This is what's on our radar for the 11th week of the 2025-2026 South Carolina legislative session.
DEI showdown in the House
A bill seeking to dismantle programs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in South Carolina schools, colleges, and state agencies is expected to go up for debate on the House floor this week, likely on Wednesday.
The good news is that, after hearing four-and-a-half straight hours of testimony from South Carolinians who opposed House Bill 3927, the House Education and Public Works Committee rewrote the bill last week to make it somewhat less harmful.
The bad news is that this bill would still attack schools and state agencies for pursuing goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sponsors of the bill have said they are looking to promote “merit-based” policies, but they notably have not sought to end legacy admissions or other practices that disproportionately benefit white students. All four Black members of the committee voted against this bill.
You can use this form to contact your state representative and ask for a NO vote on H. 3927:
DEFEND DIVERSITY EQUITY & INCLUSION
Opponents of this harmful bill will be at the State House Wednesday to watch debate on the House floor. You can join us in the gallery or watch the video livestream here.
Advocacy 101 training Wednesday
If you are interested in getting more involved in state and local movements for civil liberties, please register for our next virtual Advocacy 101 training on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m.
Let us know which issues matter most to you, and we’ll get you plugged in with advocates from across our state. Whether you are interested in juvenile justice, voting rights, immigrant rights, or any other area of civil liberties, now is a great time to get involved. Hope to see you at the training.
Good bills in need of a hearing
Every year lawmakers introduce bills that would actually improve the lives of South Carolinians and advance our civil liberties — but all too often, these positive bills languish in committees without receiving a hearing.
Over on our Legislation page, you can see some bills we support, some bills we oppose, and some bills we’re monitoring. Filter by issue area to see bills on the topics that matter most to you. Here are a few examples of bills that we’d love to see lawmakers pass this session:
- Forbidding Housing Discrimination (H. 3336): This bill would make it illegal to refuse to sell or rent housing to someone based on their handicap, disability, or source of income
- Juvenile Status Offense Reform (S. 16): This bill would move the state away from using adult punitive actions against children. It would also stop the state from committing children to the Department of Juvenile Justice for “status offenses,” or behaviors that are only illegal because of someone’s status as a minor.
- Supporting the Freedom to Read (H. 4059): This bill would require each school district to set up a formal Material Review Committee to review book challenges. Each committee would be required to include at least one certified school library media specialist.
- Ranked Choice Voting (H. 3589): This bill would allow local governments to hold ranked choice elections and primaries for city, county, and other local offices. In this style of election, also known as “instant runoff voting,” voters rank candidates in order of preference and votes are counted in rounds.
In order for a bill to move through the legislative process, it needs to get a hearing in the committee where it has been assigned. One way to make this happen is for constituents to contact their lawmakers and ask them to support a bill. Check the list of sponsors, and if your state representative or senator is not already a sponsor, ask them to sponsor it.
Not sure who your lawmakers are? Use the Find Your Legislators tool at scstatehouse.gov to look them up using your home address.
