that help working South Carolinians who cannot afford private health insurance but earn too much to qualify for assistance. Watch your email for more details.

National-Level Actions

Statement About the President’s Unilateral Military Action in Iran

WASHINGTON, DC—The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement on behalf of Celina Stewart, Esq., Chief Executive Officer, regarding the President’s military action in Iran:

“The League of Women Voters is deeply concerned by the President’s decision to initiate unprovoked military action against Iran without prior congressional authorization.

“This is not about the character of any individual involved. It is about constitutional authority and the dangerous subversion of our system of checks and balances.

“The Constitution clearly assigns the power to declare war to Congress, an authority that was intentionally ignored. When a president goes around Congress to initiate military action, it is not a sign of strength. It is executive overreach and dangerous to Americans, both domestically and abroad.”

Read more about this military action.

Contact your US Senator Lindsey Graham, 864-646-4098; and US Representative Sheri Biggs. 864-224-7401 with your comments.

The SAVE Act is Headed to the Senate: A Push to Restrict Voting Access

Congress is moving the SAVE Act suite of bills, which would disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans from registering to vote. This time, they’ve added provisions that would also make it harder to cast one’s ballot. Here is what you need to know.

A renewed push for the SAVE Act

For the last several months, online supporters of the SAVE Act have partnered with President Trump, Representative Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and even Elon Musk to promote the legislation through social media platforms. The focus has been on spreading mis- and disinformation about voting in our country, largely around non-citizen voting.”

Read the rest of the statement here.

Americans do not need MORE obstacles to vote. Tell your Senator to vote no on this legislation. Find out more information and to send a message to your U.S. Senator.

ACTION REQUESTED: Americans do not need MORE obstacles to vote. Tell your Senator to vote no on this legislation. Find more information and to send a message to your U.S. Senator.

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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.

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