STATEHOUSE REPORT | ISSUE 21.11 | MARCH 18, 2022
BIG STORY: State should toughen animal protection laws, advocates say
NEWS BRIEFS: Lucas to leave House after 8 years as speaker, 12 terms as member
LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: Sycophants
COMMENTARY, Brack: Smith has chance to change partisan direction of House
SPOTLIGHT: S.C. Farm Bureau
MY TURN, Ruggerio: S.C. lawmakers must stop attacks on LGBTQ youth
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Old church
State should toughen animal protection laws, advocates say
Staff reports | South Carolina lawmakers can toughen animal protection laws by adding more resources and requiring more training for law enforcement officers, one of the state’s leading animal advocates said today.
“Our animal cruelty laws are strong enough,” said Charleston Animal Society (CAS) President and CEO Joe Elmore of Charleston. “Our problem is the capacity to enforce those, both with attitude and resources.”
Earlier this week, the Society said more than 330 cases of animal cruelty have been reported across the state since the beginning of the year.
“Animals are the most vulnerable of God’s creations,” Elmore said at a Wednesday press conference with other animal advocates. “They cannot speak for themselves. They cannot testify against their abusers. We are calling on the community to speak for them … to support law enforcement efforts to pursue these crimes. You have got to get involved.”
He added high rates of animal cruelty seemed to coincide with rising violent crimes against people. Elmore said in his 15 years at society, he’s never seen numbers of animal cruelty as high as now.
“Links have been established and affirmed and reaffirmed between animal cruelty and human violence,” he said. “Humans are at risk too. It’s no secret that violent crimes are skyrocketing in our state, and this is happening with crimes against animals also. Intentional animal abusers … are also abusing children, women, the elderly — anyone who cannot defend themselves.”
State gets a C-minus grade
Elmore said while the state may have enough laws on the books to protect animals, it gets a C-minus grade in using the laws to actually protect animals.
The best way to improve that is to offer more training and resources for law enforcement and animal control officers, he said. Too often, cases are dropped because investigations are conducted by code enforcement officers, not trained investigators.
According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), South Carolina ranked in the bottom tier of states in laws protecting animals. The organization, which said the state ranked 44th from the top, said it had well-defined care requirements for animals regarding food, water and shelter. But it said the Palmetto state was lacking because:
- Veterinarians aren’t required to report suspected cruelty to animals.
- Poultry birds aren’t protected by strong animal cruelty laws. (In South Carolina, cockfighting is a misdemeanor, but legal loopholes allow possession of cocks for fighting and possession of cockfighting implements, according to the Humane Society of the United States.)
- There’s no statutory requirement for mental health evaluation or treatment for accused abusers, such as hoarders.
The ALDF list also said the state didn’t have a “pre-conviction forfeiture” requirement for suspected abusers to turn over animals before cases are heard in court, but Elmore said the state has been generally taken care of by the legislature. A problem, however, is that it’s often too expensive for rural counties and municipalities to pay for taking care of abused animals if they’re seized. He said the state needed to make changes to allow it to fund care if local governments couldn’t afford to provide safe havens in cruelty cases.
Recent cruelty cases
Earlier this week came a report of a case of a dog found in a ditch in Adam’s Run in Charleston County. It had a broken leg and an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The dog’s injuries were too severe for recovery, and she was euthanized. CAS is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the felony conviction of the person responsible for the death of the dog. The case is currently under investigation by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
Other 2022 cruelty cases across South Carolina include, according to the society:
- A man killed a puppy in the Lowcountry by throwing him from a balcony.
- A Charleston-area dog was chronically abused and allegedly killed by a family member.
- 125 roosters euthanized after a massive cockfighting ring bust in Dorchester County.
- A dog found in Elloree appeared to have been stabbed.
- Three separate Orangeburg County dogs with gunshot wounds.
- Some 150 dogs seized from a Pickens County puppy mill.
- Almost 50 cats seized from hoarding case in Colleton County.
- A Clarendon County man killed a hound by shooting her in a hole.
- A Union County man tortured a dog by screwing his paws to a wall.
“We have a partnership where we provide forensics and veterinary forensics and support of law enforcement officers and animal patrol officers pursuing these crimes, but working together in partnership, we can only do so much,” Elmore said. “It really is up to you stepping forward to end this madness.”
- Andy Brack and Skyler Baldwin of the Charleston City Paper contributed to this story. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Lucas to leave House after 8 years as speaker, 12 terms as member
Staff reports | S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas said Tuesday he would not run for reelection this year after running the chamber for eight years.
Lucas, a Hartsville Republican, took over as the top House leader in 2014 after then-Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, was indicted for misconduct. Lucas, known as a collaborative leader, “ran a kinder, gentler House and seemed to know the families, likes, dislikes and proclivities of each of the other 123 members,” according to the Associated Press.
The next House speaker is expected to be House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, a Sumter Republican who was widely seen as the only candidate for the job a few hours after the announcement by Lucas.
