I car pooled to Columbia yesterday riding with members from the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to take part in the “Enough is Enough” rally in Columbia, SC. www.truthfultuesday.net

The rally coincided with the reconvening of the SC Legislature at noon, Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Enough is enough is the product of the SC Progressive Network, which brought together a broad coalition of South Carolina including; the faith community, the South Carolina Democratic Party,PNHP Physicians for a National Health Program, unions, SC AFL-CIO, UAW,SCEA, SC NAACP, SC Voting Rights Project, and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation. All told about 400 people of all races, ages and genders gathered at the side entrance to the SC Capital building to say, “enough is enough.”

It was an inspiring,albeit chilly wet day. The wind of change is blowing once again in South Carolina.

The message conveyed was crystal clear; expand Medicaid and save 1,300 lives which is the estimated number of people who will die this year, eligible for Medicaid but not receiving it because our Governor Nikki Haley has refused to set up an exchange thereby forfeiting billions of dollars in federal assistance. An estimated 350,000 people in South Carolina would be eligible for Medicaid under the current guidelines they just need the state’s approval to set up an exchange for state residents.

The second message was fully fund public education in our state. Last year, K-12 school funding was $495 million below what is required by state law. Higher education funding is 40% less than it was in 2002. Tuition at our state-funded colleges is among the nation’s highest. Meanwhile our state under the authority of the Republican governor and the GOP dominated legislature continues to shell out millions to defend “minimally adequate” standards for public schools in court.

The third and final message from rally is protection of voting rights. South Carolina has the least competitive elections and the least representative legislature in the United States, with 80% of lawmakers facing no major opposition in general elections. Instead of making it easier to vote by expanding early voting and registration South Carolina’s GOP leadership is trying to make it harder and less inclusive.

It’s time for Truthful Tuesdays and today was just the start. And the people said, “Enough.”