Let's start by putting this on your radar for next week: The South Carolina Justice Partners Coalition will hold a Second Chance Day in the State House lobby next Thursday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Formerly incarcerated folks with join allies in the lobby to raise their concerns with lawmakers.
If you are interested in criminal justice and want to help build a fairer state for people exiting the prison system, this is a great chance to show up in solidarity. RSVP at the link below and we’ll fill you in on more details as the day approaches.
RSVP FOR SECOND CHANCE DAY (4/24)
The House is on furlough this week, meaning that no House floor debates or committee meetings are scheduled. The Senate meeting schedule for the week is available here. Both chambers have until May 8 to pass legislation this calendar year. Any bills not passed by that date, known as sine die, will carry over until the session returns in January 2026.
More bad ideas on the way
State lawmakers introduce new bills attacking our civil liberties every year, and fortunately most do not even receive a subcommittee hearing. Still, with a relatively quiet week ahead in the State House, now is a good time to look at some bad bills.
Senate Bill 343, promoted by the anti-vaccine wing of our legislature, would require people administering Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations to say certain things to patients. Healthcare workers would be required to say that the vaccine is “contaminated by the presence of fragments of bacterial plasmid DNA.” Not only is this nonsense, but enforcing such a law would fall into the category of “compelled speech” — a clear First Amendment violation.
S. 343 has been referred to the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee, which will discuss the bill on Wednesday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 207 of the Gressette Office Building. The meeting agenda is available here.
A pair of similar bills, House Bill 3535 and Senate Bill 175, would threaten people with a prison sentence of up to 60 days if they "harass" a police officer or disobey a command to stay 25 feet away. The definition of harassment is vaguely worded in the bill, which could also potentially be used to criminalize video recording of law enforcement officers. These bills are in the Judiciary committees of their respective chambers, and the House version has been picking up additional sponsors in recent weeks.
House Bill 3758 would push the boundaries of religious proselytization in public schools. While student prayer is and has always been legal in public schools, this bill would allow students to deliver religious messages at forums including graduation ceremonies and the start of football games. This bill has been referred to the House Education and Public Works Committee, where it has not been scheduled for discussion yet.
As always, you can contact your lawmakers to let them know how you feel about these bills by going to scstatehouse.gov and using the Find Your Legislators tool.
Bill attacking Diversity Equity & Inclusion gets committee assignment
The bill attacking state agencies, schools, and universities for pursuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (H. 3927) passed out of the House on April 3. Last week, on April 10, it received a first reading in the Senate and was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hundreds of South Carolinians spoke in a committee hearing and wrote to their House representatives asking them to stop this bill in their chamber. The bill passed, but public pressure persuaded lawmakers to remove some of its harmful provisions. We still have a chance to stop this bill in the Senate. Our messaging page has been updated to connect you with your state senator.
Nothing is inevitable. Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and keeping the pressure on our elected officials.
