S.C. House wants schools to post Ten Commandments

The S.C. House on Wednesday passed a bill requiring state public schools, including colleges, to post the Ten Commandments of the Judeo-Christin tradition in all Palmetto State classrooms.

The 84-31 vote came less than a week after a federal appeals court allowed a similar Louisiana law to be enforced while the constitutionality of the statute is litigated.

Bills that are on the move

Tax cuts: The S.C. Senate on Feb. 24 amended and passed an S.C. House bill that would cut the state’s top income tax rate while raising taxes on lower-income taxpayers. The amended Senate version would more than double the cost of the proposed tax cut to $308 million by pushing the top rate down from 6% to 5.21% rather than the House-approved 5.39%.

Immigration: Currently in the House Judiciary Committee, H. 4764 would require all S.C. sheriffs to partner with the federal government to enforce national immigration laws. LATEST: A House subcommittee approved the measure on Feb. 26, sending it on to the full Judiciary Committee for further action.

Judicial selection: A bill with the support of leaders in both chambers would give the governor more power in selecting state judges. LATEST: S.C. House members passed the bill 86-25 on Feb. 11, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.

Juvenile justice: A special committee created by House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, is meeting throughout the session to advance reforms to the state’s juvenile justice system. LATEST: The committee’s first bipartisan bill, H. 5117, is pending before the House Judiciary Committee.

Bills in less of a hurry

Concurrency: A bill by Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis that would allow local governments to limit development in areas with insufficient infrastructure received its first subcommittee hearing on Feb. 11.

Highway reform: Members of the House Ad Hoc SCDOT Modernization Committee introduced sweeping legislation on Jan. 29 aimed at shaking up the state’s transportation system, including stronger SCDOT executive oversight, increased county responsibility for some state roads and higher taxes on electric vehicles. A bill with similar goals has also been introduced in the S.C. Senate.

DOGE SC: Multiple bills promising to cut the state workforce and the regulations they enforce have been introduced for consideration in 2026. In particular, House GOP leaders have pledged to get their “Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act” passed through the S.C. Senate this session. LATEST: Senate leaders say the bill could come up for consideration in late February or March.

Rolling back affirmative action and DEI: Several bills are still currently awaiting consideration, including one to codify Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order ending affirmative action in state contracting.

Abortion: A House Judiciary subcommittee on Jan. 14 killed one bill to treat abortion as homicide and advanced another to reclassify abortion pills as Schedule IV drugs. LATEST: The S.C. House on Feb. 4 voted 81-31 to advance the abortion pill rescheduling bill to the S.C. Senate.