- BIG STORY: Reducing S.C. child abuse could save billions
- MORE NEWS: State Senate panel rejects strict abortion ban proposal
- LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: No vaccine for stupidity
- BRACK: A hope for the return of red lights
- ANOTHER VIEW, Davis: Why the V.C. Summer deal is right for S.C.
- MYSTERY PHOTO: Honor guard
- FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
Reducing S.C. child abuse could save billions, study says
By Jack O’Toole, Capitol bureau | Child abuse and neglect costs South Carolina more than $74 billion a year — or about $14,000 for every man, woman and child in the state.
That’s the bottom-line takeaway from a new economic study conducted by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business for the Children’s Trust of S.C., a state-affiliated nonprofit charged with preventing child abuse.
Using state child abuse data, the study measured economic losses resulting from three long-term effects associated with child abuse — lower wages, missed days at work and additional health care costs.
Study author Joseph Von Nessen, a research economist at the business school, called the $74 billion estimate “conservative,” noting that the study excluded costs that are likely related, but not directly tied, to abuse. For example, the study counted the direct medical costs of treating addiction problems due to child abuse, but not the indirect costs of the chronic diseases that can develop as a result.
“We know the human costs of child abuse — the damage to families and communities — but for the first time, this study tries to quantify the economic losses,” Von Nessen said. “And what we find is that the total losses are statewide and very significant.”
Focus on experiences
To measure those costs, the study focused on what child welfare professionals call adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, which can include everything from physical and sexual abuse to witnessing domestic violence in the home.
According to state statistics, more than 50% of S.C. residents suffered at least one ACE as children. Almost 20% suffered at least four.
It’s that prevalence that’s driving the economic losses, Von Nessen notes. But conversely, even modest improvements can lead to large economic gains.
For instance, the study found that reducing the number of today’s children with four or more ACEs by 15% would generate about $21 billion in added economic output over a decade.
“Small improvements can have major economic benefits,” Von Nessen said. “The question for policymakers is how best to achieve those goals.”
An ounce of prevention
Created by the legislature in 1984, the Children’s Trust of S.C. is tasked with finding and funding innovative and effective programs to prevent child abuse.
The trust’s activities are funded primarily through federal grants, private donations and occasional earmarks in the state budget. It also receives $35,000 to $50,000 a year in checkoff contributions from state income taxpayers, officials told Statehouse Report.
In contrast, the state Department of Social Services, which primarily responds to abuse and neglect after it’s happened, receives about $300 million annually from the state’s general fund.
But with the economic costs of the problem now identified, Trust officials plan to ask lawmakers to take two steps in next year’s budget: First, make a one-time investment of $10 million to establish a more traditional trust fund that generates ongoing interest income for prevention services. And second, provide the new trust with a $1 million line item in future budgets to guarantee sufficient resources on an annual basis.
For perspective, $1 million would represent about 0.007% of the state’s $14 billion general fund budget.
Children’s Trust CEO Sue Williams made the case for those investments at a Nov. 19 press conference, specifically naming four evidence-based prevention programs the Trust would expand with additional resources: home visits, family strengthening and positive parenting initiatives, and a network of family resource centers.
“We already know what works,” Williams said. “But these programs need sustainable, reliable funding to reach more families across our state.”
Statehouse Report spoke with two longtime Trust supporters — Democratic Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and Republican State Sen. Mike Reichenbach of Florence — on Nov. 20.
Both stressed the human costs of the problem.
“The key to stopping this cycle isn’t enforcement – it’s education and prevention,” Lott said, noting that the issue affects the most vulnerable people in the community. “We all have a duty to step up, support families, and work together to protect children across our state.”
Reichenbach, who was born to a teen mother and spent time in foster homes before being adopted, called action to curb abuse a “moral imperative” for all South Carolinians.
“I know firsthand the tremendous, life-changing, and candidly, generationally changing impact a strong, healthy supportive family can have,” he said. “And how devastating it can be to a family and, in particular, to children when there’s abuse and trauma.”
And while he sounded broadly supportive of the Trust’s request, saying it’s “good public policy and good for taxpayers” to address the $74 billion impact, he quickly returned to the theme of shared responsibility.
