2013 is the year of ethics reform for the League of Women Voters of SC (LWVSC). For the past month, the League has engaged in an intense campaign to bring REAL ethics reform to SC government. While several of the bills currently in front of the legislature provide a sound foundation, they do not go far enough. We are currently working with House and Senate subcommittees to include or strengthen the following points in existing legislative bills:
- Eliminate “Leadership PACs” that subvert limits on donations to individual candidates and prevent adequate disclosure
- Disclose ALL sources of compensation that can lead to conflicts of interest
- Provide timely and affordable citizen access to information about government activities
- Ensure professional, thorough, and independent investigation and disciplinary action when there are violations of ethics laws
We’ve Been Busy
When dealing with the legislature, you have to move fast if you want your voice heard. Working with Together Consulting, we have initiated a comprehensive ethics reform campaign to gather support from our members, community leaders, and government officials. We have engaged various organizations that share our vision for a fair and just political process. In four short weeks, we have:
- Directly contacted each legislator, requesting they support our recommendations for ethics reform
- Testified at subcommittee hearings on the topic
- Shared our position with key community stakeholders and opinion makers and requested their help
- Solicited the support and influence of mayors from four major metropolitan areas
- Invited our members to become involved with the campaign by reaching out to their local representatives
- Published two op-eds in regional newspapers (thanks, Barbara Zia and Anita Moran)
- Initiated an active social media campaign (twitter, Facebook, blog, etc.)
- Held two community forums to raise awareness for the need of ethics reform in the state
- Reached out to local and statewide media sources to request their help in providing a forum for discussion
We need your help!
- Contact your legislator and ask them to support the League’s recommendations for ethics reform (Not sure who your representative is? Our website can help you identify them.)
- Reach out to your local government officials and ask them to lend their voice to the cause
- Encourage your friends, families, and co-workers to follow us on twitter, like us on Facebook, and visit our website. The broader our reach, the more success we will have.
- Share your ideas and recommendations on how we might be more successful with our campaign
The legislature returns this week from recess, so now is the time to act. The House has yet to schedule a follow-up sub-committee meeting to discuss reform bills and if they delay too long, there won’t be an opportunity for discussion before the session concludes.
We must make our voice heard, and the more voices we have, the louder we will be.
