The recent leak of a draft opinion, written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, indicates that the highest court in the land is on the verge of giving the GOP their biggest victory yet in the war on women. What it also does is open the door for GOP controlled states to legalize child abuse.
It…
Pictured: Sharon Verdu (left) from Voter Protection Committee and Lutie Floyd President of Green Sea (both were speakers at the event).
This week the Horry County Democratic Party officially launched the opening of their Voter Protection Clinic in front of the Voter Registration office in Conway. They chose the date of March 31 as it…
Abortion rights are now being challenged across the country and in South Carolina, Republicans are intensifying their attack on a woman’s right to choose.
Two devastating bills, S. 907 and S. 988, are quickly moving forward in the state Senate in Columbia. S. 988, would make abortion illegal in South Carolina if Roe v. Wade is…
By Bob Gatty
The Horry County Democratic Party (HCDP) held its first community outreach event as part of its new Engage Horry initiative Saturday, June 26 at the Capture Child Development Center in Loris.
Among those attending were former congressman, Joe Cunningham and SC Sen. Mia McLeod, both Democratic Party 2022 candidates for governor, Trav Robertson,…
By Steve Hamelman
Gerrymandering: a seemingly benign, some would say goofy-sounding, noun that belies the harmful voter suppression it represents.
Dating back to a scheme concocted in the Massachusetts legislature in the 1810s, gerrymandering is, in the words of Coastal Carolina University politics professor Drew Kurlowski, the “crafting of legislative boundaries for political advantage.”
In other words,…
These school children sang and danced to celebrate Juneteenth in Myrtle Beach. Photo by Mark Gaier. For more photos by Mark at the event, please visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/140923467@N04/albums/72157719440641019
HCDP Chair Alester Linton-Pryor attended the Juneteenth celebration Saturday, June 19, sponsored by Neighborhood Service of Myrtle Beach, saying it was a “unifying event,” commemorating the freedom of…
By Bob Gatty
Republicans are showing no inclination to change their priorities. Gun rights and gay bashing are still right there at the top of their lists.
That was evident last week when obsession with gun rights and intolerance for members of the LGBTQ community appeared to be enough for 172 Republicans to vote against the…
By. V. Susan Hutchinson
Representative Tom Rice (SC-7) is inviting constituents to come out for Coffee with Congressman Tom Rice on Tuesday, March 23 from 3pm to 4pm at Chapin Library in Myrtle Beach.
Tom Rice is giving Horry County residents a chance to challenge him on his voting record these past few months, although it…
By David Higham
Horry County Government
HORRY COUNTY COUNCIL EXPANDS BUDGET: The Council voted 11-1 on February 2 to approve a planned spending increase, raising the overall budget by $22 million to a total of $481 million. A third reading of the ordinance will be required before the changes become official. With this expanded budget…
By V. Susan Hutchinson
This week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Surprisingly three GOP representatives voted to pass the legislation; however, the rest continued to show their disdain for the rights of the LGBTQ community, especially those who are transgender.
Some of…
By Barbara Sloan
On May 8, 1966, a rainy Mothers Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to a mostly African-American audience in the small town of Kingstree, SC in Williamsburg County. The Williamsburg County Voters League sponsored the gathering of about 5,000 people where King spoke about the importance of voting.
“Let us march on…
By Bob Gatty
Eight generations ago, a young woman was forced aboard a slave ship bound for America. Her name was Hanna Hemingway, and today her great grandson, seven times removed, Cedric Blain-Spain, is a prominent leader in the Horry County community and Democratic politics.
In an interview commemorating Black History Month, Blain-Spain shared some of…
By John Bitzegaio and V. Susan Hutchinson
On January 28, 2021, President Joe Biden took two actions related to healthcare. By signing the Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act as well as issuing a Memorandum on Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad, Biden is already following through with his commitment…
By Leslie Kerr
Within the first three weeks of his administration, President Joe Biden has signed 25 executive orders, including the “Buy American Act,” which was a key point in Biden’s campaign for the presidency as he promised to bolster American manufacturing.
Revitalizing the manufacturing sector, which accounts for approximately 12 percent of the American economy,…
By Steve Hamelman
Give credit to Benjamin Ryan Tillman, Jr., for one thing. As Governor (1890-1894) and then United States Senator from South Carolina (1895-1918), he never tried to hide his total commitment to white supremacy. In fact, he reveled in it.
So did his supporters.
For nearly 30 years as the Palmetto State’s most powerful man,…
By Bob Gatty
President Biden’s sweeping action on climate change could well be the first step towards ending the threat of new offshore drilling in the Atlantic, including off the coast of South Carolina.
However, Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC-7), who says he opposes drilling of the South Carolina coast, said Biden’s overall initiative “goes too far.”
In…
By V. Susan Hutchinson
Who are the real patriots in America? Based on the definition of a patriot as “one who loves and supports his or her country”, the answer should be so obvious even the Republican Party could figure it out. But they have redefined the word patriot to suit their own purpose and…
May God Bless our new President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
By David Higham
Editor’s Note: After pausing for the holiday months (November and December), and with the beginning of the new year, I have retired the monthly “Legislative and Issue Update” and replaced it with a monthly piece called “Vote Update”. As…
By Steve Hamelman
The Man
John Robert Lewis was one of the greatest representatives in congressional history. His achievements were legion, his record of activism peerless.
In 1961 he was an original Freedom Rider.
In 1963 he was one of the speakers at the March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a…
By Bob Gatty
A new day filled with hope has arrived, and we have a new Democratic administration, one that promises competence, honesty, empathy and hope as our nation confronts the twin pandemics of Covid-19 and divisiveness and distrust.
Now, President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a historic opportunity to heal and…