Every week in the Statehouse Dispatch, we highlight bills that could affect our freedom. We'll also highlight ways that you can show up or write to your lawmakers to help defend and advance civil liberties in our state.
The bills we highlighted in the Jan. 19 Dispatch had mixed outcomes. H. 3310, which would force voters to register with a party to vote in primaries, remains stalled in the House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee. Gov. Henry McMaster has threatened to veto H. 3310 if it passes, telling the press that the bill would "impose obstacles to the people voting easily and freely.”
For once, we agree with the governor.
Two dangerous bills, the anti-trans bathroom ban H. 4756 and the medication abortion ban H. 4760, received approval from committees last week and could come up for debate on the House floor any day now. H. 4757, a classroom censorship bill, received a favorable report in the House Medical and Health Affairs Subcommittee.
Here are the bills we’ll be showing up and speaking out against in the week ahead. Please spread the word and let your lawmakers know you are watching.
Religious indoctrination in schools
House Bill 4762 would require all public schools to display a framed 11-by-17-inch poster of the Ten Commandments, starting with “I AM the Lord thy God,” in a prominent place in every classroom. It would also authorize public schools to bring in volunteer religious chaplains.
H. 4762 received approval from a House subcommittee and committee in rapid succession last week, and it could come up for debate on the House floor any day now.
Mandating that a religious text be displayed in every classroom is a straightforward violation of the First Amendment’s protection from “establishment of religion.” A federal court blocked a similar law from taking effect last year after our colleagues at the ACLU of Arkansas sued challenging its constitutionality.
Use this form to contact your state representative and demand that they vote No:
Reproductive healthcare on the line
House Bill 4760 would criminalize possession of mifepristone and misoprostol, which are used for medication abortion as well as for managing miscarriages and other conditions including Cushing syndrome. This bill received approval from the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 20. The Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network (WREN) has a page where you can write to lawmakers opposing this reckless attack on healthcare and reproductive freedom.
Meanwhile, this Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. in Room 207 of the Gressette Building, the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee is expected to vote on another bill further criminalizing abortion.
Senate Bill 717 would replace the word “fetus” with “preborn human” in state law. It would also require all obstetricians to give state-produced brochures to patients “as early as possible during pregnancy.” The same subcommittee heard public testimony on this bill Jan. 21, and it will only accept written testimony on this bill. Send your written comments to [email protected]
Two bills that would harm trans students
House Bill 4756 received approval from the House Judiciary Committee and could come up for debate on the House floor any day now. This bill would force trans students to use restrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories that do not match their gender. Any school that does not enforce this rule would have its state funding slashed by 25 percent.
As we said last week, when governments seek to exclude trans students in this way, many students forego using the bathroom altogether, at risk to their physical and mental health. In a recent survey of transgender and nonbinary young people, 67% reported “holding it” when they needed to use the bathroom, and 38% abstained from drinking or eating to avoid using these facilities.
Today is a good day to look up contact information for your state representative and senator at scstatehouse.gov. Let them know you oppose this bill and support the rights and dignity of trans students.
Meanwhile in the other legislative chamber, a very similar bathroom bill, S. 199, will come up for debate in the Senate Education Subcommittee on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. in Gressette Room 308. Arrive early if you would like to sign up for a public comment, or send comments in writing to [email protected] by Jan. 27 at 12 p.m.
Want to hear a preview of the legislative session with ACLU-SC team members who’ve been in the Statehouse chambers since Day 1? Subscribe to our podcast While I Breathe on any major podcast platform and check out Episode 19, coming soon.
