First - The Pregnancy Resource Act (S. 32) passed the Senate unanimously and has been sent to the House.

The bill would offer a tax credit to donors who support the organizations in South Carolina that support pregnant women, girls and their babies. It is essential for our state to empower its citizens to take action to support women in crisis pregnancies to choose life. If signed into law, this bill would provide valuable programs that support a pro-life, pro-family culture in the Palmetto state.  

The South Carolina Catholic Conference thanks the Senate for passing this legislation to support families and babies in our state, especially Senator Larry Grooms, the primary sponsor of the bill. We call on the House of Representatives to pass this legislation as quickly as possible. 

Second – S. 344, entitled the S.C. Equine Advancement Act, was heard in a special subcommittee of the Senate Finance committee this week. It is expected to be passed to the Senate floor for a vote soon. 

The Catholic Church has a long history of cautioning the faithful against gambling. The Catechism states: “Games of chance or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement” (2413).
 
Gambling and wagering is especially dangerous for the poor and vulnerable. It is estimated that 20 million Americans struggle with gambling addiction. Suicide rates among gamblers is believed to be 15 times higher than for non-gamblers.  

The Catholic Conference opposes any increase of betting or gambling in the Palmetto state because it does not lead our society to virtue but rather to vice. We oppose this bill along with all gambling related legislation efforts.  

Two bills on social media protection for minors were heard in a special subcommittee of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee: the S.C. Social Media Regulation Act (H. 3431) sponsored by Rep. Weston Newton, and the children and social media bill (S. 268), sponsored by Sen. Sean Bennett.

Most teenagers (and even younger aged children) are chronically online, according to a 2024 Pew Research study. They are being formed, mentally, physically and spiritually by what they are encountering on the internet. Not only are social media platforms wrought with impure images and pornography, but they also use addictive mechanisms to get people addicted to using their platforms.

These bills, differing slightly in their approach to addressing this crisis, aim to regulate the social media companies use of data of minor users to get them “hooked” on their product. Additionally, they offer more tools for parents to understand the world of social media so they can properly protect their children from this technology. 

The primary responsibility of parents is to protect their children from social media and the dangers of technology usage. The state has an opportunity to support the parents by passing this legislation.

The special subcommittee decided to continue its work on these bills to determine how to best protect young people from the dangers of social media in our state. The Catholic Conference encourages the subcommittee to pass these bills to offer parents more tools to protect their children from these dangers as soon as possible. 

H. 3045, also known as the “Obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse” bill, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 91-20. See how your House members voted HERE. 

Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, evil actors can use the image and likeness of a real child to create images of a sexual or violent nature. The content can then be used to blackmail or threaten the child in some way, or put out onto the internet, never to be erased. This bill increased penalties for these sorts of horrific behaviors in order to protect children from this rapidly developing technology.

The South Carolina Catholic Conference thanks Rep. Travis Moore for being the primary sponsor of this bill and the House for passing this bill. We call on the Senate to pass this legislation to protect minors from the dangerous world of AI. 

Apr. 2 – Governor Henry McMaster visited our nation’s capital this week to attend the U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments on Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. His 2018 executive order, which ordered the removal of abortion clinics from the list of Medicaid provider list in South Carolina, was the catalyst for the case. Since the case has worked its way all the way up the highest court in the land, he attended in support of ending taxpayer funding of abortion businesses.

“The right to life is the most precious of rights, and it is also the most fragile. We must never let it be taken for granted,” the governor said in a statement. “Today has been years in the making. I am optimistic that the Court will recognize that Congress never intended for taxpayers to be forced into subsidizing abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.” 

The Catholic Conference commends the Governor for his defense of defunding abortion businesses that devalue and destroy precious human life in the womb. It is unconscionable that taxpayers should be forced to subsidize the killing of the preborn. We ask all the faithful to pray for the deliberations of the Court, that Our Lady Seat of Wisdom may offer them understanding and wisdom. The court is expected to hand down a ruling by June of this year.

Read more about the case HERE.