April 11 probably won’t show up on your smartphone calendar to remind you of its observance, but at the South Carolina Statehouse it is a date that draws everyone’s attention. The official term is “crossover,” and it simply means no bill can be considered after April 11 unless it has crossed over from the House to the Senate or vice versa. Bills caught sitting in committee or languishing on the House or Senate floor calendar will be dead until next year. Bills that were being considered last year will have to start over when the Legislature meets in January 2023.
There are several bills we are tracking that are in danger of failing to meet the crossover deadline. In the House, Save Women’s Sports (H4608) had an Education Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, March 10. The meeting was scheduled for one hour — and with well over 50 people signed up to speak, the measure was carried over until a second hearing can be scheduled. Even if the bill is recommended favorably to the full House Education Committee, it will have to be voted on there and then sent to the floor. With time running out and the House moving to begin work on the budget (which always takes up a lion’s share of time in the House), this bill — which would prohibit biological males from competing against women from middle school through college — is once again in jeopardy of failing to pass in South Carolina. So far, 11 other states — including Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota — have passed similar legislation to protect female athletes. South Carolina, considered by many to be one of the reddest of red states, continues to fail to offer this very important protection for female athletes. A press conference in support of the legislation, held in the lobby of the Statehouse on the same day as the House Education Subcommittee hearing, drew a crowd of more than 100 people, including legislators, female athletes, high school coaches, legal representatives, and members of the medical community.
Several versions of the Medical Rights of Conscience Act are still waiting to be scheduled for a vote. The House version (H4776) is known as the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act. It passed from the Judiciary Committee to the House floor the week of March 6 and is currently awaiting floor debate and a vote. The Compassionate Care Act (Medical Marijuana, S150) is still in the 3M Committee and is not expected to be brought to the floor for debate until after the first week in April. The Religion Is Essential Bill was amended in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will now be considered under Administrative Rules. A pro-life bill — the Abortion Reversal Pill Act (S907) — was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee to the floor for debate. If passed into law, the bill would require abortion providers to inform women seeking a chemical abortion that it is possible to reverse the process between the administration of the first and second pill. It would also expand the availability of the abortion reversal pill, making it much more accessible for women who change their mind after beginning the process of a chemical abortion.
Other bills that are still waiting for action as we move closer to the crossover deadline include the Transparency and Integrity in Education Act (would ban the teaching of CRT) and an abortion trigger law that would outlaw all abortions if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, sending all decisions on abortion restrictions back to the states. The House passed an election integrity bill and the Senate voted to add South Carolina to the number of states that are calling for an Article 5 Convention of States — which would allow changes to be made to the Constitution regarding term limits, a balanced budget, and the overall power of the federal government. A Convention of States would require two-thirds of the states to vote to convene a convention, and any action taken by an Article 5 Convention would require ratification by three-fourths of the states.
As time grows short for this session, we should be filled with a sense of urgency in letting our elected officials know where we stand on all of these important issues. Please contact your House and Senate member today and let your voice be heard! Visit www.scstatehouse.gov or download the app to keep track of what is happening at the Statehouse and watch for SCBC Office of Public Policy action alerts and newsletters.