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In a little over a month, we’ll be deciding on who will represent us in Washington, Columbia and locally, but with stories of Russian hacking, news reports of vulnerable voting machines and multiple claims of voter fraud across the country in recent years, many folks are concerned with the security of our voting here in South Carolina. I sat down with  Kelly Wessel with Wessel Forensic Accounting,  Laura Haight with Portfolio and we discussed what I discovered in my investigation of our voting machines, our voting procedures and the measures being taken by our state and county voting commissions to protect our voting here in SC, as well as how the federal government is helping secure our elections. IMPORTANT VOTER REGISTRATION UPDATE: In response to the devastation of Hurricane Florence and the numbers of SC residents who have been displaced, the state has extended the deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 6th election.  You now have until Oct. 17th to register.  You can register or update our registration at www.scvotes.org.

We asked each of the candidates for the SC 4th Congressional District about our immigration problem.  Here are their solutions.             www.brandonpbrown.com                    www.guy4congress.com                    www.votetimmons.com

We asked each of the candidates for the 4th Congressional District to give us their solutions to our healthcare.  Here are their solutions.               

                      With the South Carolina June primaries just 2 weeks away, we introduce you to another candidate.  This time, we focus on the crowded race to replace Trey Gowdy in Washington; the 4th Congressional District seat.  Shannon Pierce comes from the world of medicine and entrepreneurialism. On today’s show we find out who Shannon is, why she’s running, and what she hopes to accomplish. For more information on Shannon, visit her website here or follow her on Facebook here. We are eager to interview as many candidates as possible so if you are with a campaign, please feel free to reach out to us at eric@canigetawordin.com or call Eric @ 864-907-3505. Local elected officials affect our daily lives more often and more directly and primaries provide us with lots of choices, so be sure to voter this coming June 12. For all your election and voting information, including getting a sample ballot, click here.

                                 The South Carolina June primaries are just a few weeks away and here, at Another Voice, we are always striving to help voters be better informed when they make their selections.  In light of our goal to help create informed voters, today’s episode introduces another candidate to our listeners: Democratic challenger for South Carolina House District 19: Hao Wu We find out who Hao Wu is, why he is running and what he hopes to accomplish. For more information on Hao Wu, follow him on Facebook here or go to his website here. We are eager to interview as many candidates as possible so if you are with a campaign, please feel free to reach out to us at eric@canigetawordin.com or call Eric @ 864-907-3505. Local elected officials affect our daily lives more often and more directly and primaries provide us with lots of choices, so be sure to voter this coming June 12.

Our goal, here at Another Voice with Eric and Friends, is to incite people to make a difference in their community and we’re always excited to showcase folks who are making a difference. Over the years, we’ve been pleased to showcase folks making a difference like:  Paton Blough with Rehinge, who’s instrumental in getting the Legislature to act regarding mental health courts and Crisis Intervention Training and Traci Fant of Freedom Fighters who’s involved in community activism in several areas from working to reduce violence to helping low income girls get prom dresses. On this episode, we get to showcase another of our fellow citizens who has decided to make a difference through the electoral process.  Anthony “Tony” Gilliard is running for SC House District 18. An average Joe, a small business owner, Tony believes that we need change in Columbia and since he couldn’t find anyone to run for the SC House District 18 seat, he’s taking up the challenge himself. Check out Tony and his campaign here: facebook.com/tonygilliardscstatehouse18  *Disclaimer: This interview is not an endorsement of Tony Gilliard.  Another Voice does not endorse candidates and we have extended an invitation to the current District 18 representative, Rep. Tommy Stringer to join us for an interview. The primaries are on June 12th and there are a whole host of candidates running.  In the 4th Congressional District race alone, there are 13 Republicans vying for their party’s nomination and 5 Democrats seeking their party’s nod. Let’s do our part and vote. Be sure that you are registered.  You can check the status of your registration at www.scvotes.org.  If you are not registered, you have until May 11th to register, which you can do at www.scvotes.org.  You an also find out which districts you’re in at www.scvotes.org.

Mid-term elections are often ignored by the average voter, but the 2018 mid-terms have captured the attention of voters as the results could either solidify Congress as a strong Republican ally for President Trump or provide the President with an antagonistic Democratic Congress. On today’s episode, we take a look at the 2018 South Carolina primaries, focusing on the Republican side for the most part.  Joining me in shifting through the huge crowd of Republican candidates is former SC State House candidate and Republican activist, Justin Alexander. Justin and I also debate a subject near and dear to South Carolina Republicans: closed primaries. We finish out the show with a chat about another favorite Republican voter demand: term limits. Justin is working on his voters’guide called “Alexander’s Acceptables” which  is a helpful tool for those looking to decide between the Republican candidates on the ballot.  Once he has it finished, we will add a link here and on our Facebook page for anyone interested.

