The third installment of the State House Dispatch includes events, updates, ways to take action, and resources for learning more about the issues being considered in the legislature.
Upcoming Events
We will talk more in depth about the bills filed at the State House that affect our civil liberties, and discuss some of the ways you can get involved.
Beaufort, SC
Saturday, February 25
11 a.m.
Saint Helena Library- St. Helena, SC
Virtual Legislative Update
Monday, February 27th
6 p.m.
Register and attend via Zoom
Gender Affirming Care Is a Right
Attacks on LGBTQ people's rights are ramping up across the country, and sadly, it's no different in the SC General Assembly. Currently these attacks are taking shape in the form of bans on gender affirming care for transgender children and young adults, criminalizing that care, banning discussion of LGBTQ issues in the classroom, and more. If you're ready to learn more, start here:
ACLU's Anti-LGBTQ Bill Tracker
Take a look at the bill tracker, and you'll see 16 bills (so far) that the ACLU is tracking here in South Carolina. And then when you look at the map as a whole, something else comes into focus: 321 bills (and counting) across the country isn't a coincidence, it's a coordinated attack on the rights of LGBTQ people.
Next up, Five Things to Know About Gender Affirming Health Care. This is a quick primer to help you (or your friends and family) learn more about the care that several of the bills filed in the General Assembly are looking to prohibit. While this article was written when Arkansas was in the national spotlight, it still holds true. If reading an article feels small in the face of coordinated attacks on the rights of transgender people, just know that it is small, but it's also necessary. When we arm ourselves with facts, we can combat misinformation and build the vocabulary we need to speak up for the kids and their families who need our support.
Tell Lawmakers: No Bans on Health Care
Eviction Right to Counsel
This bill would guarantee that renters in eviction proceedings who make less than 125% of the federal poverty line would be provided legal counsel. Without counsel, families are left to face the life-altering process of eviction on their own. We can look at communities where right to counsel has been enacted for what sort of outcomes we may see in South Carolina if this bill becomes a law:
- In New York City, which enacted the right to counsel for renters in 2017, 86% of renters with legal representation facing eviction remained in their homes, and eviction filings have declined by 30%
- In San Francisco, which enacted the right to counsel in 2018, eviction filings declined 10% in just one year, and 67% of renters with legal representation have been able to stay in their homes.
- In Hennepin County, Minnesota, fully represented renters were twice as likely to stay in their homes, received twice as long to move if necessary, and were 4x less likely to use a homeless shelter.
- In Philadelphia, renters with legal representation stayed in their homes 95% of the time, compared to just 22% of renters without representation
Right now: This bill was filed recently which means its next stop is a subcommittee hearing—but only if it is granted one. It's up to us to let lawmakers know that this issue matters to voters across the state.
Some Good News
This week, a juvenile justice reform bill gets a subcommittee hearing. This bill would allow for expungement of a driving under suspension offense for juveniles. It's one of several bills introduced this year that would make it easier for kids to move past mistakes made in childhood.