The League of Women Voters of Georgetown County was founded in 1981 by a few dedicated individuals who came together in response to voting rights violations throughout the county. Over time, there followed poll manager education by the State Elections Commission, a new Election Commission Chairperson and a referendum for single member districts for County Council. A year after our charter, this League held the first Georgetown County Candidates night.
When President Reagan opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the League stood up in protest to any dilution of this act. Civil rights were at stake! A Georgetown County League member wrote the testimony in support of the Voters Rights Act read by the National League President at a Congressional hearing in Washington, D. C. We have continued to support and monitor voters' rights and voter ID requirements that do not disenfranchise the voter. We continue to poll watch, register voters and hold public forums.
Environmental issues came to the forefront about 1984 when members became concerned about the brown air emissions from the local steel plant. The League, the steel mill and EPA worked together to resolve this issue. We continued to challenge permits and plans that would adversely affect our natural resources.
In 1989, The LWV of Georgetown County received: "The 1989 Organization Conservation Award." The award, a ten point Buck perched on a nine inch platform reads:
"The 1989 Organization Conservation Award," presented to the LWV of Georgetown County by the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, The National Wildlife Federation, and The Sears Roebuck and Company for Outstanding Contributions to the wise use and management of the Nation's Natural Resources."
Our biggest challenge came when it was discovered that our paper mill was discharging Dioxin. The discharge amount was considerably above the median of mill discharges in the nation. We studied, became experts in areas heretofore unknown to us, and we pulled in local, state and national environmental regulatory and legal agencies, Greenpeace, NRDC, and the media. (We even made the New York Times on this one.) The case , 11/17/95: http://www.scalc.net/decisions.aspx?q=4&id=9141
We continue to monitor growth in our county with particular regard for the natural resources so vital to our coastal community. The League has been actively involved in land use planning; are advocates for smart growth and we continue to work to preserve our water bodies, wetlands, estuaries and inlets.
Our participation in the SC State's Transportation study in 2001 led us to acknowledge the local need for public transportation, and to that end, in about 2003, we established a Transportation Committee within the League. We were successful in advocating for a line item in the Georgetown County Budget for public transportation. We continue this advocacy through member participation on our Transportation Committee, on the Coast RTA Advisory committee and by working with the local Chamber of Commerce to assist in marketing public transportation and with state League.
We champion quality public education for all South Carolina students. Early on, we worked successfully to end corporal punishment in the schools. We were early advocates of all-day kindergarten in Georgetown and were instrumental in getting it in our schools before the state mandated such a program. Recently, the League helped to begin a SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) program in the schools. We advocated for the First Steps program to obtain much needed funding. We have publicly opposed the voucher system for the public schools.
Over the League's twenty plus years, the League has taken concerted action in areas of conservation, transportation, sustainable growth, family health and safety, as well as education of the public on other issues supported by our national, state and local Leagues. Our history includes being a part of a wider community, and we work with many other community organizations.
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League of Women Voters of Georgetown County, South Carolina. All rights reserved.
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