Should S.C. lottery pay for school vouchers? Senators debate issue
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - As the new legislative session begins, of the South Carolina State Senate are debating South Carolina’s private school voucher program.
In an effort to reverse the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling that a key provision of the program was unconstitutional, Republicans at the State House are proposing a change where lottery revenue would fund the scholarships instead of taxpayer dollars.
“They threw out the method that we proposed to use but thankfully have given us a roap, a path to take if we want to pursue this policy,” said State Senator Greg Hembree (R - Horry) during the Senate session on Wednesday. “And that path is to access lottery funds for purposes of K-12 lottery education.”
S.C. officials assess last month’s PowerSchool cyberattack
South Carolina education officials are working to understand how much of its educator and student has been impacted by a cyberattack.
Under the new proposal, each recipient would receive up to $8,547.
Hembree said the school voucher program is intended to serve a maximum of 5,000 students during its first year of implementation and 15,000 students once the program is fully developed.
He noted the maximum capacity for the program constitutes about 2% of the population of K-12 aged children in South Carolina.
“Those in the lobby or otherwise who would say ‘This is the end of the world as we know it, the existential threat to public education in South Carolina’, I don’t know how 2% is going to be an existential threat,” Hembree continued. “It cannot be. It will not be. That’s just an unrealistic argument.”
MORE FROM NEWS 12
S.C. State House: Lawmakers get to work
- Cameras in classrooms: S.C. bill brings mixed reviews
- S.C. governor orders flags at full staff during inauguration
- Attorney general, lawmakers push for permanent bathroom bill
- S.C. audit finds mysterious $1.8B state surplus doesn’t exist
- Lawmakers begin new session with GOP supermajorities
Democrats questioned Hembree’s presentation of the legislation with State Senator Russell Ott (D-Calhoun) contending the proposal does not advocate for improving South Carolina public education.
Sen. Ronnie Sabb (D-Williamsburg) argued the proposed legislation had been advanced through the State House without the State Senate having heard live witness testimony during subcommittee hearings in an effort to bring it to debate quickly.
“We’re not able to question written documents,” said Sabb. “It is certainly not a replacement for the opportunity for senators to have witnesses in front of them, the opportunity to engage with them.”
A third of the State Senate was newly elected during the 2024 general election and have not been able to participate in any prior debate surrounding the voucher program.
“The deliberative body is debating a bill that did not go through committee, did not go through subcommittee, was read one day, and we’re on the floor debating it the next day with a third of the body brand new,” said Sen. Darrell Jackson, (D-Richland).
The debate is expected to extend for the rest of the week with a vote for age beginning the week after next.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