“I’m calling on the faith community and the private sector and nonprofits to rise up and realize that every child we save from being abused is a better outcome than having to later help a child who’s been abused,” he said. “Not that we don’t help children experiencing abuse — we do. But how do we also work to prevent it.”
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
State Senate panel rejects strict abortion ban proposal
Staff reports | A bill that would have made South Carolina’s abortion ban the strictest nationwide proved to be too extreme for a panel packed with anti-abortion Republican legislators. The proposal failed on a 3-2 vote with four Republicans on the Senate subcommittee declining to vote.
Dubbed the Unborn Child Protection Act, the bill called for a ban on abortions from the moment a pregnancy is “clinically diagnosable,” elimination of exemptions for rape and incest and a prohibition of abortions in any circumstances except to save the life of the mother.
Three Democrats – Sens. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg; Ronnie Sabb, D-Greeleyville; and Deon Tedder, D-North Charleston – voted against the bill and proposed amendments.
“The vast, vast, vast majority of South Carolinians are against this,” Hutto said. “We already have one of the strictest bills in the country. To go any further, is just an outright attack on women and doctors.”
Republican Sens. Richard Cash of Anderson, the bill’s chief sponsor, and Tom Fernandez of Summerville voted for the bill. Four Republican senators — co-sponsor Billy Garrett of Greenwood, Tom Corbin of Greenville; Jeff Zell of Sumter and Matt Leber of Johns Island — declined to vote, allowing the Democratic senators to sink the bill.
Abortion rights groups were quick to praise what Planned Parenthood’s Vicki Ringer called the Senate’s “resounding defeat” of the bill.
“We can only hope that these heinous attacks on reproductive freedom will cease, and our legislators will head into next year’s legislative session prepared to address the pervasive health care crisis affecting our state,” Ringer said in a release. “For now, we celebrate, but tomorrow, the work continues.”
In other recent news
S.C. Republicans have a new map for Clyburn’s House seat. S.C. Republican Rep. Jordan Pace, chair of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus is proposing a redrawn Congressional map that would effectively eliminate long-time Democratic Congressman James Clyburn’s seat — an effort he calls “race agnostic.”
S.C. legislators tasked with curbing juvenile violence start with teens already charged. South Carolina House leadership tasked a legislative panel to come up with ways to reduce violent crimes among juveniles. Its first round of recommendations largely involves what happens after they commit offenses, both minor and violent.
Former S.C. House member arraigned on federal charges of defrauding law clients. Former S.C. State Rep. and North Charleston attorney Marvin Pendarvis, 36, pleaded not guilty in a Tuesday arraignment on 10 federal charges, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. He was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond.
Current justice, former House speaker among those vying for S.C. Supreme Court seat. Three candidates are running against incumbent Justice John Few, who has held the seat since 2016: Jay Lucas, a former Republican Speaker of the House who retired from the legislature in 2022, Supreme Court Chief Administrative Law Judge Ralph Anderson and Appeals Court Judge Blake Hewitt.
S.C.-1: Honeycutt joins crowded GOP field in 1st Congressional District race. Jenny Honeycutt, a Charleston County councilmember, is entering the 2026 race to represent South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, she announced Nov. 17.
‘Moral Mondays’ group to eulogize future victims of Trump budget cuts. Progressive religious leaders plan to gather at U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s Greenville office on Nov. 24 to eulogize the thousands they say will die due to GOP cuts in health care and food assistance programs.
$34 million settlement approved in case against SCANA auditors. A federal judge has signed off on a $34 million settlement between former SCANA stock owners and the auditing firm in charge of monitoring the company’s books during the failed expansion at the V.C. Summer nuclear facility.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
No vaccine for stupidity
Award-winning cartoonist Robert Ariail has a special knack for poking a little fun in just the right way. This week, he spun off this cartoon after our story last week that showed falling vaccination rates in S.C.
- Love this week’s cartoon or hate it? Did he go too far, or not far enough? Send your thoughts to feedback@statehousereport.com.
A hope for the return of red lights
By Andy Brack | Since the January inauguration of President Donald Trump, the nation has often felt like a place without red lights.
