As the 2025 legislative session moves quickly toward its expected May adjournment, the priorities of both chambers have emerged. The Senate passed S62, known as the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. The House amended the bill and voted to send it back to the Senate by a vote of 80 to 32. The Senate must now decide whether to accept the House amendments or set up a conference committee made up of Senate and House members to work out the differences.
There are significant differences in the bills, including the fundamental question of how to fund school choice. The Senate version uses lottery money, while the House version shifts funding to the general fund to be held in trust and overseen by a trustee appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Tethering funding of school choice to lottery revenue means the Legislature will need to find ways to expand and promote the lottery to provide the funds necessary to support the trust fund.
Expanding the lottery expands the possibility of more people, who can least afford it, to succumb to the addiction that so often is associated with gambling. Also, according to a 2024 report, the lottery received a failing grade on enforcement requirements from the South Carolina Legislative Audit Council (SCLAC), an independent auditing body used by lawmakers to assess state agencies and programs. Lottery officials pushed back against the report, claiming it was “fundamentally flawed”; however, any lack of enforcement combined with the dangers of addiction make a trust fund a much better option for funding school choice.
The House and Senate versions differ on enrollment and income restrictions for the trust fund. The House version leaves intact the 2025-2027 caps on income and enrollment numbers, but it removes all income restrictions for the 2027-2028 school year, and ties enrollment caps to available funding. If the House version prevails, it would open up the possibility of school choice being available to every child within the next two to three years.
Tort reform has had a much more difficult path through the Legislature. Businesses in South Carolina have been clamoring for legislative help to bring down insurance rates. Many business leaders believe the insurance companies will lower their rates if the number of lawsuits could be limited by stricter laws. However, insurance companies have consistently refused to say whether any change in liability law will result in lower rates. At this writing, the Senate tort reform bill (S244) is in “interrupted debate,” meaning it may or may not be considered again this term. The House passed H3497, sending it over to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.
So far, neither chamber has demonstrated much interest in expanding protection for life in the womb. Rep. John McCravy (R-Greenwood) used House rule 4.6 to force a subcommittee hearing on the Human Life Protection Act (H3457). The rule required the House to schedule a hearing within seven legislative days. On Tuesday, March 4, the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee listened to three hours of testimony on the bill and adjourned without taking a vote. The future of the bill in the House is uncertain, but sources in the House say it is unlikely to get another hearing this session.
The Senate may see the introduction of the Human Life Protection Act, but at this point in the session, passing a bill deemed “controversial” through committee to the Senate floor will be difficult. As always, calls to your legislator will let them know the Heartbeat Bill is a good start, but the goal of the pro-life community has been, and always will be, to protect all life in the womb.
Two bills to protect parental rights have gained more sponsors in recent weeks. H3638 protects parents’ rights regarding medical decisions, and H3011 protects parents’ rights to make educational decisions and requires schools to fully inform parents about classroom content.
With just over a month to go in the 2025 legislative session, there is much yet to be done. Please reach out to your representative or senator today and encourage them to advance pro-life legislation and push for the protection of parental rights. You can find your state legislator and contact them by going to www.scstatehouse.gov.