Meanwhile this week, candidates for House, Senate and statewide offices started filing for reelection. Among those to file for governor were Gov. Henry McMaster, who isn’t expected to face Republican primary opposition, and state Sen. Mia McLeod, R-Richland. She is expected to face former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham of Charleston for the Democratic nomination. Filing ends at noon March 30.
In other recent news:
S.C. House approves state’s $14B budget in one day. The South Carolina House approved the state’s $14 billion budget in one day with little debate over big ticket items while knocking aside stricter abortion rules or worries about whether a state health card could be used as a COVID-19 vaccine passport. The budget included higher starting pay for teachers and raises for state employees. More: The State; WIS TV; SC Public Radio.
S.C. Senate begins debate to break up sprawling DHEC. State senators spent less than two hours discussing the bill to split up the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control before agreeing to give it a second reading, leaving amendments to be debated ahead of a final vote later.
Lawmakers look to change state’s sex offender registry laws. Last year, the state Supreme Court ordered South Carolina’s lifelong registry to be unconstitutional. Lawmakers have until June to create a way for offenders who are at low-risk to re-offend to petition to be removed from the registry.
Future of state’s affordable housing tax credit being debated. A successful program created under 2020’s South Carolina Workforce and Senior Affordable Housing Act offered tax incentives designed to spur much-needed affordable housing development across the state. Now, state lawmakers are looking to impose a cap on it after costs exceeded projections by millions of dollars.
Charleston’s Roper Hospital fails initial accreditation visit. The Joint commission, a nonprofit group enforcing health care standards, found a condition in Roper Hospital that “poses a threat to patients or other individuals served” after it inspected the health care facility in downtown Charleston. The group has taken the first step toward denying accreditation for the hospital, which could leave it unable to receive federal payments for its services.
- Want more headlines every business day that are like this? Visit our friends at SC Clips.
Sycophants
Cartoonist Robert Ariail often interprets things a little differently, but always has an interesting take on what’s going on in South Carolina. Love the cartoon? Hate it? What do you think: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Smith can change partisan direction of House
By Andy Brack | Sumter Republican Rep. Murrell Smith has a big leadership challenge if he is elected next speaker of the S.C. House in December as expected.
It won’t be about a conservative policy here or a white paper proposal there. It will be about what the House of Representatives will become – whether it will better reflect the chamber’s traditional Chamber of Commerce conservatism or embrace the blooming Republican dance with wingnuts.
There’s no debate that South Carolina has become more partisan in recent years thanks to redistricting 10 years ago. Earlier this year, House Republicans pushed through a new, more gerrymandered election map that created even fewer truly competitive House districts. When a Democrat or Republican has a fairly equal chance at winning a seat, both candidates generally default to mainstream appeals to voters. But when a noncompetitive district tilts to candidates of just one party, extremists get more attention – and get more extreme to get more attention. As a result, all candidates are pushed toward the margins, which makes the whole chamber more partisan. Recent years have seen an exodus of moderates of both parties.
Strong leadership at the top may be able to steer some of the nuttiness that grows from overly partisan redistricting. If not, it won’t be too long before South Carolina House members rubberstamp any crazy idea that comes along. Just look at what’s become of legislatures in Texas and Florida.
On the day before the March 16 opening of filing for House races, Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, announced he wouldn’t run for re-election after 24 years, including eight as speaker. In a few hours, it was clear that Smith is the only real Republican consensus candidate to be new speaker. The second and third members in the House GOP leadership didn’t want the job. Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope, R-York, has said he wanted to stay in his slot, while House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, is retiring like Lucas.
So it falls to Smith, who like Lucas, is perceived as a consensus builder – someone who listens to Republicans and Democrats. The major difference, insiders say, is that Smith nixes some ideas, while Lucas has sometimes let the wingnuts have their way in setting the policy agenda.
“[Lucas] was collaborative with all members,’ one seasoned Statehouse veteran said. “He changed the tenor of the conversation. On a one-on-one basis and the way he treated his members, he listened and was much more genteel than his predecessors. He’s a genuinely nice person.”
Lucas will be remembered for being a calming hand in the House after a 2014 disgrace in which then-House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, resigned after being indicted for misconduct. In the years that followed, Lucas steered ethics reform and updated House rules to open the legislative process. He helped to create a massive income tax cut this year and boost teacher pay, but didn’t ever get the big education overhaul he dreamed of.
Smith, seen as a vanguard of old-time Republican business values, is expected to lead more decisively, said another elected House member who asked to remain anonymous.
“Murrell has no problem saying ‘no’ to people,” the member said, indicating that Smith would bring people together collaboratively like Lucas but with a more defined direction.
Still, Smith will have to balance radical members of his Republican caucus with those who want to return to more mainstream values associated with the pre-Donald Trump days.
