The South Carolina legislature has six days to take action before the regular session ends on May 14. Lawmakers meet on Tuesday through Thursday this week and next week, and then they will take a break until January 2027.
A big step forward for housing justice
Don’t say we never bring you good news.
Last week we highlighted House Bill 4270, which would remove eviction filings from a person’s public court records following a set time period. You called your lawmakers, and they listened. On Thursday, H. 4270 received a crucial second reading on the floor of the Senate. It already passed in the House, so it is well on its way to becoming law.
This bill could not have moved this far without the work of tenants who pushed for a change. If you are interested in housing justice and tenants’ rights, from the neighborhood block to the halls of the Statehouse, consider joining our friends in the SC Tenant Union.
The bill still needs a third reading in the Senate. You can call your senator and encourage them to pass H. 4270 before the session ends.
CARE Act advances to the Senate
More good news: Senate Bill 385, which would help protect the wellbeing of pregnant women entering the prison system, received a third reading in the Senate and has advanced to the House Judiciary Committee. You can contact your state House representative today and ask them to support this positive bill for the sake of women’s and children’s health:
S. 385 is also called the Women's Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education (CARE) Act. It would make pregnant women who are entering the prison system eligible for release on bail for the duration of their pregnancy and 12 weeks after the birth of a child.
House reps move to whitewash history
Last week the House Judiciary Committee ignored the testimony of historians and gave a favorable report on Senate Bill 508. This bill would make it illegal for local governments to add explanatory plaques and QR codes to Confederate memorials.
S. 508 aims to restrict free speech, particularly as some local governments seek to more accurately tell the story of chattel slavery and the U.S. Civil War. This bill has already been approved by the Senate and is expected to come up for debate in the House early this week. You can look up your state House representative’s contact information here and let them know what you think.
All quiet on an anti-trans foster care bill
From the Department of Tentatively Good News: Last week a House subcommittee took no action on House Bill 4302, which would require that children in residential foster care facilities be placed in housing units “based strictly upon the individual's anatomical sex at birth as recognized on their original birth certificate.”
H. 4302 is one of numerous bills introduced this session to deny rights and dignity to transgender South Carolinians of all ages. We’ll keep an eye on meeting agendas to see if it gets scheduled for debate this week or next, but it is possible that the legislature will adjourn for the year before taking any action on this bill.
'Reasonable physical force’ against students?
Senate Bill 416, a bill we highlighted last week, still has a vaguely worded section authorizing school employees to use “reasonable physical force” against students. This bill remains on the House’s contested calendar, meaning it could come up for more debate this week.
This bill was originally written to clarify the expulsion process when students bring a firearm to school. It is not clear why the House amended the bill to include the “physical force” language. Lawmakers should take more care to publicly discuss and debate bills authorizing physical force against children, rather than tack this rule onto another bill and rush it through the process.
If you would like to reach out to your lawmakers about this or any other bill, you can use the Find Your Officials page on our website.
