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Monday, March 18, 2024 - 09:26 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

SC Freedom Caucus

James Madison once said, “Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression.”

As Conservative South Carolinians, we understand Madison’s words more than most. From the ineffectual reign of “Republicans” for 30 years to now the recent attempt to suppress the 1st Amendment rights of a group of the most conservative Republicans in the State House through a loyalty pledge, we know firsthand the danger of oppression inflicted on conservative values by a government focused on only growing its own power. The loyalty pledge presents two particularly egregious problems. They are affronts to the dignity of the relationship between elected members and the constituents that put them in office within our state.

The first problem is the pledge states "No member of the Caucus shall engage in campaign activities of any kind against any other Caucus Member in good standing." In simple terms: members who fail to deliver on promises they made to constituents should be protected, despite their failure to vote according to their publicly communicated values. This pledge language inherently requires representatives to be willing to withhold information from their constituents. The people of South Carolina expect their representatives to uphold and promote their values, not sign-up for a political self-protection racket.

The second problem compounds upon the first problem. Members of the Caucus are not only required to acknowledge that they have read and received these proposed rules, but that they will also "adhere, abide, and comply with" them. South Carolina Republican members of the House are being asked to sign an oath to the House Republican Caucus that demands loyalty over any other commitment they have made to their constituents. They are being compelled to cower before the master of party leadership.

As punishment for not signing this loyalty oath, a majority of the members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus have been expelled from the House Republican Caucus. We hope this is only temporary. We applaud them for upholding our Republican creed and their values. We respect them for their humility in knowing that they do not serve a Caucus, but the people of their districts. We call on you, as grassroots leaders in South Carolina, to assist the South Carolina Freedom Caucus members in doing away with this loyalty oath. The South Carolina House Republican Leadership should use this unique time in history to pass the conservative policies that we as constituents expect of them.

Jim DeMint
Former US Senator
Greenville County

John Warren
Honorary Chairman
South Carolina's Conservative Future
Greenville County

Karen Iacovelli
So. Carolina Citizens for Life
Greenville County

Stacy Shea
Greenville County Republican Women
Greenville County

Elizabeth Enns
Grassroots Activist
York County

Jennifer Black
South Carolinians For Freedom
Greenville County

Luke Rankin
Chairman, Laurens County Republican Party
Laurens County

Stan Tzouvelekas
Greenville County Councilman District 22
Greenville County

Carly Carter
Grassroots Leader
Anderson County

Lester Hardegree
Retired Professor and Dean
Anderson County

Erica Grunst
Grassroots Leader
Anderson County

Kelly Decker
Anderson County Republican Party
Anderson County

Richard Kevin Hardy
Anderson County Republican Party
Anderson County

Carol Johnnson
Grassroots Leader
Anderson County

Jennifer Snow
Grassroots Leader
Anderson County

Phil Jung
Grassroots Leader
Berkley County

Mamie Rand
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Ann Beauchamp
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Cryste Carroll
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Mike Elder
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Kelly Rowe
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

William M "Bill" Connor, V
Bill Connor Law Firm
Charleston County

Debbie Jones
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Dee Goehring
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Lea Willliams
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Olga Blandford
Grassroots Leader
Charleston County

Cyndi Roberts
Grassroots Leader
Colleton County

Warren D. Arthur
Business Owner
Darlington County

Barbara Arthur
Darlington County

Tiberiu Czentye
Fairfield County Republican Party
Fairfield County

Ashley Jones
Grassroots Leader
Florence County

Sam McCown
Grassroots Leader
Florence County

Anz'lee Parker
Student at FDTC
Florence County

Cathy Lee
W Lee Flowers
Florence County

Meagan Ingersoll
Founder, Greenville Young Republicans
Greenville County

Hayden Turlington
Chairwoman, Greenville Young Republicans
Greenville County

Laura Beth Kirsop
Greenville Young Republicans
Greenville County

Charles Turlington
Chairwoman, Greenville Young Republicans
Greenville County

Jackson Yearick
Chairwoman, Greenville Young Republicans
Greenville County

Michael Griffin
Griffin Electric Company
Greenville County

Magda Aguila
Grassroots Leader
Greenville County

Jason Ross
Grassroots Leader
Greenville County

Christopher S. Lawton
Grassroots Leader
Greenville County

Harrison Musselwhite
GCGOP
Greenville County

Tim Morgan
Business Owner
Greenville County

Ashley Lawton
Grassroots Leader
Hampton County

David Warner
Grassroots Leader
Horry County

Ralph Norman
US Congressman
York County

Steve Shaw
Greenville County Council District 20
Greenville County

Dianne Mitchell
President, Greenville County Republican Women
Greenville County

Lenna Fox Smith
Former CEO, Piedmont Women's Center
Greenville County

Fish Belk
Clemson College Republicans
Pickens County

Joey Russo
Greenville County Council District 17
Greenville County

Randy Page
Grassroots Leader
Greenville County

Nate Leupp
Chairman, 4th Congressional Club
Greenville County

Autumn Dunlap
Grassroots Leader
Kershaw County

Tiffinie Lee
Grassroot Parent/Community Leader
Kershaw County

Carolyn Church
Grassroots Leader
Lexington County

Kim McCleery
Health Freedom SC
Lexington County

Stephanie Berquist
Grassroots Leader
Lexington County

Dawn M. Pierce
Grassroots Leader
Lexington County

Nathan Street
Grassroots Leader
Oconee County

Matthew Durham
Oconee County Conservatives
Oconee County

Johnnelle Raines
Conservatives of the Upstate Leadership
Pickens County

Heather Mitchell
Grassroots Leader
Pickens County

Melissa McFadden
Moms for Liberty Richland County
Richland County

Bill DeVore
Grassroots Leader
Spartanburg County

Jarred Spencer
Business Owner
Spartanburg County

Hannah Miller
Grassroots Leader
Spartanburg County

Tyler James Corn
Greater Spartanburg Young Republicans
Spartanburg County

Carlotta Jackson
Jackson Family Ministry
Spartanburg County

Matthew Corbin
Greater Spartanburg Young Republicans
Spartanburg County

Amanda Hovis
Spartanburg CAN
Spartanburg County

Robert E Jackson MD
Spartanburg CAN
Spartanburg County

Caitlin Boyle
Grassroots Leader
York County

Christine Lekich
Grassroots Leader
York County

Diana Donnelly
Grassroots Leader
York County

Donna Phillips
Grassroots Leader
York County

Ed Currie
Grassroots Leader
York County

Ellen Abramo
Grassroots Leader
York County

Frank Trotta
PACK-UP
York County

Jackie Terribile
Grassroots Leader
York County

Michael Terribile
Grassroots Leader
York County

Larry Byrd
Fort Mill Oak Initiative
York County

Linda O'Neal
Grassroots Leader
York County

Mark Corral
Equal Protection South Carolina
York County

Monica Nave
Grassroots Leader
York County

Wade Jensen
Grassroots Leader
York County

William Wiseman
Ft. Mill Oak Initiative
York County

Ashley Floyd
Family Worship Assembly

Charles Gross
Grassroots Leader

Cynthia Jones
Grassroots Leader

Donald J. Thompson
Grassroots Leader

Paula Etta Rosenbaum
Precinct President Carnes 2

Thomas Galvin
Grassroots Leader

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