This Week's Bills: More Confusion, More Government Power

Several bills slated for discussion next week (2/13, 2/14, 2/15/2024) have caught our attention, prompting a familiar sense of frustration. As we sift through these proposals—many of which we've dissected before—we're left bewildered.

Why do our conservative legislators insist on churning out bills that are as clear as mud, exacerbating rather than addressing the core issues?

Our plea for "fixing" involves either axing these laws altogether or rewriting them with precision that leaves no wiggle room for the Left to twist interpretations to their advantage. Perhaps the sheer volume and complexity of the SC code of laws are to blame, presenting a labyrinth too vast for straightforward, code-by-code examination. This, then, is the crux of our predicament: the continuous drafting of convoluted legislation only buries us deeper in an abyss from which escape seems increasingly implausible. Frankly, it appears we've already dug ourselves into a chasm too profound to climb out of.

Let's pivot back to the upcoming bills for this week. Note, this brief overview barely scratches the surface; a slew of bills awaits our scrutiny. However, with our team limited to merely two bill reviewers, thoroughly covering all aspects becomes an overwhelming challenge beyond our constrained resources.

PAUSE: Should you feel inclined to join our ranks as a ConservaTruth bill analyst, we encourage you to contact us at support@conservatruth.com. Our need for reinforcements is acute. Alternatively, signing up as a member, with your membership fees directly fueling our ability to dissect more bills, is another viable way to support our cause.

Alright, finally, let's get back to the lineup of bills on the table for this week (2/13, 2/14, 2/15/2024).

S905: Read to Succeed

Let’s see, we have S905: Read to Succeed: Full Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m. We reviewed this bill, and as far as we know, nothing has changed. Delve into our critique of S905 by clicking HERE. Be forewarned: this bill is a looming disaster.

FYI: this year, the scstatehouse.gov website's updates on legislative changes have either lagged significantly or, frankly, have not been provided at all. We ponder whether this oversight is deliberate.

H4624: Gender Reassignment Procedures

Next up, Bill H4624: Gender Reassignment Procedures. On Wednesday, February 14, at 10:00, the Senate subcommittee of the Medical Affairs Committee is slated to deliberate on this piece of legislation, with the full committee following suit the very next day. It appears the Senate is intent on pushing this bill through at an accelerated pace. We scrutinized this bill, and regrettably, it falls short of its purported merits. The intention is good, but the language is a Leftist dream. Read our review HERE.

H4927: Executive Office of Health Policy.

Next up, we have a major headache in the form of Bill H4927: Executive Office of Health Policy. The House Judiciary Committee is set to convene on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 2:30 p.m., or 30 minutes post-House adjournment, to deliberate on this troubling piece of legislation. Read our review HERE. 

PAUSE: Conservative General Assembly members, what exactly is going through your minds with H4927?

H4374: Social Studies Curriculum Standards

Finally, bill H4374: Social Studies Curriculum Standards. K-12 Subcommittee members will discuss H4374 on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, 1.5 hours upon adjournment of the house. 

Let's dissect bill H4374: despite its brevity, this bill carries significant weight. We understand the motives behind it, yet we must emphasize, intentions become irrelevant once ink dries into law. Recall, legislative bills, more often than not, do not emerge better through the sausage-making process of legislation. 

Here's our succinct critique of this bill. 

Issue one: Section SECTION 1 (D)(1) “(A) may not have a record” What is a record? What does that mean? Does it mean an arrest record? Where are these records that will prove promoting political or social issues? 

Issue two: H4374 significantly expands state government authority.

Pause: Expanding the SC Superintendent's powers is setting the stage for future issues. Why? The SC Superintendent can’t fix the social studies standards because that would require deleting education laws, and that’s not happening.

It's absurd that we continue to relinquish control to the state over how and when parents can educate their children—this is our fundamental mistake.

We oppose every education bill because educational matters should not be subject to legislation. The root problem in education stems from the excessive educational laws that have been entrenched in the system.

Issue three: Section SECTION 1 (D) (2) “Its evolution to a constitutional republic.”

The evolution, hmm, can the narrative of American history include the context of 1619 without solely characterizing the founding and evolution of the United States as a story of oppression? I'm sure the Left will respond with, "Yeah, we will successfully figure out how."

Issue four: Section SECTION 1 (D) (3) “historian" means a person with a doctorate in United States History or a subject matter expert, including a published author of a literary work”

How can individuals, awarded doctorates by indoctrinating institutions of higher education, be expected to impart an unbiased and factual account of history?

Newsflash: Higher education has been captured by the Left.

Has anyone read Title 59 to discover that state statutes already contain the seeds, the permission, and even the requirement to teach distorted history?"  Please read 59-29-130(A)(1)(a), paying particular attention to (iv).  Those who are ALREADY empowered to set educational standards will have a field day with the mistakes, including this proposed bill, that are being made by our legislature.

Issue five: Section SECTION 1 (D) (5) The most concerning part: The State Superintendent of Education, according to her discretion, shall certify that all proposed appointees meet the foregoing qualifications and may remove any individual if a violation of this section is discovered at any point in the standards and assessment review process.

Why does it just say "her discretion"? That's strange. Why not state "her or his discretion"?

Are conservative legislators aware that entrusting such extensive authority to the SC Superintendent might not invariably benefit their cause? Claiming to be conservative hardly guarantees unwavering commitment to conservative tenets.

Can none of the legislators, or any of our citizenry, see that this will end up as a platform for the Left to subvert when they decide the time is right?

It seems apparent a well-indoctrinated misunderstanding of freedom and laws, promulgated throughout the totally destructive education system in this country, has corrupted our populace into thinking that every detail of life can be "saved" by a law.

PAUSE: The issue of leftist indoctrination isn't confined to social studies alone; literature is rife with it too. 

And that wraps up our current commentary. 

A word of caution from our modest duo-bill reviewing team: While we acknowledge the noble intentions behind many of these proposals, aimed at extinguishing the numerous fires set by leftist policies, we must emphasize again that the original intent of a bill becomes moot once it transforms into law. The stark reality is that textualism and judicial interpretation take the reins from there, rendering the drafters' intentions irrelevant. Moreover, it's become glaringly apparent that leftist forces have skillfully manipulated legislative language to their advantage, particularly in educational matters.

For a deeper dive into this issue, we recommend reading "Mistakes and Oversights in South Carolina Code of Laws Title 59 Education."

Here's the hard truth: the rampant indoctrination we're witnessing has deluded us into believing that the path to reclaiming our freedoms lies in churning out more legislation. 

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