Since most of the state government was sworn in this past month, many elected officials have hit the ground running in terms of implementing, crafting and enforcing policy for South Carolina.
The state legislature began their session on Jan. 10, 2023. The current makeup of the state House of Representatives is 36 members are from the Democratic party and 88 members belong to the Republican party.
The state Senate has 15 Democratic senators and 30 Republican senators and one senator affiliated with another party. The Republicans currently hold a trifecta in the state government, controlling both legislative branches as well as holding the governor position.
Recently, the House passed and sent a bill to the Senate that would “establish and enhance criminal penalties for trafficking and distributing fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances.”
The House Education and Public Works Committee met on January 31 and submitted a committee report to help enact the “South Carolina Transparency and Integrity in Education Act.”
The bill currently states that “ideological and viewpoint biases should not be presented as fact to students who receive instruction in public school and that schools are to establish and foster a positive learning environment, teach critical thinking skills and prepare students to be college and career ready.”
The proposed bill also says that all “stakeholders have a shared responsibility for student learning; that parents and students can raise awareness and have their concerns about objectionable material heard and addressed whenever such a topic is discussed; that all entities involved are to work to remove ideological biases from the pre-Kindergarten to grade twelve schools; and, that schools are to be a model for comprehensive, fair, and factual instruction.”
The committee also presented an amendment to the bill H.3518 that would allow someone with a suspended license to apply for a temporary one for a year in order to have more time to pay reinstatement fees. Currently, those with a suspended license can apply for a six month temporary license.
The House Judiciary Committee proposed a possible joint resolution to enact a ballot referendum that could end the sale of alcohol being prohibited between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. This would be done by amending the state constitution.
Governor Henry McMaster announced his budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year at the beginning of January. Highlights include 21.5 million set aside for law enforcement pay raises and 25 million to create educational scholarship funds so that parents can have more options on where to send their K-12 children to school.
McMaster stated that these funds will“allow low-income parents to choose the type of education environment and instruction that best suits their child’s unique needs.” It is important to note that these funds are contingent on the General Assembly changing the current law.
McMaster also delivered his annual State of the State address on Jan. 25, 2023.
McMaster highlighted recent accomplishments including the economic surplus of the past year which totaled 3.5 billion dollars.
McMaster also highlighted the creation of 120 projects which in turn created about 14,000 new jobs and generated approximately 10.27 billion in capital investments. He also highlighted the increase in proposed funding to HBCUs and need-based grants for higher education.
The South Carolina State Supreme Court recently struck down the passed “Fetal Heartbeat Bill.” After being enjoined on the enforcement of this bill by the state court on Aug. 27, 2022, it was officially struck down in January.
The court ruled that the heartbeat bill violates the state constitutions’ guaranteed right to privacy. But their ruling also said that the state “unquestionably has the authority to limit the right of privacy that protects women from state interference with her decision.”
The court established in their ruling that six weeks was not a reasonable time for a woman to know that she was pregnant and to take possible steps to terminate the pregnancy.
With the bill being struck down, South Carolina now reverts to the 1974 abortion laws, passed as a response to Roe v. Wade ruling, allows abortions in all three trimesters under specific circumstances.
While no bills have officially been passed yet, many significant ones have been proposed already that could change the current political landscape in South Carolina.
