State House 101

Although you might want to make changes within our state government on behalf of you, your family, or community, you may not always take action to do so.

At SC Fair Share, we understand that a big reason for this is simply that you may not understand how to be an advocate. You may not know how the legislative process works, where and how to use your voice so that it’s most heard, or even who your state legislators are.

We hear you! And so below we would like to offer you a bit of guidance...

Click here on on the image to the right to enlarge it and learn more about how a bill becomes a law in South Carolina, or read the questions and answers below to better understand the legislative process.

Question:	How do I find my legislator?
Answer:	You can find your legislator by clicking here, and entering your home address: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe.

Question:	How do I know what bills are going through the legislature at any given time?
Answer:	You can keep track of current bills and where they are in the legislative process each week by visiting here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/html-pages/legpage.html.

Question:	How can I be an effective advocate and have my voice heard about a bill?
Answer:	Lots of ways! The most effective way to be an advocate is by simply using your voice, sharing your story, and asking very specifically for your legislator to take a certain action. Maybe you want him or her to vote yes to consumer friendly protections or vote no to a piece of legislation that only benefits big business. Tell them this! Be very specific about what you are asking them to do. Never be shy to ask for what you want or what you think is right. Their job is to represent you, and you have the power to hold them accountable for their actions.

Question:	So, I know to be specific in asking my state legislators to take action, now how do I communicate this to them?
Answer:	Your chances of getting your legislators to listen to requests decreases with the distance that is between them and you. You can send them a letter or an email, but we strongly suggest picking up the phone and calling them, or ideally meeting with them in person. It’s much harder to tell someone "no" when they are standing right in front of you, right? Find contact information and office locations for your Senator here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/html-pages/senatebios.html and your House member here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/html-pages/housebios.html.

Question:	How exactly does a bill become a law?
Answer:	In case you are like the average American who does not remember 7th grade civics class, see the image above for a refresher on how a bill becomes law.

Question:	Is it better to use my voice at one time during the legislative process versus another?
Answer:	Although we encourage you to use your voice at any time, there are certain times that offer important opportunities. When a bill is in “committee” as shown above, committee members hold a “public hearing.” This is a time when anyone can come and speak on a bill, also known as providing "public testimony". You might be opposed to or for a bill for a certain reason, and this is a great time for you to come and share your story and expertise. Legislators hearing from an everyday citizen like you versus a lobbyest (who are the ones they are typically hearing from) can be very powerful and persuasive!

Question:	Ok, I now know about public hearings, and I want to speak at one. How do I find out when they are taking place?
Answer:	You can find out meeting times and places and agendas on the State House website. Click here for the Senate: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess119_2011-2012/gresmeet.htm and here for the House: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess119_2011-2012/blatmeet.htm.