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Post Office Box 8453 • Columbia, SC 29202 • SCPhone & Fax: (803) 251-2726 oterWebsite: www.lwvsc.org Volume 65, Issue 4 Spring 2016 Lead day Lynn Teague, LWVSC-VP and Attorney General Representative Kirkman Finlay, House District #75. Alan Wilson. off the day sharing her fifty–five plus Leadership Development (MLD) exercise At the end of January, almost 60 years of experience. She challenged us to talk about what brought them to the League Members gathered in Columbia to keep plugging away with the work League and shared their best stories. for LEAD 2016. The agenda was of improving government and never designed to spend the morning getting forget that old fashioned face to face LEAD DAY: continued on page 5 – to know each other and the League and communication beats social media and the afternoon reflecting on what we can email every time. After Sarah spoke, do together for SC’s future. League members used a Membership and The amazing Sarah Leverette kicked Highlights: Calling all League Members to........ • LEAD Day .................................. 1 League of Women Voters of South Carolina Council • Presidents' Message .................. 2 Saturday, May 14, SCEA Building in Columbia • At The State House .................... 3 Look for information in your In-Box soon • Educating our Children ............. 4 Spring 2016 is here and with it comes Leaguers and learn from them as well as the biennial meeting in Columbia. Plans share your successes with them. are underway for an exciting, energizing, Council is a time for serious work and • Healthcare Actions .................... 5 educational time for LWV members from organization building as well as a time to across the state. connect with Leaguers from across South • SRS Update ..................................6 This will be the time for you to help set Carolina. This is a chance to be inspired the path for the League for the next year. and educated. This is a chance to feel the • Youth Voter Registration ............ 6 We will adopt the new budget and much strength of the League statewide. more. You will attend hands-on, how-to If you have any questions before you • Archives Open at USC ............... 7 workshops on League voters service and receive your CALL TO COUNCIL please study and action, presented by experienced contact Julie Hussey at copresidentlwvsc@ • Important Dates ...........................7 League leaders. You will network with other gmail.com or 843-224-1096. Website:Website: www.lwvsc.orgwww.lwvsc.org Join the League today! ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 ★ Website: www.lwvsc.org Join the League today! LISTENING AND LEARNING - Presidents’ Perspectives: • Church – We were almost as involved in religious organizations as we are in social ones. • League members are loyal and stay connected and active with professional organizations. • League members, at least those at LEAD, are often involved with other advocacy organizations and political parties. While we do have a lot of Democrats, we also have Republicans in our ranks so don’t forget to reach across your community when approaching others who are politically engaged. • AARP, the Sierra Club, NAACP, and ACLU make great partners for the League because we share a lot of members. • League members are often leaders, Julie Hussey not just in the League but also within JoAnne Day Co-President, LWVSC the other organizations in which they Co-President, LWVSC are members. Leadership Education and Advocacy Advocacy cards at each table offered the state with expertise on lots of issues Day (LEAD) was not just an opportunity the opportunity for LEAD attendees to let and several members who understand to listen to great speakers and network us know about their advocacy skills and the process because they have served as with each other, it also offered your willingness to support ethics reform and elected officials. state board valuable information about other League issues at the SC Statehouse. Not only did we learn a lot about what our members and feedback for future From these cards, we are not only able to you were doing in the community and programing. Here are some of the things get a list of members who are comfortable how you could help the League, we also we discovered about you. writing a letter to elected officials or learned more about how we can serve you After Dee Woodward spoke about local newspapers, but also members who in our programing. The online evaluation reaching out, LEAD attendees were asked to are comfortable calling elected officials, survey after LEAD will be used to shape write down their affiliations outside of the attending legislative days, using social Council in May and other statewide League on Post It notes and then place these media to advocate, speaking on TV gatherings in person and maybe even notes within different categories: religious, and radio about an issue, testifying to online through webinars. social, political, professional, environmental, a legislative committee, developing an service, governing and advocacy. advocacy campaign, or training others on • Legislative Update and Speakers were This simple exercise offered some advocacy. We learned: the top two draws at League gatherings interesting insights not just for the State and most prefer a day with a balance • We have a lot of experience contacting board but for all League’s looking for of League training, Issues, Legislative elected officials either by letter, phone call, new members, building partnerships Updates, Advocacy training, and and even meeting with them in person. and coalitions, as well as scheduling Governing Issues. • Responders with the most experience activities. The 57 members present at • Time for talking with other League advocating were willing to share their LEAD associated themselves with 215 members was seen as important to 80% lessons learned with others. organizations. Their responses told us: of those surveyed. • While several people expressed a • LeagueWebsite: members www.lwvsc.org live active social lives Join the League today! • The $20 fee for lunch and materials willingness to use social media to ★ ★ ★ and balance their League memberships was a considered to be a great value advocate even more were willing to with social activities/groups such as by 80% of attendees and no one email or call friends about League issues. book clubs, bridge clubs, drinking considered it a waste of money, but cost • We have League members all around clubs, knitting groups, etc. PRESIDENTS' PERSPECTIVE continued on page 3 – ★ 2 ★ Website:Website: www.lwvsc.orgwww.lwvsc.org Join the League today! PRESIDENTS' PERSPECTIVE: continued from page 2 – was ranked important to just over 50% • While a few League members like tea, Bottom line, 100% of your state board of those surveyed. lemonade and juice, coffee and water and co-presidents are honored to count • Getting a ride to the meeting does not are must haves while we can leave the you as a fellow League member, grateful matter to everyone, but is important sodas behind. for the advocacy you are willing to share, for 20% of attendees. We did notice • We are split into thirds about lunch and committed to delivering programing that Leagues, which provide mileage preferences between hot lunch, and support which meets your needs. and carpools, were able to get more sandwiches, with a slight edge for soup Looking forward to seeing you at people to attend. and salad. Council back at The South Carolina Education Association meeting room on • Most responders felt that a daylong • Almost all responders said that LEAD May 14th and maybe even at National meeting was appropriate, but several 2016 was excellent (60%) or very Convention June 16th to the 19th in said that it was slightly or somewhat good (33%). Washington, DC. too long. No one said 9-3 was too short. ACTION (?) AT THE STATE HOUSE By Lynne S. Teague, LWVSC VP, Issues and Action There have been successes on the decision making about road priorities out conference” (the ability for the joint environmental front, including passage with of the hands of legislators, and no raid on House-Senate conference committee to substantial bipartisan support of a bill to the general fund that would make other make significant changes in the bill from require enhanced storage of coal ash brought state priorities harder to achieve. either the House or Senate version) on the into South Carolina from out of state. It is quite possible that the outcome ban on abortions after the 19th week made Much the energy in the State House will be no roads bill at all, or one so it out of the Senate, with all Republicans so far in 2016 has been consumed by watered down that it is not very useful on and half of the Democrats voting for it, transportation, or more specifically, roads. any front. In the meantime, it is important despite the absence of any exceptions for Public transit has not figured prominently to remember that gas tax supporters who rape and incest. As this is written, “free in discussions. The League has not been refused to support reform of the DOT conference” for this bill has failed in the prominent in this debate, although we and STIB contributed significantly to the House once, by one vote, again with many at times have made quiet contributions Senate impasse. Democratic votes joining the Republicans. to the dialogue. The House passed a bill Both houses have had committees The League is engaged on other issues with a gas tax, accompanied by an income working on the education issue in as well: problems in the implementation tax cut to offset the gas tax, and some response to the Abbeville decision. We can of the Base Load Review Act, fighting relatively weak reform of the SCDOT and expect no action on this in this session. against commercial nuclear waste storage the Infrastructure Bank.

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