“These people who are getting all of the attention are in the minority, but they are the loudest,” one of the observers said. “I keep waiting for the vocal majority to be heard and give voice to what they think. And until that happens, we’re going to be right here with the lunatics running the asylum.”
Congratulations to Lucas for a long, successful House career and good luck to Smith as he prepares to take over.
Andy Brack is publisher of the Charleston City Paper and editor and publisher of Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
S.C. Farm Bureau
Statehouse Report is provided for free to thousands of subscribers thanks to the generosity of our underwriters. Today we shine a spotlight on our newest underwriter, S.C. Farm Bureau. It is a grassroots, non-profit organization that celebrates and supports family farmers, locally-grown food and rural lands through legislative advocacy, education and community outreach.
S.C. Farm Bureau’s alliance of nearly 100,000 members includes everyone from foodies and fishermen to lawyers, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and of course, farmers. By connecting farmers to the larger community, the organization cultivates understanding about agriculture’s importance to our local economies. The S.C. Farm Bureau explains its mission: “We deepen our collective knowledge of who, where and how food grows. We empower people to make informed choices. We grow mutually-beneficial relationships. And, we ensure the future of the family farms, locally-grown food and the rural South Carolina lands we love.”
- To learn more about S.C. Farm Bureau’s programs, click here.
- To view media and publications, click here
- For policy and legislation, click here.
Ruggerio: S.C. lawmakers must stop attacks on LGBTQ youth
“A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.”
– From Jonathan Swift in “A Modest Proposal,” 1729.
By Domenico Ruggerio, special to Statehouse Report | South Carolina lawmakers seem to want to satisfy an imagined moral famine by marginalizing the state’s LGBTQ+ youths. It’s as if they take Jonathan Swift seriously and want some of our children served medium rare with a side of steak sauce. They need to stop continuing attacks on some of our children. It’s just plain wrong.
During SC’s 2021 legislative session, we witnessed a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced. Advocates pushed hard to ensure none advanced, including six versions of an anti-transgender student athletics bill. Moreover, in 2022, there are numerous proposed bills which would sanction anti-LGBTQ “conversion therapy,” restrict transgender students from participating in school sports, prohibit trans-affirming medical care, allow anti-LGBTQ medical discrimination and challenge the teaching of “critical race theory” in South Carolina schools— all of which are troubling attacks for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color), LGBTQ youth and for all seeking to advance intersectional social justice.
These systematic attacks on LGBTQ+ youth, who want nothing more than dignity and respect to live their authentic selves, take a toll on their mental health. LGBTQ+ youth in South experience many mental health disparities, including high rates of depression, substance use, suicide and housing instability. In the region’s largest LGBTQI+ health survey to date, the Campaign for Southern Equality reported more than half of LGBTQ+ people in South Carolina reported experiencing depression (71%) and anxiety (63%)—and rates were even higher for trans individuals and those who are BIPOC.
Additionally, according to The Trevor Project’s poll in January, 66% of all LGBTQ+ young people said their mental health had been negatively affected by recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people. The impact is even greater among trans and non-binary youth: 85% of those polled said their mental health had been negatively affected. When asked about what the most important issue is affecting the world, most LGBTQ+ youth stated racism, followed by LGBTQ rights/equality.
Recognizing these urgent needs, as the state’s oldest LGBTQ+ youth-serving nonprofit, We Are Family launched a mental health assistance program last year to offer free and affirming mental health services to LGBTQ+ youth in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Since the program’s inception, we have provided over 210 hours of affirming therapy to 45 youths. Eleven therapists have been recruited and trained for our provider network. In addition, we have trained more than 30 mental health providers in LGBTQI+ youth cultural competency, and we currently have 17 youths on our therapy waitlist.
As a co-leader of the SC United for Justice and Equality coalition, We Are Family works collaboratively with 30+ organizations across the state to equip queer and trans youth with the leadership and organizing skills so they can advocate for themselves and others at the local and state levels.
It takes a village. We Are Family will continue to be a lifeline for our LGBTQ+ youth. We need to focus on building a South Carolina where everyone– including LGBTQ+ youth– can thrive.
And to those who continuously push these bills: Satisfy that hunger with a Snickers instead.
Domenico Ruggerio is the executive director of We Are Family, a grassroots nonprofit that cultivates affirming spaces for LGBTQI+ and ally youth across SC by providing direct services, leadership development, and community engagement opportunities that have a lasting and measurable impact.
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Old church
This might be tough. Guess where in South Carolina that this church is located. Send your guess to feedback@statehousereport.com — and remember to include your name, home city and contact information.
Last week’s mystery, “Coastal scene,” shows the Bluffton Oyster Company on the May River in Bluffton. Congratulations to the few readers who identified it correctly: Joe Whetstone of Indianapolis, Indiana; Robert Ariail of Camden; Jay Altman of Columbia; and Curtis Joyner of Charleston. The photo was sent in by George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
- Send us a mystery. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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