Ashley Crary Lidow (she/her)

Free breakfast or gun safety? What provisions did SC House include in its budget? thestate.com/news/politics-…

Happy South Carolina House Budget Week to those who celebrate! House lawmakers are set to debate a $15.4B spending plan for FY 2026-27, which begins July 1. It's an opportunity for lawmakers to talk on camera about almost anything, which is almost fun in an election year.

SC Senate majority leader says former speaker least qualified for supreme court thestate.com/news/politics-…

@IAmNickReynolds @bcharochak @SCManufacturers Huge get for them @bcharochak is a ⭐️

It's inbox official: Former McMaster spokesman Brandon Charochak (@bcharochak) has joined the state chamber of manufacturing and commerce (@SCManufacturers) as comms director.

If power bill goes up $20 a month it’s because legislators picked the public service commission members who vote yes. I told u families would pay more for hurricane Helene recovery. People don’t just magically find $20 more a month. They cut groceries, delay bills, go into debt.

S. 323 (the restrictive abortion ban bill) fails to get out of the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee after all 3 Democrats to only 2 Republicans (Sens. Cash and Fernandez) voted against giving the bill a favorable report. Remaining Republicans on the sub abstained.

SC Senate Med Affairs subcommittee refuses to advance what would be nation’s strictest abortion bill in 3-2 party line vote — four GOP senators didn’t vote. Bill would ban abortions from conception with only exception to save mom’s life and criminalize women who get abortions.

SC Medical Affairs Subcommittee did not advance the abortion bill. The vote was 3-2 (all Democrats voted against it, 4 Republicans didn’t vote). It’s possible that the bill can be brought back up in the future but today it didn’t move forward.

Food banks in attendance are already talking about high levels of food insecurity in a decade — some areas with increases as high as 30 percent. Others say their existing stores are already sparse, and insufficient to meet even ongoing needs.

🚨🚨Our community’s URGENT need 🚨🚨 This is a current look at the shelves at @HarvestHopeFB. Our community is in desperate need of help. Please donate today so staff can go shopping and be prepared to open the doors on Monday. Please donate here: give.harvesthope.org/campaigns/41919 No amount is too small.

For folks following S.323, SC’s total abortion ban bill that received a hearing earlier this month, another hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 18 — no public testimony taken at this meeting. Senators heard hours of testimony last time but did not take a vote on the bill.

New: Furloughed Dept. of Education employees discovered their out of office messages were manipulated blaming Democrats for a government shutdown "None of us consented to this. And it’s written in the first-person, as if I’m the one conveying this message, and I’m not. I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it’s ethical or legal. I think it violates the Hatch Act." nbcnews.com/politics/trump…

Elizabeth Mack -- a Charleston MD -- just spoke on what it would take to resuscitate a fetus as legally mandated. It's impossible, she said. None survive below 21 weeks. They are too small for the smallest gear. It would be tortuous to try. Cash said he wanted to learn more.

Advocacy is awesome. But constant chaos doesn’t build systems change, it burns people out. It slows it down. Respect ones already grinding behind the scenes. Slow down, listen, enjoy the work being done. If the work isn’t being done, then get loud. Some of you have it backwards.

I appreciate the media's interest in protecting paid parental leave for state employees & teachers. Too many to list but sincerely, thank you. The awareness alone will hopefully make this issue moot. Three courageous women asked questions about their benefits. Without them, who knows how long an incorrect interpretation would have lingered. I want to thank @WRENetwork & @PSTANews. Without them, I would not have been alerted to the issue. @craashy/@plkelly27, thank you. If you are a women's advocate, you should join WREN. If you are a teacher, you should join PSTA. Of course, House staff is always superb. Richard/Julia, thank you for drafting. Thank you Atty Gen @AGAlanWilson & his staff for the work & the affirming opinion. As the opinion states, the General Assembly needs to clarify & I hope we will when we return in 2026. I think this is a case example of why media still matters, good advocacy groups still matter, well run governmental agencies still matter, and most importantly, people with life impacting issues courageously talking, are heard, & supported still matter. postandcourier.com/politics/attor… wistv.com/2025/09/03/sc-… scdailygazette.com/2025/09/03/sc-… southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2025-0… spectrumlocalnews.com/sc/south-carol… wltx.com/article/news/h… live5news.com/video/2025/09/… abccolumbia.com/2025/09/03/ag-… abcnews4.com/news/local/sou… wtoc.com/2025/09/03/sc-… greenvilleonline.com/story/news/pol… wjbf.com/news/south-car…

I have spoken to Rep.@collins_neal and support his effort to make this law crystal clear. While my office interprets current law to cover families who suffer a stillbirth, it should be written into statute. When session begins in January, I encourage South Carolinians to contact their legislators and make sure this protection is permanent.

This could easily be South Carolina as we have five of our rural hospitals in danger of having to close the doors. People will not simply be able to “get over it”. @LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorTimScott

There is nothing pro-family in this big ugly bill, no matter what Republicans say to try to whitewash how horrific and damaging it will be to the middle class and hard working families across America—all to pad the pockets of billionaires and the wealthiest corporations.🧵

SC House GOP Leader Davey Hiott says he’s filed an ethics complaint to start the process to expel Rep. RJ May upon his indictment for distributing child sex abuse material. May has since been suspended from the House, and the governor does not have the power to remove him ⬇️

Young people outperforming by crazy margins you love to see it