LGBTQ protections added back to SC hate crimes bill as it advances to House floor
COLUMBIA — South Carolina lawmakers added back sexual orientation and gender to the list of characteristics that would be protected by a proposed hate crimes bill on March 16 after facing backlash for their decision to remove them just a few days earlier.
But the S.C. House Judiciary committee also voted to limit the bill to violent crimes, removing sections that would have also enhanced penalties for stalking, harassment or vandalism if the victims were targeted because of certain personal characteristics.
The panel ultimately voted 23-0 to approve the legislation, setting it up for debate by the full chamber on the floor soon. They also decided to name the bill after the late state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who was one of the nine victims in the 2015 Mother Emanuel AME shooting.
South Carolina is one of only three states without any hate crimes law on the books, along with Wyoming and Arkansas. Prominent business groups, including the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, have rallied behind the bill this year, saying the lack of such a law could reflect poorly on the state’s values.
Read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/lgbtq-protections-added-back-to-sc-hate-crimes-bill-as-it-advances-to-house-floor/article_4aed2b0e-8689-11eb-b85e-17c415526b1e.html
(Charleston Post and Courier)