This week, House and Senate members filed bills to honor the Friendship Nine, the African-American students who were arrested in 1961 and served 30 days of hard time in York County for trying to get served at a “whites-only” Rock Hill lunch counter. A state judge recently vacated their convictions in a tale that got national attention. Also this week among the 108 bills introduced:
IN THE SENATE (38 bills introduced)
Gas tax. S. 406 (Thurmond) seeks to add to the gas tax at a limited rate and t provide a refundable income tax credit , with several provisions.
Uber. S. 409 (Bryant) seeks to exclude Uber-like transportation companies from regulated carriers, with many provisions. H. 3525 (Sandifer) is related but focuses on Transportation Department expenses.
Naming rights. S. 412 (Shealy) seeks to prohibit the naming of a public property for any elected or appointed official until five years after they have died.
Flu vaccines. S. 413 (Cleary) seeks to allow pharmacists to be able to administer flu vaccines and certain medications without a prescription, with several provisions.
Mental health court. S. 426 (Sheheen) seeks to establish a mental health court program to divert mentally-ill offenders to appropriate treatment programs.
IN THE HOUSE (71 bills introduced)
Business licenses. H. 3490 (Quinn) seeks to reform the way business license taxes are levied by local governments, with several provisions.
Drones. H. 3510 (Hamilton) seeks to prohibit the operation of a public unmanned aircraft system and the disclosure of personal information acquired through them.
Christmas displays. H. 3512 (Sandifer) seeks to allow school districts to allow students and staff in public schools to exchange traditional holiday greetings (Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas) and to display traditional scenes or symbols, such as a menorah or Christmas tree, under certain conditions.
School raise. H. 3513 (Williams) calls for a 5 percent raise for school district employees who earn less than $25,000 a year.
Death penalty. H. 3535 (Alexander) seeks to prohibit the death penalty for someone who had a severe mental disability at the time of the crime’s commission, with other provisions.
Civics initiative. H. 3539 (J.E. Smith) seeks to enact the James B. Edwards Civics Education Initiative to require students to take the U.S. Citizenship Civics Test.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!