Dear Friends:
Frequent readers of this newsletter tell me they appreciate my ‘straight talk’ about the legislative process. For the most part, I de-emphasize partisan politics and try to overlook political shenanigans. My focus is on policy. The goal is to bring clarity to the happenings at the State House.
Live or Die Time
Clarity is difficult in the final weeks of a two-year legislative session. We are entering the final week of the two-year regular session. There is a flurry of legislative moves as the House and Senate negotiate the passage of bills. We face the Thursday, 5:00 pm deadline to end as required in the State Constitution.
Negotiations between the House and Senate bring changes nearly every hour, making for a very cloudy crystal ball. In the end, there are only three options: a bill must have been passed by both legislative bodies to be sent to the Governor for his approval, assigned to a conference committee to negotiate differences, or the bill dies and needs to start anew next January.
The Trash Heap
With only three legislative days remaining, it is becoming clearer which major legislative initiatives will be tossed on the trash heap and need to restart in the next session.
One casualty is likely the South Carolina Energy Security Act (H. 5118). It’s on life support. I will summarize that issue later in this newsletter.
Another bill sentenced to the trash heap is the Compassionate Care Act (S.423), first filed in 2015 and every session since then. It passed the Senate again this session but failed to win approval from a House committee after several hearings. Complicating the issue of using cannabis for medical purposes is the Biden Administration’s decision this week to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug. However, that does not legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Also disappointing is the failure of the Senate to act on House legislation, the “Fair Access to Insurance Requirements” (H.5066), that sought to help restaurants, VFW Posts, and others who serve alcohol. Skyrocketing insurance premiums are forcing some of those establishments to close. This bill was designed to provide an affordable option for liquor liability insurance to any person or business required by law to have this coverage.
The ‘SC Justice Act’ died on the Senate floor. For many South Carolinians, this was one of the most critical pieces of legislation to be considered during this session. The bill (S.533) sought to change current state law that could leave individuals liable for all damages in a lawsuit, even if they were only partially or marginally at fault. That means everyone conceivably involved in a vehicle accident is sued, and those with “deep pockets” carry the burden of paying to settle a lawsuit or face forking over large sums in jury verdicts. That’s not fair.
There is some good news – Judicial Reform is still alive. The Palmetto Promise Institute summed it up this way, “As the end of the legislative session draws near, the House and the Senate still have many disagreements on just what changes should be adopted. We do know this—finally, most legislators see the need to bolster public confidence in the state judiciary, reduce potential conflicts of interest, and stamp out any cronyism.
Gender Transition Health Care
Republican Senators broke a filibuster by Democrats Thursday to ban gender transition health care for minors. The vote was 28-8. The Help, Not Harm bill (H.4624) heads back to the House because the Senate made several changes. The House passed it 82-23 in January. I am a cosponsor of the legislation. According to the Senate version:
- The bill bans doctors from providing gender transition care, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender reassignment surgery, for those under 18.
- It exempts the use of puberty blockers for those with sexual development disorders like de la Chapelle syndrome and precocious puberty and their use to prevent imminent death or serious injury.
- Prevent the state’s Medicaid program for low-income people from covering gender transition care for both minors and adults.
- Require public school principals and vice principals to inform parents if their children change their pronouns or request to be called by a name that is not their legal name or a derivative, or if they assert that they are a gender different from their sex determined at birth.
The bill is necessary to address growing numbers of children being diagnosed with gender dystopia and taking drugs to delay puberty to potentially ease medical gender transition once they become adults. When signed into law, SC will be the 25th state to ban
Boys are Boys; Girls are Girls
Biological girls and boys cannot enter the opposite sex’s bathroom in public schools under a new Senate proviso added to the budget bill that was sent back to the House. That means transgender students would be prohibited from using bath, locker, or changing rooms that align with their gender identity. The “Student Physical Privacy” proviso defines sex as the person’s biological gender at birth. This is common sense legislation — boys are boys, girls are girls.
SC Battles Biden’s War on Women
Last week, I reported in-depth on State School Superintendent Ellen Weaver’s advice to local school districts not to follow the Biden Administration’s new Title IX regulations. This week, SC Attorney General Alan Wilson joined several other attorneys general in suing the Biden administration over the rules. The Biden administration extended the reach of Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a move meant to protect those in the LGBTQ community. The rule seeks to rewrite Title IX to fundamentally and radically change a longstanding civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in all federally funded education programs.
Tussle Over Energy Security
A central sticking point to moving numerous bills in the final week seems to be the Senate’s refusal to debate and vote on the South Carolina Energy Security Act, H. 5118, passed by the House last month 83-21. That critical legislation aims to tackle the state’s growing energy needs due to its expanding economy and population. This comprehensive bill employs an “all of the above” approach to energy generation, incorporating several critical measures, including a new gas generation plant in the Low Country.
