2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION Happy Feast of St. John Bosco! Today we celebrate and honor St. John Bosco, the patron saint of schoolchildren. He dedicated his life to serving children in poverty, providing them shelter and educating them, teaching them to always strive to serve God. St. John Bosco, pray for us! Fittingly, this week at the State House was dominated by the issue of education and school choice. Ranging from the passage of the K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund program to social media protections for minors, school choice to Gov. Henry McMaster’s State of the State address. The House and the Senate were busy this week.   See more details on this week's highlights below! TELL THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THE BILL HERE  Jan. 29 First – The Social Media Regulation bill was heard in the Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Special Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Travis Moore. Testimony was heard on the bill. Children and teenagers suffer greatly from unlimited access to social media. Social media has effectively made all users into public figures, no matter the user’s age. It has increased rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, decreased attention spans and created impulsive behavior in young people. Parents have a right to oversee their child’s public presence. This bill would require social media platforms to verify the ages of its users and obtain parental consent for minors to use the platform. It also allows for greater parental control over a child’s account. The subcommittee will continue its consideration of the bill at a later date. Please tell the members to support this effort to protect kids and reinstate parental rights over social media now!  Second - On Wed., Gov. McMaster gave his annual State of the State address to the House. He focused on the economics of South Carolina, energy production, infrastructure improvements, job creation, the state’s mental health crisis, the need for his plan to cut personal income tax, increased pay for teachers and school safety, and other important issues in the Palmetto State. On the issue of school choice, he noted that this is National School Choice Week and urged the state legislature to pass the new version of educational savings accounts (K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund program) quickly. “This week is National School Choice Week. I ask that the General Assembly send to my desk as soon as possible a new Education Scholarship Trust Fund bill, one that addresses last year’s state Supreme Court decision,” he said. “Parents, not school attendance lines, should determine the education that best suits their child’s unique needs.” The Catholic Conference thanks Gov. McMaster for his strong support of school choice in our state. All children should have access to a quality education that is best suited for them, regardless of where they live or their family’s socioeconomic status.  Jan. 30 First – After three weeks of debate and amendments, the Senate passed their version of S. 62: the K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund by a vote of 32-12. Click HERE to see how your senator voted. The Catholic Conference thanks those senators who supported the bill and school choice, especially Sen. Greg Hembree, chairman of the Education Committee. We call on the House to pass the bill as quickly as possible to restore school choice in South Carolina and give parents freedom to choose the best education for their unique child.  Photos courtesy Felicity Ropp, Palmetto Promise Institute Second - Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 is CatholicSchools Week and School Choice Week. Gov. McMaster also released a proclamation that the recognizes the week as South Carolina School Choice Week. To celebrate schools and advocate for academic choice, many families and citizens, including some from our Catholic schools, gathered at the South Carolina Alumni Center, where students took part in a talent show followed by a march to the State House. Students, teachers and families, joined by state Superintendent Ellen Weaver and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette spoke at the rally, expressing their full support for school choice. Lt. Gov. Evette shared the governor’s proclamation.  St. Joseph School in Anderson had the opportunity to tour the Capitol, and students were introduced on the Senate floor by Sen. Jason Elliott of Greenville. They met with their Sen. Richard Cash from Anderson and sat in the House chamber with Rep. Shannon Erickson. Students were able to learn about the legislative process and see lawmaking in action.