by Jack O'Toole
As the 2025 legislative session barrels toward its May 8 close, people on both sides of the political aisle can point to progress, setbacks and issues where the jury is still out.
“Overall, I think we still see a lot of potential,” said Sam Aaron, research director at the conservative-leaning S.C. Policy Council. “A lot of things are still up in the air.”
On the plus side, in his view, are bills to provide private school vouchers, lower the state’s top tax rate and zero-out earmarks in this year’s budget, all of which appear to be headed toward final passage. The major remaining question, he says, is how legislators will resolve differences on the push to lower sky-high liquor liability premiums for bar and restaurant owners.
Will they settle on a narrow bill aimed squarely at the problem of liquor liability, as favored by the S.C. House — or will they opt for a broader lawsuit reform bill championed by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R-Edgefield)? Or worse, will they stand by as the whole effort collapses amid finger-pointing and bitter recriminations?
“That’s the one I’m most curious to see,” Aaron said. “We know that across the state, bars and restaurants are shutting down at an alarming rate. And if they don’t find a way to get something done in the final weeks, those people are just going to be left out in the cold for another year.”
Less enamored of the top-rate tax cuts, school vouchers and general rightward drift of the 2025 session is Lynn Teague of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of South Carolina.
“There have been some positive developments this session,” she said. “But the overall direction has been disturbing.”
In particular, she said in an April 21 interview, the league is concerned about the impact of a bill that would tear down any vestige of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the state.
“We’re concerned about the anti-DEI push that discourages teachers and businesses from doing what they should do — which is not to give someone an advantage because of their identity, but to give them an equal playing field,” Teague said.
But beyond any single bill, what she’s found especially noteworthy about the session is the impact of expanded GOP supermajorities on the culture of the institution.
“With a supermajority in both houses, some legislators who aren’t wildly supportive of some of the more extreme bills feel they’re under more pressure to put them through,” Teague said. “And that’s unfortunate.”
2025 bills, passed and pending
With the clock ticking, legislators are set to meet three days a week through session’s end on May 8. Here’s a look at some of what they’ve accomplished — and what they’re still trying to get done.
For an update on the bills below, read the full article from the Statehouse Report at the link above.
