Staff reports | Twelve out of the state’s 46 counties have experienced some kind of book banning or censorship effort in the last three years, according to a new review by the ACLU of South Carolina. The organization’s interactive infographic below summarizes what has gone on around the state:
“Book banners like to portray these books as inappropriate, but their words ring hollow,” the ACLU’s Paul Bowers wrote. “They are often challenging age-appropriate children’s books that simply acknowledge the existence of, for example, same-sex couples or transgender people. Similarly, they seek to make basic discussions of racism and U.S. history off-limits in public school classrooms.”
ACLU of South Carolina offered the book banning summary during Banned Book Week, which seeks to draw national attention on the harm of censorship. The weeklong focus in policy circles as well as libraries and bookstores ends. Oct. 7.
In other South Carolina News:
VP Harris to speak Oct. 11 in Charleston. Vice President Kamala Harris will speak 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Sottile Theater at the College of Charleston as part of a national college tour to connect with younger voters before the 2024 election.
Lowcountry lawmaker pushes for metal detectors in schools. S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, is pushing for weapons detectors in every public school across the Lowcountry.
Mace among 8 in House GOP to vote to oust speaker. Eight conservative Republicans, including Lowcountry Rep. Nancy Mace, joined Democrats in a historic vote to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. She was the only South Carolina Republican to join the GOP-led revolt that resulted in the removal of McCarthy, the first speaker in U.S. history to be ousted.
McMaster says CCSD ‘needs to follow the law’ amid turmoil. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster chastised members of Charleston County School Board after a bipartisan group of lawmakers accused them of violating state laws.
S.C. speaker forms committee to examine how state chooses judges. S.C. House Speaker Murrell Smith created a special committee to study how the state chooses its judges.
Evangelical foster agency can continue to work in S.C. A federal judge ruled Sept. 29 that South Carolina can continue to work with an evangelical Christian foster care agency that rejected applications from potential parents who do not share their faith. The ruling stated that the foster care agency did not violate the constitutional right against establishment of a religion.
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