The second legislative session of the South Carolina 126th General Assembly is out to improve its bill passing batting average. The 2025 session got bogged down with major pieces of legislation, consuming weeks of the calendar with sometimes contentious floor debates. Lawmakers in the second session appear to be determined to make up for lost time.
One highlight of the beginning of the session was the dramatic defeat (for this session) of the I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act (better known as the casino bill). You may remember the last session ended with H4176 being rushed to the floor of the House in the last week of the session. The bill appeared poised for quick action as at least 17 gambling activists worked through the summer and fall to cobble together enough votes to push the bill through the House early in the 2026 session.
That push encountered major pushback on Jan. 14 when the We Stand with God Rally brought close to 150 pastors and other religious leaders to the statehouse for a highly influential rally and press conference. Speakers included Chad Connelly, founder and president of Faith Wins; Steve Petitt, president of the South Carolina Palmetto Family Council; and Tony Wolfe, executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Support for a casino dropped, and within two weeks of the event, the gambling interests (to continue the baseball metaphor) realized they had struck out for this session. They didn’t have the votes to get the bill home.
But the game is far from over. The bill was sent from the floor back to the Ways and Means Committee, but you can be sure it will be reintroduced next year. Meanwhile, over in the Senate, the push began for S444, the Online Sports Wagering Act. This bill would establish a gaming commission to legalize, award licenses, and regulate sports wagering. This is taking place here in South Carolina, when, around the country, more and more people are waking up to the inherent dangers of sports gambling. In an editorial published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stated that one of the biggest mistakes in his seven years as governor was signing the legislation that legalized online sports betting in Ohio.
South Carolina shouldn’t make the same mistake. Research continues to pile up documenting the detrimental moral consequences and economic devastation that follows online gambling. A recent study compiling data collected from 2011 to 2024 by the National Incident-Based Reporting System found violence against intimate partners increased by 11 percent after an upset sports loss. A 2024 study conducted by UCLA found increases in bankruptcies, debt collections, debt consolidation loans, auto loan delinquencies, and a decline in credit scores among those participating in sports gambling.
Online sports wagering is negatively affecting college athletes. A 2025 study conducted by the NCAA indicates that about 36 percent of Division I men’s basketball players and 16 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players have received harassment or negative messages from people betting on their games. Nearly 10 percent of student athletes surveyed reported interactions with students on campus who had bet on their team. All of this research points to the negative impact sports wagering will bring to our state.
Other legislation we are tracking: H4760, the Chemical Abortion Pill Ban, passed the House by a 50-vote margin, 81-31, and is now in the Senate! It was strengthened by several amendments that will provide stronger enforcement measures. According to the Department of Public Health, 84 percent of abortions in South Carolina are chemically induced. We need to get this bill across the finish line.
Other bills that experienced positive traction during the opening weeks of the 2026 session include a bill that will protect parental rights. H4757 is on track to pass the House, and it will likely receive strong support in the Senate. South Carolina parents are tasked by God’s Word to make decisions about their children’s upbringing, education, and healthcare.
H4756, the Student Physical Privacy Act, and H4591, the Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act, are both advancing in the legislature. The Student Physical Privacy Act protects students’ privacy by designating private spaces according to biological sex. The Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act restricts social media access for minors and gives parents the final say concerning when their children can engage in social media.
Pray for our elected officials.