A Second Special Meeting on SC's Neo-Voucher Bill

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Why aren’t we debating a policy that would effect the vast majority of children that we’re trying to help?

-Senator Brad Hutto

Session in the South Carolina General Assembly begins on January 14, but the Senate Education Committee has already held two meetings on a bill drafted in response to a recent Supreme Court decision, upheld in September, that struck down parts of a neo-voucher “Education Savings Account Trust Fund” bill that the Court said violated the state constitution.

The fast track.

As in the last meeting, it was clear that powerful figures in the legislature are fast-tracking this bill. Committee Chair Greg Hembree indicated there would be no more committee meetings (so no public comment) and the bill would go directly to debate on the Senate floor.

Senator Ronnie Sabb, towards the end of the meeting, voiced uneasiness about the speed of the work, saying, “The idea of not listening to persons who know, from the public, just from a…