We’re keeping our eyes on two bills and some budget discussions this week in the South Carolina Statehouse. Here’s how you can stay involved and up to date.
No HALO for police
Two bills advancing in the Senate would make it a crime to stand too close to police officers.
House Bill 4763 and Senate Bill 175 would threaten bystanders with up to 60 days in jail for standing within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer with the intent to "taunt" or cause the officer “emotional distress.” The bill sponsors call this legislation the “HALO Act” (Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction).
Both bills are currently in the Senate. You can use this form to write an email to your state senator in opposition:
These bills would limit the public's ability to peacefully observe police, record them, and hold them accountable. Similar laws have already been thrown out in other states. In response to one such law in Indiana, a U.S. District Court judge said:
“Simply being within twenty-five feet of a police officer is not a crime, and indeed, important First Amendment rights are regularly exercised within twenty-five feet of law enforcement every single day.”
The House version, H. 4763, has already passed in the House. Remind your state senator not to waste the state’s time and money passing an unconstitutional bill.
Protect pregnant women in the prison system
Senate Bill 385 would protect the wellness of pregnant women who are entering the prison system by making them eligible for release on bail for the duration of the pregnancy and 12 weeks after the birth of a child.
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.
The bill’s sponsors have named it the Women’s Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education (CARE) Act. You can use this form from our allies at the Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network to write to your lawmaker in support of this bill (Note: This link takes you to an external website, scwren.org)
S. 385 currently has just two sponsors, Sens. Tameika Isaac Devine and Overture Walker of Richland County. One way to improve a bill’s likelihood of passing is to encourage more senators to sign on as more cosponsors. Ask your state senator to sign on today.
Budget week shenanigans
Last week was Budget Week in the House, and this week Senate budget subcommittees will meet in preparation for the budget debates on the Senate floor April 21-23. The House will be on a furlough this week.
As we predicted last week, some state House representatives attempted to legislate their morality via provisos, or one-year rules in the state budget. Representatives in the South Carolina Freedom Caucus attempted to slash funds to Clemson University because its president was insufficiently mournful about the death of Charlie Kirk, and to reduce funding to Tri-County Technical College apparently because a trans woman used a women’s bathroom on campus.
Fortunately the Freedom Caucus’ efforts were rejected by representatives from both parties, as Joseph Bustos reported in The State. In response to State Rep. Josiah Magnuson of Spartanburg County attempting to cut tourism marketing funds while delivering a theological rant about planets orbiting the “sun of justice,” State Rep. Daniel Gibson of Greenwood announced, “I’m not a smart man, but I’m dumber now than I was 10 minutes ago.”
We’ll keep a close watch on the Senate as its members discuss budgetary matters this week.
