Capitol View – by Joe Mack

Joe Mack

The legislative year has passed, and we’ve dealt with a number of issues concerning families in South Carolina.

The Unborn Victims Act (S.1084) has been in the legislative hopper for eight years. Until this session, the bill began in the House, only to be killed in the Senate. Even though Senators McConnell, Ritchie, Bryant, Campsen, Ford, Ryberg, Knotts and Alexander introduced the bill in January, it moved to the House in early March. The bill received final reading on May 30.

Another bill we supported was S.1045 relating to marriage license fees. This bill allows a maximum tax credit of $50 per couple against state individual income tax for certified completion of a premarital preparation course. To be eligible, you must complete premarital counseling as a couple within one year of applying for a license. This bill passed on May 25.

Released Time Education is a class that leads students in religious education and carries no earned credits. The Released Time Credit Act (S.148) supports students who want to take religious instruction by giving the school district the option of awarding credit for the course. This bill also passed on May 25.

The fourth bill in which we expressed an interest was H.3588, which would ban common-law marriages in South Carolina. We are one of only nine states that continue to recognize this arrangement. The problems come when one spouse leaves the marriage without a legitimate divorce or when one spouse dies. Probate, Social Security, family court matters and insurance issues are delayed or denied without documentation of the common law agreement. The Senate was set to take up the bill on May 17. Senator Rankin began a filibuster on the bill, and it was delayed until May 25, when it was sent back to the judiciary committee. This essentially kills the bill for the year.

I am still concerned about Catawba tribal gambling in Orangeburg County. In February, Senators Hutto, Land and Matthews sponsored a bill to allow the tribe to open an electronic bingo casino. The bill was sent to the judiciary committee, where gambling proponents could not muster enough votes to report it out. This bill is dead for now, but I have no doubt we’ll see it again.