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…
Horry County Democratic Party is launching an ongoing initiative ‘Engage Horry’ to register, engage, educate, and energize voters. And, search for, encourage and train Democrats who want to run for office in their cities and towns. HCDP’s goal is to engage with residents of communities within Horry County who feel underserved and under-represented. HCDP wants…
Democratic values promote equality and opportunities for all Americans
By Bev Bitzegaio
Looking back on our country’s 245-year history of equality and opportunities for women offers an interesting perspective of how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.
The 19th amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified by the states…
By Steve Hamelman
Senator Tim Scott began his party’s response to President Joe Biden’s address to Congress on April 28, 2021, by calling the president “a good man” whose “speech was full of good words.”
The first compliment could be applied in turn to the senator from South Carolina. His personal character seems spotless.
Not so the second…
By Alex Flores
On April 20, 2021, a measure of accountability was served in America when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all 3 charges in the death of George Floyd by a jury that was a reflection of America.
Like so many Americans we watched for 9 minutes and 29 seconds in…
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 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 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 V. Susan Hutchinson
Republican Horry County Treasurer Angie Jones went to Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally January 6. She stated there were kids, dogs and people in wheelchairs there so “It was family.” Jones’ statements imply it was just a nice day out and she says she went to hear Trump speak on…
Editor’s note: The following is a personal account of one woman’s reflections about the proposed Fetal Heartbeat bill now being considered by the SC state legislature. HCDP strongly supports a woman's right to be the only one to make decisions that impact her life or body. Having access to quality medical care is a key…
Above Photo: Trump supporters at Reagan International airport calling Senator Lindsey Graham, an ardent supporter of Trump's lies, a traitor for criticizing Trump's actions and inciting the riot that resulted in occupation of the Capitol.
By V. Susan Hutchinson
This week’s assault on democracy by an estimated two thousand Trump supporters was appalling. Even more appalling…
By V. Susan Hutchinson
After the insurrection in Washington D.C. yesterday, the immediate response for millions of people was to compare what happened during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 to the horrendous actions that took place at the United States Capitol building. There are, however, different angles of comparison that are being made.
The…
By Steve Hamelman
Bringing It All Back Home
Amid the political furor that besieged the United States in the 2020 election cycle, it’s easy to understand why Horry County voters focused most of their attention on the two biggest contests in South Carolina: Trump/Biden and Graham/Harrison.
For months, ads touting these four candidates saturated social media,…