A little over a month ago at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida,  we experienced our 5th mass school shooting of 2018.  There have been loads of suggestions on what we need to do in light of this tragedy from the usual suspects from either side: more guns, less guns to a few new suggestions. On today’s episode, we take a comprehensive look at school safety in light of gun violence and offer a few suggestions, pose a few questions and urge us all to take a deliberate and reasoned look at how we keep our children safe.

We are back!!!  Freshly retooled and eager to bring you great information, perspective and opportunities to make a difference in your community. On today’s episode, we interview two local teachers who’ve taken educating our youth beyond the text book; putting the lessons learned in the class room to practical use with the help of the YMCA. Katherine King and Jeni Enjaian of Lakeview Middle School brought the YCMA’s Youth In Government to Lakeview Middle School last year.  The program has high school and middle school students experiencing how our state government works up close and personal by having them act as state representatives and senators; drafting legislation, presenting bills in each Chamber of the State House, debating the various bills, voting on legislation they support and sometimes having their legislation signed by the Youth In Government Governor. Katherine and Jeni explain how Youth In Government works and share the amazing journey their own students experienced.  It’s a story that will bring a smile to your face and give you a greater appreciation for our state’s great teachers.   #spare1day4change

  #LivePD, body cams, drug interdiction team and the Sheriff’s office’s new Internet Crimes Against Children Unit are just some of the issues that Sheriff Will Lewis discusses with me in our latest 2017 Public Servant Spotlight.  Sheriff Lewis shares how the reality of being the sheriff compares to his expectations of the job during the campaign and you might be surprised at what one thing disappoints him.  He takes time to discuss the programs or changes that he has been able to implement since becoming sheriff and how they are positively effecting the department and the community.  And he tells the most important thing that he and the deputies need from the public.   #Spare1Day4Change  

Today, I spent the first half of the show talking about “Us.”  The divisiveness of, not only our political discussions, but of our society as a whole has disheartened me, but also motivated me to challenge us with who we really are and how we MUST act for our community to thrive and grow. In the second half of the show, I talked about who and what we should honor or memorialize and made the case that it is not only ok to re-evaluate who we choose to honor, but it is necessary. I would love to hear your thoughts on these issues.  Comment here or on our Facebook page.   #Spare1Day4Change

In the second episode of our 2017 Public Servant Spotlight series, we turn our spotlight on the South Carolina House and interview freshman Representative Jason Elliot. Rep. Elliot shared how the reality of being a Representative compared to his expectations while campaigning.  He talked about the Dept. of Transportation and the recently passed roads bill and what is needed going forward.  We discussed education and the state pension fund among other things. If you would like to contact Rep. Elliot and let him know your concerns, here are some avenues to get a hold of him. Email: jelliot@jasonelliotlaw.com State House email: jasonelliot@schouse.gov Phone number: 864-235-5308 Please let Rep. Elliot know your concerns.

Before the Primaries in 2016 for state and local offices, we ran a series of interviews of several of the candidates running.  We called it the 2016 Candidate Spotlight Series.  Several of those candidates we interviewed won election and we decided to check back in with those candidates as well as with some of our other elected officials in a series we’re calling the 2017 Public Servant Spotlight Series. We’re asking the newly elected officials how the reality of the office they won compares to their expectations, what legislation or actions they are proud of accomplishing in their first few months in office, what they plan to attempt to attempt to accomplish going forward. Our first Spotlight focuses on the freshman state senator for District 6, Sen. William Timmons. The Senator talks about the challenges of the state senate, how even in defeat, he sees progress and some of the legislation he plan to introduce.  We also spent some time on the biggest piece of legislation coming out of this session; the Roads Bill. If you would like to contact Sen. Timmons, here is his contact info: Email: william@votetimmons.com Legislature email: williamtimmons@scsenate.gov Phone: 864-616-8821 Feel free to let the Senator know of your concerns and ideas.

Today’s show was all about dropping bombs and taxes. We spent the first half of the show discussing our current Administration’s “tough guy” approach to foreign policy, from cruise missiles in Syria to the “Mother of All Bombs” in Afghanistan and sending an armada to one particular trouble spot.  All of these actions seem designed to send a message to a world leader most in the world describe as a lunatic, Kim Jung Un of North Korea. We, then spent some time looking at President Trump’s tax proposals that are touted to be the biggest tax cut ever. We closed out the show discussing the Legislature’s attempt at a roads bill that promises to be a reform bill and an effective fix for our roads, but really is neither. #Spare1Day4Change