By Jack O’Toole | A Charleston businesswoman whose fight to legalize mobile cosmetology services in South Carolina made headlines earlier this year is celebrating a major, though still incomplete, victory in the state Senate.
“I’m really happy,” Ring My Belle owner Megan O’Brien told Statehouse Report after the Senate unanimously passed its mobile cosmetology bill on April 4, clearing the measure for consideration in the House. “Though I do wish the whole thing had gotten through.”
As passed, the bill would for the first time make it legal for licensed cosmetologists to provide basic beauty services such as hair and makeup to clients at their homes or businesses. However, due to an amendment, the bill does not allow mobile blow-drying services – a fact that O’Brien calls “mystifying.”
“I still fail to see why blow-drying poses any kind of danger or threat to society,” O’Brien said.
Charleston Republican Sen. Sandy Senn, an original sponsor of the bill, agrees.
“Please,” Senn said, a note of exasperation clear in her voice. “Tell me why we need to regulate blow-drying hair.”
Senn said she’s been told the amendment was made at the request of a single Lowcountry barber. South Carolina barbers have been allowed to offer mobile services, including blow drying, since 2021.
“The barbers are mainly men and they don’t like having the competition from hairdressers,” Senn said. “And they can get a lot of things passed up here.”
In other recent headlines:
S.C. senators take up controversial energy bill. Utilities, conservation groups and other stakeholders are all in agreement: South Carolina needs to expand its energy capacity to keep up with its growth. The question is how it is done.
S.C. children shouldn’t be locked up for acting up, skipping class, lawmakers say. South Carolina is the only state that detains children for so-called status offenses, or crimes that only apply to youth under 18, including running away, skipping school or generally being hard to manage.
Republicans call for voting change to S.C. constitution. Democrats say there’s no need. Voters could be asked in November whether a single word should change in the South Carolina constitution to specify that “only” citizens can vote — a revision Democrats called completely unnecessary.
S.C. Senate confirms new SCDOT secretary of transportation. State senators confirmed Justin Powell Tuesday to become the next secretary of transportation for the South Carolina Department of Transportation after former secretary Christy Hall retired in March.
Proposal for hefty fines for advertising vapes to children passes S.C. Senate. E-cigarette manufacturers could not advertise any of their products to children, and only certain vapes would be available at stores under legislation the Senate approved unanimously Tuesday.
S.C. legislature to fund dementia care coordinators. The South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is lobbying to get $1.1 million added to the South Carolina Department of Aging’s budget to fund 10 dementia care specialists.
S.C.’s ‘sister senators’ among those facing primary opposition. Three of South Carolina’s “sister senators” will face GOP primary challengers in June. Meanwhile, 20 other legislators, including Independent Columbia Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Richland, will not seek reelection this fall.
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