It’s been go, go, go. But in government, like in traffic, if there aren’t a few red lights to help to order what’s happening in the course of human events, then people, agencies and a country run in different directions like mad headless chickens. There are huge collisions. We alienate friends around the world. And all of this results in self-inflicted confusion, injuries and even deaths.
Just look at an incomplete laundry list of all of the chaos caused by the Trump administration in the last few months:
Immigration. Not only have there been loads of illegal deportations, but raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the presence of National Guard troops in larger cities like Washington, Chicago, Portland and Memphis illustrate the administration’s thumbed nose at the rule of law. In the last week, more than 250 people were detained in Charlotte, sending waves of fear throughout the area.
Agencies. The administration pushed through efforts to close the U.S. Agency for International Development and Department of Education. It fired and furloughed thousands of vital workers, such as health researchers and park rangers. It stripped power from the Federal Election Commission and Federal Trade Commission as well as gutted major research and grant funding.
Payments. The administration fiddled with sensitive payment systems managed by the Treasury Department, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, sending seniors into conniptions about benefits and spreading mass confusion.
Foreign policy. Its shoot-from-the-hip interactions with governments all over the world frayed relationships with allies. Trump needlessly embarrassed allies, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and embraced authoritarian despots, such as this week’s bromance with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince.
The list of horrors goes on and on – environmental degradation, tariffs that are undercutting farmers and consumers, vengeful prosecutions, the longest government shutdown in history and huge potential increases in health insurance costs.
Fortunately, some of the nation’s red lights may be quietly coming back, as Trump seems to be getting into a bunker mentality thanks to sagging polling numbers and potential health issues.
Look at changes in the last couple of weeks:
Judges are severely scrutinizing whether the Trump administration is seeking revenge through a politicized Justice Department that indicted a former FBI director and state attorney general.
The GOP-led House of Representatives, which stalled for almost two months over the sex-trafficking Epstein files, flipped course when the politics changed and voted to release them. Then blustery Trump, who had been pleading to keep the files in which he is mentioned quiet, suddenly embraced their release.
The U.S. Coast Guard surprised many with a new policy this week that said the swastika and noose were no longer considered hate symbols, only to recant almost immediately after a backlash.
This seemingly slow return of red lights in government also is happening in South Carolina, as witnessed by recent events here, too.
Earlier this week, four Republican state senators declined to vote on a bill that would have created the strictest abortion ban in the nation in a state that already has a strict six-week ban. That allowed three Democrats to kill the proposal and keep the bill from reaching a full Senate committee.
Also in recent days, GOP gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace unleashed the wrath of GOP and Democratic leaders after a profanity-laced outburst at law enforcement officials at Charleston International Airport, sending her stock down in the court of public opinion.
Bottom line: There are hints that reason, common sense and the rule of law are emerging from the paralyzing MAGA fog that has gripped the nation. Unfortunately, the forces of anti-democracy still have time to regroup. Be vigilant. Protect and fight for your freedoms.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Davis: Why the V.C. Summer deal is right for S.C.
By S.C. Sen. Tom Davis | South Carolina stands at a crossroads. Our state faces surging electricity demand driven by population growth, advanced manufacturing and data center expansion.
Meanwhile, two partially built nuclear reactors at V.C. Summer in Fairfield County have sat dormant since July 2017. The Santee Cooper board’s unanimous decision on Oct. 24 to enter final negotiations with Brookfield Asset Management to sell and complete those reactors with private capital changes everything.
This proposed deal transforms an abandoned liability into a strategic asset. It delivers 2,200 megawatts of reliable baseload power without asking taxpayers for another dime, positioning South Carolina as the national leader in America’s nuclear resurgence.
Nuclear power remains the only reliable, scalable energy source capable of meeting our state’s growing needs. While wind and solar have their place, they cannot provide the around-the-clock baseload power that manufacturers, data centers and households depend on. As China accelerates nuclear deployment and states like Texas and Tennessee expand their energy portfolios, South Carolina cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.
The Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design represents a quantum leap in safety. It features passive safety systems that rely on gravity and natural circulation rather than pumps, meaning the reactor can safely shut down and cool itself even during complete power loss. This eliminates vulnerabilities that led to accidents like Three Mile Island and Fukushima. If power systems fail, physics itself takes over, with water naturally flowing downward to cool the reactor core, and heat naturally rising to dissipate through the containment structure. No human intervention, electricity or backup generators needed.
