South Carolinians for Responsible Government

Press Releases

• H. 4894 Passes Senate Subcommittee
  May 9, 2012

  (Columbia) A group of State Senators voted to pass school choice legislation out of their sub-committee on Wednesday morning. The bill, which emerged from the full House in March, is now headed to the Senate Finance Committee.

  The proposal offers tax credit-funded scholarships to low-income and disabled students whose parents choose to send them to private schools. House Bill 4894 is closely based on similar programs already operating in Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Nationwide there are two-dozen states that now provide some type of program to expand choices among different types of K-12 schools, including North Carolina which introduced a program last year.Modest deductions are also offered in H.4894 to parents paying tuition costs out of pocket.

  Testifying at the hearing was Jay W. Ragley, Deputy Superintendent for Legislative and Public Affairs at the State Department of Education. Ragley conveyed State Superintendent Dr. Mick Zais’ official support and endorsement for the proposal.

  Kathy Lord, a former public school teacher who homeschools her own children also spoke in favor of the plan. “Even the so-called best public or private school may not be the best match for each student seated in it,” said Lord. “Parents are the best ones to make that call, and this program lets them keep a tiny portion of their own [tax] money to do just that.”

  Lobbyists representing the School Boards Association (SCSBA) and School Administrators Associations (SCASA) expressed their distaste for the plan, a position they’ve held for nearly a decade. They speculated that the plan could damage education in the state.

  Parental choice proponent Senators Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) and David Thomas (R-Greenville) hotly contested that claim. “The facts don’t bear that out,” Thomas insisted. “Parents who are happy with their traditional public schools can stay put. Parents who feel their children aren’t being fully served can choose a more appropriate school,” explained Senator Grooms, who is also one of the bill’s sponsors. “Clearly this is a good thing for the student and the family either way.”

  It remains incredibly important that you contact your state senator. Please contact them at www.mysclegislator.com, and urge them to make sure H. 4894 gets an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.



• Senate Subcommittee to take up H. 4894
  May 8, 2012
  The Senate is set to take up the School Choice Bill (H.4894)!Five Senators on a special Finance Subcommittee will serve as the “gatekeepers” for this popular, proven and long-overdue reform. These men need to hear from you right now.

  Members of the subcommittee – a majority of whom have voted against school choice in the past- can block the bill from reaching a roll call vote on the floor. They need to hear from you right away.

  Tell these lawmakers:

  • School choice is AFFORDABLE. These programs have saved all taxpayers money in other states, and do no harm to traditional public school budgets since most funding for K-12 education is not “tied” to the students.
  • School choice is ACCOUNTABLE, because independent schools answer directly to parents who can control where their children attend. Private schools across the state already use stricter standards and tougher testing than the public schools.
  • School choice is ALREADY WORKING in other states, where tens of thousands of low-income and special needs students are now attending the school of their family’s choosing.

  1. Contact these lawmakers – tell them to pass the bill out of committee without amendment when they meet tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 9) in the Gressette Building, Room 105 at 9:00am.

  2. Submit a brief letter to the editor to the newspapers within their senate districts – remind them that school choice is affordable, accountable, and already changing lives in other states.

  Senator Robert W. Hayes, Jr.
  District 15, York County
  Statehouse (803) 212-6410 WesHayes@scsenate.gov
  District (803) 324-2800 rwhayes@comporium.net

  Rock Hill Herald (jwerrell@heraldonline.com)
  Enquirer-Herald (jallen@enquirerherald.com)
  Fort Mill Times (lnews@fortmilltimes.com)
  Lake Wylie Pilot (news@lakewyliepilot.com)

  Senator Larry Grooms
  District 37, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton & Dorchester Counties
  Statehouse (803) 212-6400 LarryGrooms@scsenate.gov

  Post and Courier (letters@postandcourier.com)
  Lowcountry Today (editor@lowcountrytoday.com)
  Goose Creek Gazette (fjohnson@ourgazette.com)
  Moultrie News (editor@moultrienews.com)
  Colleton Press and Standard (Publisher@colletontoday.com)
  Summerville Journal Scene (jwatts@journalscene.com)
  Dorchester Eagle Record (eagle_record@bellsouth.net)

  Senator David L. Thomas
  District 8, Greenville County
  Columbia (803) 212-6240 DavidThomas@scsenate.gov
  District (864) 271-6371 david@dlthomaslaw.com

  Greenville News (letters@greenvillenews.com)
  The Journal Watchdog (lriddle@journalwatchdog.com)
  Tribune Times (tletters@tribunetimes.com)
  Times Examiner (thetimesexaminer@bellsouth.net)
  TR Monitor (trnews@bellsouth.net)
  Greer Citizen (JFair@greercitizen.com)

  Senator Phil P. Leventis
  District 35, Lee & Sumter Counties
  Columbia (803) 212-6000 PhilLeventis@scsenate.gov

  Sumter Item (letters@theitem.com)
  Lee County Observer – 218 N Main St, Bishopville, SC 29010

  Senator John W. Matthews, Jr
  District 39, Bamberg, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton & Orangeburg Counties
  Columbia (803) 212-6056 JohnMatthews@scsenate.gov
  District (803) 829-2383

  Times and Democrat (opinion@timesanddemocrat.com)
  Bamberg Advertizer-Herald (ahpublisher@bellsouth.net)
  Colleton Press and Standard (Publisher@colletontoday.com)
  Hampton County Guardian (news@hamptoncountyguardian.com)


• School Choice Passes SC House
  April 2, 2012

  School choice legislation has been resoundingly approved in the SC House of Representatives by a margin of 65 to 49. This historic passage passes legislation helping low-income and disabled students attend independent schools.

  “Parents have the most information and best motivation to make decisions for their own children,” explained Representative Eric Bedingfield (R-Greenville), one of the bill’s chief sponsors.

  H. 4894 supports low-income students and children with special educational needs through privately funded scholarships. Scholarship donors would be eligible for income tax credits. Modest tax deductions for families who homeschool their children or pay out of pocket for independent schools are also part of the plan.

  This is the cause for tremendous excitement among the many parents and activists who have spent the last ten years advocating for school choice reforms.

  Hopefully this decisive win will produce even more positive momentum as the bill heads to the SC Senate.

  For years now, school choice has proven to be a cost-saving, academics-boosting component of education in states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Today’s vote shows real movement toward making those same benefits available to South Carolina’s education system.

  It is more important than ever to let your state senator know you support school choice for South Carolina. Please take a moment or two, and write them at

  www.mysclegislator.com.

• Read More Press Releases >>>