This week, the House voted to amend four Senate bills with the Energy Security Act to get their attention and allow Senators to vote for the energy bill passage. It’s called legislative “log rolling” and is a last-ditch effort used by both the House and Senate to get a major bill considered. The move is allowed by an obscure House rule, which, under certain circumstances, enables legislators to circumvent germaneness (one subject only) in attaching any bill to a Senate bill the House has already passed.
LOCAL FOCUS
Farewell, Bart
Aiken Rep. Bart Blackwell gave his farewell address to the House Thursday. Bart is retiring after serving four terms. With his family looking down from the balcony, Bart was eloquent in describing how politics had generally changed during his time of service, and not for the better. He encouraged colleagues to rise above petty politics and strive to be statesmen and stateswomen working together to better South Carolina. Bart has quietly contributed to the serious work by being a sensible legislator. For that, he received congratulations from many fellow Representatives.
Aiken Invades the State House
This week, the State House saw a friendly invasion of about 40 Aiken Chamber of Commerce members. It was ‘Small Business Day’ at the State House, an advocacy day focused on ensuring South Carolina’s SMALL businesses are heard BIG by state leaders. Sen. Tom Young and I met them in the Senate, and then I took them to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Melissa Oremus joined us.
Congratulations, Ladies!
On Thursday, the SC House of Representatives celebrated the South Aiken High School State Champions. These talented ladies won the 4A Varsity Volleyball State Championship this year. Well done, ladies!
Happy 100th
I celebrated the champions of Aiken’s beauty with the presentation of a Resolution for the SC House of Representatives on Friday. For 100 years, the Garden Club of Aiken has been a driving force in the beautification of Aiken by preserving the city’s natural beauty. I joined Congressman Joe Wilson and Sen. Tom Young in recognizing the club’s centennial at the Aiken County Historical Museum. Since its founding, the Garden Club has campaigned against eyesores like unattractive signs, destruction of Aiken’s parkways, littering, and development projects that destroy the natural beauty of Aiken. As early as 1936, Garden Club members protected Aiken’s green and natural spaces like parks and public spaces. For their beautification efforts, they have received state and national recognition. We all should be thankful for their passion for beautifying the Aiken we enjoy.
LEGISLATIVE BRIEFS
Helping Teachers
The House took steps this week that would provide teachers more flexibility and help tackle the state’s teacher shortage. The House passed S.124 and S.305 – both outstanding bills for teachers and those considering teaching. The House also voted to add H.4280, “The Educators Assistance Act,” to both the Senate bills. This move allows the Senate another opportunity to remove continuous certification renewal red tape, have time during contract season to get salary rate schedules, and have two dedicated teacher classroom workdays during the preschool start week. Please ask your Senator to pass S.124 and S.305, as amended by the House!
Women’s Hygiene Tax
At long last, it appears SC women will not pay sales tax on hygiene products such as tampons and pads. The Senate approved legislation pushed by a bipartisan group of female Representatives and Senators. The House passed H.3563 last year, and the Senate unanimously approved it this week. It heads to the Governor for his signature.
Illegals Voting in SC?
Saying, “The integrity of our elections is and must remain a top priority,” Gov. Henry McMaster has requested that Chief Mark Keel of the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) authenticate the claims of a state legislator. The legislator alleges that the agency that administers SC’s Medicaid program sent voter registration materials to a non-U.S. citizen. In another response, the state Election Commission said there was no evidence that people were fraudulently registered to vote.
Factoid: Birth Rates Plummet to Historic Lows
Birth and fertility rates in the United States have reportedly plummeted to the lowest levels since they have been recorded. Per Axios: “US fertility rate in 2023 amounted to about 1.62 births per woman — well below the ‘replacement rate’ of 2.1 that would allow a generation to replace itself completely.” It was also noted that the states with the highest birthrates are overwhelmingly Republican, and those with the lowest are disproportionately Democratic.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to the graduates at USC-Aiken! This week’s Commencement speaker was SC Senate Majority Leader Sen. Shane Massey. He encouraged graduates to go forth and be doers: make money, but equally be good citizens by giving back through public service by helping others.
Want to Know More?
Do you want to learn more about my positions, bill sponsorships, voting record, and past writings? Here are some handy links:
- About Me: https://taylorschouse.com/about-2/
- My Positions: https://taylorschouse.com/issues/
- Sponsored Bill & Voting Record: http://tiny.cc/b1pouz
- Recent Newsletters: https://taylorschouse.com/category/newsletter/
I’m Available & AT YOUR SERVICE

It is my honor to be of service. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance navigating state government or have any thoughts or concerns about the legislature.
In Your Service,
Email: Bill@taylorschouse.com
www.TaylorSCHouse.com
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