News & Commentary

Lawmakers are in a sprint to the finish of the first half of their two-year session. This means that for each of the items considered at the State House, there is an increasing urgency for both lawmakers and for us. We have a few things to do this week, and letting lawmakers hear from us is absolutely critical. 

The housing crisis is both the cause and effect of systemic civil rights deprivations.

We are in the home stretch of this legislative session, so it's a great time to take a look around at what has (and hasn't) happened so far at the State House. While this list can feel like a whole lot, it's important to note that almost everything on it is not a done deal. We can, and should, keep demanding good government from our lawmakers right until the very last second of this legislative session. 

Before we get into what's happening (and what should be happening) this week at the State House, we want to acknowledge what happened last week. Last week, two Senate committees held hearings at the same time for some Freedom Caucus favorites: classroom censorship and banning gender affirming care for minors. This was a deliberate attempt to literally divide us and dilute the physical presence of civil liberties advocates. Because of you, it didn't work. We asked you to pack both rooms, and you did. Thank you for continuing to take the time to speak up. 

This week, two Senate subcommittees will consider bills that impact the LGBTQ community, and they'll consider these bills at the same time. That's not a coincidence. The Senate is hoping that by making citizens choose between resisting Freedom Caucus-supported measures, one that prevents kids from accessing gender affirming care and another that prevents kids from discussing gender, sexual orientation, and race in the classroom, they won't be able to hear us as loudly and clearly as they can when we're all together. This is why we have to pack both rooms:

We never want to bury the lede, especially one this important. This week (Thursday the 23rd), the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee is hearing expert testimony on two anti-transgender bills. Next week, they will hear public testimony, and it's critical that we pack the room in support of transgender youth and their families. RSVP to join us next week, and we will keep you updated on details as they change, make plans to meet up, and provide you tips for testifying.

Here are five facts to know about medication abortion, and why it’s a critical part of our fight for abortion access.

If anti-abortion politicians think they can push laws to criminalize abortion without a fight, they are sorely mistaken.

Civil liberties on the docket in Columbia- what to know and what you can do about it for the week of March 14th