On Jan. 28, the South Carolina House of Representatives voted to advance a cruel bill attacking the rights and dignity of transgender students in our schools and universities.
House Bill 4756 would force trans students to use restrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories that do not match their gender. As we highlighted on Instagram, Rep. Courtney Waters of Charleston County called attention to her colleagues’ misplaced priorities:
Trans people exist. They are people who have rights, and we need to figure out how to address them rather than trying to dismiss them or pretend they don’t exist. Or better yet, do pretend they don’t exist, and leave them alone ... There’s just a lack of compassion here and a spirit of vitriol toward a group of people that is already incredibly vulnerable.
Ignoring a plea for common decency, House members voted 96-19 to approve H. 4756. The bill now advances to the Senate. We’ll keep showing up and speaking out for the rights of all South Carolina’s children. We’ll keep you posted in future Dispatches when this bill gets a hearing in the Senate.
Here are some other bills and hearings to watch this week in the Statehouse. Check scstatehouse.gov for scheduling changes, as some meetings may be postponed due to inclement weather.
School censorship bill on the move
On Tuesday, Feb. 3, an hour-and-a-half after House adjournment in Blatt Building Room 427, the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee will consider a bill that would censor teachers and stifle classroom conversations.
House Bill 4757 would allow parents to exempt their children from any classroom instruction if it conflicts with their “beliefs or practices regarding sex, morality, or religion.” The bill would also forbid classroom lessons on "gender roles or stereotypes" unless a teacher gives parents 5 days' advance notice and gets parents’ permission.
This censorship bill has already received approval from a subcommittee, and no spoken comments will be allowed at this week’s meeting. Reach out to your state House representative using the Find Your Legislators tool at scstatehouse.gov.
Public funding for religious schools
Under a voucher program called the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, South Carolina taxpayers currently help fund private and religious schools that discriminate on the basis of disability, sexuality, and religious belief.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. in Gressette Building Room 408, the Senate Education Subcommittee will consider Senate Bill 692, which makes some technical changes to the existing voucher program. This is a chance to introduce amendments that reduce the harm of vouchers and speak out against the program as a whole.
Arrive early if you would like to sign up to speak to the subcommittee. You can also submit comments to [email protected] by Feb. 3 at 12 p.m. For more about this topic, check out our blog post “The ugly truth about school vouchers” and While I Breathe podcast episode 12, “School Vouchers Are a Disaster.”
Anti-abortion bills advancing
On Thursday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. in Gressette Building Room 308, the Senate Medical Affairs Committee will consider a bill that would replace the word “fetus” with the non-medical term “preborn human” in state law.
Senate Bill 717 already received approval from a subcommittee. No spoken public comments will be allowed at this hearing, but you can submit written testimony to [email protected]. Please include the bill number in the subject line of your email.
Another anti-abortion bill, H. 4760, received committee approval last week and can come up for debate on the House floor any day now. This bill would criminalize possession of mifepristone and misoprostol, which are used for medication abortion as well as for managing miscarriages and other conditions.
Find your state House representative’s contact information at scstatehouse.gov and let them know you oppose this bill. The Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) also has a form to help you contact your lawmakers:
Bills to help children and parents
When we can, we highlight good ideas in the Statehouse. They do exist! Here are two bills that have a chance of passing — if we speak up and let lawmakers know we support them.
Senate Bill 385 would protect the wellness of pregnant people when they enter the carceral system. Under this bill, if a person informs medical staff upon entering a jail or prison that they are pregnant and then test positive on a pregnancy test, they would be eligible for release on bail for the duration of the pregnancy and 12 weeks after the birth of a child. Pregnant people would only be eligible if they are deemed not to be a threat to themselves or others.
This bill currently has one sponsor, Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine of Richland County. One way to improve a bill’s likelihood of passing is to find more cosponsors. Look up your state senator using the Find Your Legislators page and let them know you support S. 385.
Another bill in need of more co-sponsors is Senate Bill 16, which would 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. Examples of status offenses include truancy and delinquency.
Before committing a child to DJJ for incorrigibility, parents or guardians would have to show they have tried counseling first. This bill would make several positive changes to ensure children are given a chance at rehabilitation rather than confinement or punishment.
