Speaker Lucas, Reps. Elliott, Erickson, Fry sponsor new education bill

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – House Speaker Jay Lucas joined Representatives Jason Elliott, Shannon Erickson, Russell Fry and more than 59 co-sponsors to introduce the South Carolina Education Scholarship Account (ESA) Act this afternoon. The bill creates the framework for an ESA system that will give South Carolina parents an unparalleled ability to tailor an education best suited to the specific needs of their child. Under the provisions of the bill, parents of eligible students will receive a flexible education grant that can be used to customize their child’s education through an online, parent-directed account. Notable provisions included in the bill:

• Eligible recipients include children whose family income is 200% of federal poverty guidelines, are eligible for Medicaid, have participated in the South Carolina Early Reading Development & Education Program or are prior Exceptional SC students
• Any local and federal funds remain with the school district in which the student resides
• Multiple accountability measures, including the creation of an ESA Review Panel and required national norm-referenced tests, will be put into place to ensure program success

The bill’s sponsors issued the following statements after the bill was introduced this morning:

“Now, more than ever, it has become profoundly obvious that in order for the children of our state to succeed, we must provide them with the option to pursue the education that best suits their individual needs,” said Speaker Lucas. “This legislation opens the door for the parents of our state’s most vulnerable children to make the choices that will maximize their child’s educational opportunities.”

“I am proud that today is the day South Carolina follows in the footsteps of many other state’s successful ESA programs and introduces this legislation,” said Rep. Erickson. “Parents will always know the educational needs of their children best – so it is time we let them make those decisions and support them in every way we can.”

“The introduction of today’s Educational Scholarship Accounts legislation reaffirms the House’s commitment to encouraging educational choice, especially for the most underserved children of our state,” said Rep. Elliott. “Without letting local or federal funds ever leave the home district, we can allow students the freedom to pursue the education that is best for them – thus, allowing for more education success stories in our state.”|

“This legislation is a home run for the parents and student of our state – which makes it a home run for our state as a whole,” said Rep. Fry. “By giving eligible children more choice in where and how they are educated in our state, we are opening up the door of opportunity for them to succeed in ways previously not possible.”

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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – This afternoon, Speaker Jay Lucas released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted on H.3194:

“In a strong, bipartisan vote today, the House took the next step in determining Santee Cooper’s fate. The House agreed by a vote of 89-26 to pursue the option of selling Santee Cooper in the future and significantly reforming the agency now. Both steps are equally important to determining the future of what has become our state’s most beleaguered agency. I have made no secret of my disdain for Santee’s current leadership and the need for their immediate replacement. I have also repeatedly called for more transparency and accountability in how Santee Cooper determines rates. Today, the House resoundingly delivered on both issues. I look forward to the Senate quickly taking up this legislation, so that the General Assembly can finally speak definitively on Santee Cooper and ensure the best possible outcome for ratepayers and taxpayers.”

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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Today, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed a proposal to allocate $208 million for COVID vaccine relief. The proposal now heads to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

Drawing from the Contingency Reserve Fund, this proposal would appropriate the $208 million as follows: $63 million to DHEC, $45 million to MUSC and $100 million to establish the COVID-19 Vaccine Reserve account, used to help offset the various costs associated with administering the vaccine. Only hospitals who are offering public appointments and COVID-19 vaccination providers who are enrolled and activated by DHEC will have access to this funding. The use of these funds are limited to: vaccination, continued testing/contact tracing, PPE/medical supplies, mobile units, personnel/staffing costs, education & marketing campaigns, quarantine, transportation & storage, general operations, costs associated with running large-scale community vaccination sites, and technology. The proposal also expands the authority of certain individuals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, as was requested by hospitals and other providers.

“Today the Ways and Means Committee has acted swiftly and decisively to help protect the citizens of South Carolina,” said House Speaker Jay Lucas. “The initial handling and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine has been unacceptable. It is necessary for the legislature to act in every way possible to improve our state’s overall response to this phase of the pandemic. We must ensure citizens are receiving the vaccine as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible, ultimately saving lives – all things that have not been happening. I plan to have the full House of Representatives address this measure as quickly as possible. I hope for swift consideration by the Senate. Time is of the essence.”

“Our state’s response to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been off to an unsatisfactory start,” said House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, Jr. “This funding will provide much-needed assistance to DHEC, MUSC and other appropriate entities as they navigate the process of providing our state’s citizens with the COVID-19 vaccine as efficiently as possible.”

The full proposal can be found here.

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