This week was a very busy week in the House and the next few weeks also look to be busy as we move towards working on the state budget in the upcoming weeks. Here is a look at some of what took place in the House last week:
HEARTBEAT ABORTION BILL: The House approved, and the Governor signed, S. 1 the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act,” which delays a pregnant woman from having an abortion until a doctor first checks her for a fetal heartbeat using ultrasound equipment. She may view this ultrasound while it is being performed.
As expected, this matter is already being challenged in federal court, so the courts will have the final say on this issue.
EDUCATION – STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND ACCOUNTABILITY: I continue putting the priority on education reform. These bills which I co-sponsored addressing lottery-funded scholarship eligibility and school district accountability made it out of committee and came before the full House for debate this week:
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H. 3588: This legislation would strengthen the criteria to qualify for lottery-funded LIFE scholarships by requiring high school students complete English, Math and Computer Science courses during their last year of high school.
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H. 3610: This legislation would provide additional accountability measures for public schools and school districts, by better defining the criteria for when schools can be classified as “chronically underperforming”. It would define how the state’s Department of Education would develop an assistance plan for chronically-underperforming schools and school districts as well as require the state to act immediately once a school or school district has been classified as chronically-underperforming. It would also require the local school district where schools have been found to have unsatisfactory performance to notify parents of students, schooled a public meeting to discuss the rating and their strategic plan to improve performance. The legislation also defines when the state Department of Education can declare a “state of education emergency”, allowing the state to take over operations of chronically poorly-performing schools and/or districts.
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H. 3017. This legislation would provide that two-year institutions of higher learning and technical colleges be among institutions of higher learning whose students may be eligible for Palmetto Fellows Scholarships. Currently the Palmetto Fellows scholarship is available only to students attending an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina. With the greater need for people to learn vocations and trades, this change will help create more opportunities for today’s youth.
I’m hopeful that we’ll see these bills pass the House and be sent to the Senate when we return next week.
The State Senate is also working on school accountability legislation. One bill – S.201 – was passed by the Senate and is awaiting review by the House Education Committee and the other – S.203 – is expected to pass the Senate next week and be sent to the House for consideration.
NEW SC DHEC DIRECTOR: The State Senate confirmed Dr. Edward Simmer as the agency’s new Director. He served in the US Navy for thirty years in medical leadership roles. As the agency is struggling to handle the distribution of COVID vaccines, I’m hopeful his experience will help the agency do a better job.
COVID-19 VACCINATION UPDATE: A legislative oversight committee met with leaders from South Carolina’s DHEC, MUSC and Prisma Hospital systems this week. The meeting allowed members to get a pulse on where we are, where we are going, and how we can better work together to vaccinate South Carolina. Clearly, the supply of vaccine remains limited from the federal government with the hope of increases soon. Here is what we know:
Who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine?
- Frontline healthcare workers
- Anyone 65+ years
- State/local government employees who perform COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in SC
What are the numbers?
- Total Doses Given in South Carolina: 705,776
- Total People Vaccinated in South Carolina: 528,480
- People with 1 Vaccine dose: 527,691
- People with 2 Vaccine doses: 177,126
(Numbers updated Feb. 18th)
Where can I get vaccinated?
When will I be eligible to be vaccinated?
- Currently, South Carolina is in Phase 1A of the vaccination process.
- DHEC plans to transition to Phase 1B by early Spring.
- South Carolina obtains vaccinations from the Federal government, meaning the following chart is subject to change based on availability of vaccines. To see the vaccine flowchart, visit: https://scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-vaccine
COVID VACCINATIONS: The House unanimously passed H. 3900. The resolution authorizes certain podiatrists to administer premeasured doses of the COVID 19 vaccine. The bill provides for podiatrists who have successfully completed the COVID 19 training programs available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This increases the numbers of medical professionals who can administer vaccines. The bill is now in the Senate’s Medical Affairs Committee.
As always, look for my updates about what’s taking place at the State House as well as other state and community issues. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! If I can assist you in navigating state government via my home phone 803-547-6715 or email me at Raye26@comporium.net.
