By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | The House has a new special committee to address law enforcement training and accountability, police seizures, criminal process and sentencing. House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, announced the committee Thursday, saying it will “address the urgent issues” raised in recent weeks, apparently alluding to nationwide protests.
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“The S.C. House of Representatives has always been the people’s house,” Lucas said in a statement. “It will remain so by being the place where all viewpoints are expressed, heard and considered and where meaningful, open debate occurs. These challenging times are no exception.”
For weeks, people around the state and nation have been protesting systemic racism and police brutality. The protests were sparked by back-to-back incidents of unarmed black people being killed by police or while in police custody.
Lucas’ announcement comes two weeks after North Charleston Democratic Rep. Marvin Pendarvis invited protesters to the Statehouse, including the coming June 24 and 25 session, to push for legislative change. Read the story here. Members of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus have also announced they want better state funding of body cameras and passage of a hate crimes bill.
A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll released this week found 71 percent of black Americans say they’ve experienced some form of racial discrimination or mistreatment during their lifetimes – including nearly half (48 percent) who say at one point that they felt their life was in danger because of their race. Two in five black Americans said they have been stopped or detained by police because of their race, and one in five black persons said they have been a victim of police violence.
The protests have proved popular, according to the KFF poll. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they support the recent protests against police violence. Respondents also overwhelmingly supported law enforcement changes:
- 95 percent supported requiring police to intervene and stop excessive force being used by other officers and to report those instances;
- 89 percent supported requiring police to give a verbal warning, when possible, before shooting at a civilian;
- 76 percent supported requiring states to release disciplinary records publicly for law enforcement officers; and,
- 73 percent supported allowing people to sue police officers if they feel they were subjected to excessive force.
Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, and Republican senators proposed policing changes with the Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020, or JUSTICE Act. The federal bill is a direct response to the massive public protests over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans, and it includes enhanced use-of-force databases, restrictions on chokeholds and new commissions to study law enforcement and race. Read the bill here. Last week, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives released a much tougher proposal. Read more here.
The S.C. House Equitable Justice System and Law Enforcement Reform Committee is co-chaired by House Majority Leader Gary Simrill of Rock Hill and House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford of Columbia. The members will examine: Law enforcement officer training, tactics, standards and accountability; civil asset forfeiture, criminal process and procedure; and sentencing. Members include: Reps. Beth Bernstein, D-Columbia; Chandra Dillard, D-Greenville; Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort; Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston; Chris Hart, D-Columbia; Max Hyde, R-Spartanburg; Mandy Kimmons, D-Ridgeville; Cezar McKnight, D-Lake City; Chris Murphy, R-Summerville; Weston Newton, R-Bluffton; Tommy Pope, R-York; Garry Smith, R-Simpsonville; Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston; Ivory Thigpen, D-Columbia; Will Wheeler, D-Bishopville; and Chris Wooten, R-Lexington.
In other news:
S.C. spiking with COVID-19 cases. South Carolina is in its second week of nearly daily records of confirmed coronavirus cases as testing has expanded but also the state has continued with its reopening plan. S.C. health officials announced 987 new cases and four deaths on Thursday, bringing the total to 21,533 confirmed cases and 621 deaths. “It is essential that each of us, every day, wear a mask in public and stay physically distanced from others,” State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said Thursday.
- Gov. Henry McMaster is unlikely to mandate mask wearing, but health experts say it could help slow the spread without exacting huge economic tolls. Read more from our coverage last week.
House, Senate scheduled to meet. The official chamber calendars show the Senate will meet noon June 23, and the House will meet 1 p.m. June 24. Tuesday’s Senate meeting will address its Finance Committee recommendation for CARES to send over to the House before it convenes. June 25 will be a back-up day for the House if business is not completed on June 24, according to the House Clerk’s office. The Senate will schedule its meetings day-by-day depending on the House’s meetings, according to the Senate Clerk’s office. Calendar for the Senate here. Calendar for the House here.
Ways and Means to look at CARES spending June 22. The House Ways and Means Committee convenes virtually 2 p.m. Monday via Teams, a virtual meeting service. The meeting is information-only regarding the Executive Budget Office’s recommendation for federal coronavirus aid. The public will be able to stream the meeting but no comments will be taken. Agenda here.
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