The deal itself has been thoroughly de-risked. Since July 2017, Westinghouse has successfully delivered six AP1000 units worldwide, including Georgia’s Vogtle Units 3 and 4, which now power more than 1 million homes. Fourteen more units are under construction in China. Construction efficiencies improved 30% between Vogtle’s third and fourth units, and the design is fully licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission until 2046.
Critically, Santee Cooper has maintained V.C. Summer in good condition since 2017, keeping the site among the best-preserved nuclear assets globally. We’re not starting from scratch; we’re finishing what we started.
The financial structure protects South Carolina ratepayers while securing massive benefits. Brookfield’s proposal includes a multi-billion-dollar ratepayer relief package and provides Santee Cooper with percentage ownership and power share through a structure that delivers below-market electricity rates without equity investment or project-level financial risk.
Brookfield brings extraordinary resources: approximately $1 trillion in assets under management, including $500 billion invested in U.S. infrastructure. As majority owner of Westinghouse, Brookfield uniquely aligns capital, technology and execution expertise. The company is negotiating with major tech companies for long-term power purchase agreements at premium rates, ensuring stable revenues while guaranteeing that Santee Cooper’s customers receive power at below-market rates.
Beyond electricity generation, Brookfield’s investment will rebuild South Carolina’s nuclear workforce and strengthen the state’s manufacturing ecosystem. The project will prioritize South Carolina vendors and suppliers, creating sustained demand for local businesses. Through partnerships with trade schools and universities, Brookfield will establish comprehensive training pipelines for nuclear technicians, welders and engineers.
This commitment to workforce development will revitalize the Midlands economy and position South Carolina as a hub for high-tech manufacturing and nuclear research. The ripple effects will extend far beyond Fairfield County, creating opportunities for the next generation of South Carolinians in careers that didn’t exist when the project was first conceived.
The completion of V.C. Summer’s two reactors also creates powerful synergies with the $80 billion initiative to build 10 additional AP1000 reactors nationwide recently announced by the Trump Administration. South Carolina gains transformative first-mover advantage: while the 10 new reactors require years for siting and permitting, VC Summer can deliver power sooner, positioning South Carolina as the anchor of America’s nuclear renaissance.
The alternative is leaving 2,200 megawatts of potential capacity on the table while competitors surge ahead. South Carolina has a chance to turn a painful chapter into a success story. The Brookfield-Santee Cooper partnership delivers reliable power, protects ratepayers, creates jobs, requires no new taxpayer funding and positions our state as a national energy leader. That’s not just a good deal. It’s the deal South Carolina needs.
Republican state Sen. Tom Davis represents Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Honor guard
This honor guard showed up recently for something. Where were they and why? Send your best guess – plus hometown and name – to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Last week’s mystery, “Broken building” shows the former St. John’s Masonic Temple at 1001 King St. in Charleston. It has partially collapsed and will be demolished after suffering termite infestation. Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, provided some historical insight: “In 1941, the Local Union No. 159 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America engaged local architect Stephen Thomas (1842–1949) and contractor P.G. Eadie to build the brick building. The Union headquarters, often called Carpenter’s Hall, housed offices and meeting space on the second floor with storefronts on the ground floor.”
Congrats to others who correctly identified the building: Robert Ariail of Camden; Steve Willis of Lancaster, Jay Altman and Katherine Wells, both of Columbia; Philip Cromer of Beaufort, Bill Segars of Hartsville, and George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
- SHARE: If you have a Mystery Photo to share, please send it to us – and make sure you tell us what it is!
Send us your thoughts
Please send us your thoughts about politics and policy in South Carolina, but make sure to leave phone numbers and hometowns to help us verify them for publication. We publish non-defamatory comments, but unless you provide your contact information – name and hometown, plus a phone number used only by us for verification – we can’t publish your views.
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Statehouse Report, founded in 2001 as a weekly legislative forecast that informs readers about what is going to happen in South Carolina politics and policy, is provided by email to you at no charge every Friday.
- Editor and publisher: Andy Brack, 843.670.3996
- Statehouse bureau chief: Jack O’Toole
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