Action Items: Week of February 13

1.  What's the automatic stay?  

The automatic stay is a legal tool which protects the environment in South Carolina.  Currently, in state permitting decisions, if there are concerns leading to a legal appeal of an agency-granted environmental permit, SC law allows an automatic stay to go into effect.  That puts the project on hold until the courts decide the appeal.  In other words, it's a pause button on construction projects while legal arguments are made.  S.105 and S.112 are bills before the Senate that would allow construction to continue in the meantime, even if the court would eventually have denied the project.  The problem with that is, obviously, you can't undredge a river, undrain a swamp, uncut a tree.

Local environmental groups have been doing a great job getting the word out about what seems like a somewhat esoteric legal issue.  That's exactly the kind of thing the opposition knows is hard to motivate people to call and act on.  Call your state senators and ask them to vote no on S.105 and S.112.

Find your state senators by inputting your address in the search box at the bottom left here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/ (As we get into calling more state officials it's going to be much easier for you to just go ahead and find out who they are and put them in your phone; there are way too many possible local state senators and representatives for me to list in these action lists.)

"Hi, I'm _____ and I'm a constituent of _______ from _______.  I want to urge the senator to vote no on S.105 and S.112, which would remove the automatic stay from contested environmental projects.  The automatic stay is essential to protect our state's environment from damaging projects which may eventually have their permits denied."

(Thanks also to David Matos, who I only realized had suggested this action item through the website after I'd written this already.  You can suggest an action item too - http://actiontogether.blogspot.com/p/suggest-action.html.)

http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/editorials/article130317004.html

2. The Election Assistance Commission (from Lindsay Higgins via our Suggest an Action form)

HR 634 would eliminate the EAC, which is the only federal agency tasked with ensuring the security of voting machines. The EAC also helps states improve voting procedures. This bill passed through committee today and will soon be voted on by the whole House.  Ask your representatives to vote no on this bill.

Representative James Clyburn (6th District)
DC Office: (202)225-3315
Midlands Office: (803)799-1100

Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District)
DC Office (202) 225-2452
Midlands Office: (803) 939-0041

"Hi, I'm _______ and I'm a constituent of _______ from ________.  I'm calling to ask the representative to vote no on HR 634, which would eliminate the Election Assistance Commission.  South Carolina especially needs the EAC - our machines are aging and many counties have had seriously voting issues in recent elections.  The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and making voting efficient is a key element of encouraging more citizens to exercise their franchise."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/07/house-panel-votes-close-election-assistance-commission/97603326/

3.  The People's March

Monday, January 20 at 11 AM there will be a rally at the State House "where speakers will address the governor on a variety of social justice issues including Medicaid Expansion, Voting Rights, Quality Public Education, Prison Reform, Equal Rights for Women, Muslims, Hispanics, Native Americans & our LGBT Community, a $15 Minimum Wage and Collective Bargaining, Environmental Justice, Ending Domestic Violence in South Carolina, Ending the Mass Incarceration of Black Men in South Carolina and Common Sense Gun Legislation to name a few."  As this is President's Day, many people have the day off, so the organizers hope to see a substantial crowd.

They're asking each group to bring supplies; we've been tasked to bring water.  If you're going, please pick up a case of bottled water as you're doing your shopping to donate.  If everybody drops off one case, we'll have plenty.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1096123033833427/

4.  Well, here we are with DAPL again.

I'm sure nobody is surprised that construction will begin on the Dakota Access Pipeline again, but it's still disappointing, isn't it?  I'm sure that's their intent - eventually they assume we'll get exhausted and burn out on this.  Take a deep breath and start calling again, because Trump has signed an executive order to expedite the environmental review and start that pipeline rolling again.  The Standing Rock Sioux tribe is taking legal action, filing a suit that hinges on the Hobby Lobby legal victory to argue that the pipeline is an offense to their religious beliefs.  We can call our congressmen and ask that they do not allow the construction without the environmental oversight that was promised.

Senator Tim Scott
DC Office: (202) 224-6121
Midlands Office: (803) 771-6112

Senator Lindsey Graham
DC Office: (202) 224-5972
Midlands Office: (803) 933-0112

Representative James Clyburn (6th District)
DC Office: (202)225-3315
Midlands Office: (803)799-1100

Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District)
DC Office (202) 225-2452
Midlands Office: (803) 939-0041

"Hi, I'm _______ and I'm a constituent of ________ from ________.  I'm calling to tell him that I want him to fight the illegal fast tracking of environmental review for the Dakota Access Pipeline and that I urge him to put forward legislation to overturn the executive order which allowed it."