If politics in South Carolina were a football game, we would be in the fourth quarter. The House and Senate convened Jan. 11, and they are scheduled to adjourn June 15. At this writing, the House was taking the week off for spring break, and the Senate had adjourned to focus on committee work related to the budget. Both reconvened on April 19. There are several important pieces of legislation in process that have a chance to pass before adjournment.
The House began debate on S150 — the Compassionate Care Act (medical marijuana) — on April 19. The debate was expected to be long, with as many as 1,000 amendments to be considered. It’s possible the legislative clock could run out before there is a vote on the bill. If that happens, the bill fails, and proponents will have to present the bill again when the 2023 session begins. If the bill is amended, it will need to go back to the Senate, where an agreement would have to be reached on the amended language.
Opponents of medical marijuana testifying before the House 3M Committee pointed to the destructive effects of marijuana used for recreation. Proponents pushed back by drawing a distinction between medical marijuana and recreational use. However, a study by the Massachusetts General Hospital published in the March 2022 Harvard Gazette raised serious concerns about the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Dr. Jodi Gilman, with the Center for Addiction Medicine at MGH, said, “In this first study of patients randomized to obtain medical marijuana cards, we learned there can be negative consequences to using cannabis for medical purposes. People with pain, anxiety or depression symptoms failed to report any improvements, though those with insomnia experienced improved sleep.” The benefit of improved sleep seems to pale in comparison to the very real danger of a lifetime of addiction.
Other bills we are tracking include Save Women’s Sports, a bill that will prevent biological males from competing against females from middle school all the way through college. The bill passed in the House and is expected to be set for special order in the Senate (moved to the front of the line for a vote) and receive a vote by the first week of May. The governor has said he will sign the bill. Your calls, emails, text messages, and in-person appeals on behalf of this bill made a difference! If Save Women’s Sports comes up for a vote, we have the votes in the Senate to pass it into law. Please pray that the Senate will follow through and send this bill to the governor.
The Religion Is Essential bill passed the House last session and has now passed in the Senate. The House is expected to concur with the Senate version and send the bill to Gov. McMaster for his signature. The Medical Rights of Conscience bill recently passed the House, but at this writing it is not expected to be set for special order in the Senate. With time running out, it is likely we will have to bring this bill up again in 2023. However, if you feel strongly about protecting the rights of conscience and the religious liberty of those who serve in the medical profession and those who serve as counselors, please contact your senator at www.scstatehouse.gov and let them know what you think. Recent guidelines by the Biden Administration (HHS) make this bill very important in the fight for religious liberty.
The Abortion Reversal Pill, Education Savings Accounts, Election Reform, and a ban on CRT are all still on the table. We obviously will not know the fate of all these bills until we get closer to the end of the session. At this point, a ban on the teaching of CRT is also much in doubt. Election reform and Education Savings Accounts still have a good chance of passing before the end of the session.