Here’s how felons can vote in South Carolina

With an election coming up, there are always questions about vote suppression and particularly about felons’ voting eligibility.

According to the S.C. Election Commission, you can vote even if you have been convicted of a felony. But there are a few caveats.

You must have served your time and not be on probation or parole. Your rights are not automatically restored; you have to reapply for voter registration. In most S.C. counties you must provide written proof that you’ve completed your entire sentence.

People convicted of misdemeanors can vote anytime, as long as they are not in jail on Election Day.

One of the problems identified by an Election Commission survey is that many county election boards don’t know the laws governing felons.

SCANA’s pay package is an outrage

SCANA officials are getting $110 million in severance pay? Are you kidding me?

And they are saying that a temporary rate reduction will “strain” the company. The powers that be should be ashamed. Disgusting.

Bill would help breast cancer patients

Ninety percent of breast cancer deaths are a result of metastatic breast cancer — cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. While there are treatments that can extend the lives of individuals with metastatic breast cancer, there is no cure. The average life expectancy of an is three years.

H.R.6114, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act, goes a long way to assuring that those with metastatic breast cancer have access to the medical care they need. Under current law, individuals found to be disabled for purposes of Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance must wait 24 months to enroll in Medicare and five months to receive disability insurance. This important legislation would eliminate these waiting periods.

As it is, those with metastatic breast cancer may never receive the Social Security and Medicare benefits they are eligible to receive as a result of these onerous waiting periods. We need all of our S.C. members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R.6114, ensuring that patients have access to high-quality health care and support.

This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 2:53 PM.