Bringing Hollywood and Vegas to SC

Freedom Caucus Legislative Update

Last week the SC House of Representatives pushed through a number of bad bills including legalized horse race gambling (simultaneously creating monopolies and excessive bureaucracy for this new “industry”) AND incentivizing the film industry to come to SC.

On the horse race gambling vote, a majority of Republicans actually opposed the bill, H 3514, but the ruling coalition of moderate Rs and Democrats won the day—a growing trend in the House. Check how your representative voted below.

Despite the corrosive influence of the Hollywood film industry in Georgia, many Republicans in SC want to coax these liberal production companies here on the taxpayer dime—using your money to undermine your values. Conservatives have no interest in turning our state into California. The House passed H. 4020 by a surprisingly large margin.

In another revealing vote, Freedom Caucus member Representative April Cromer (Anderson) proposed an amendment on H. 4087, a bill giving tax credits to large companies in select industries. Her amendment required these tax credits be available for ALL businesses not just large corporations in select, favored industries (like pharma and manufacturing). Again D‘s and R’s shot down this common-sense, conservative proposal.

(Green votes tabled Rep Cromer’s amendment)

The much anticipated ESG bill also passed last week, but predictably the SC House settled for the weakest ESG legislation in the country. FC member Rep Josiah Magnuson attempted to amend the bill to make it stronger by not allowing taxpayer money to be used as incentives for companies pushing ESG, but the Speaker Pro Tem shockingly ruled this clearly germane amendment “out of order.” In a comment immediately following his ruling, the Pro Tem revealed that he failed to even understand the amendment.

The theme of the week was the Legislature picking winners and losers. Unfortunately, the Republican Supermajority seems unable to kick past liberal bad habits.

The good news is that the SC Freedom Caucus continues to fight for your values and inform the public about what’s going on in the Legislature. We attended 3 events last week across the state—in Greenville, Lexington, and Charleston—and the excitement for the conservative movement was palpable!

Freedom is on the move in SC!