School Choice Message from SCRG

The school choice bill hits full committee tomorrow! Lawmakers on the House Ways and Means committee will debate, and vote on, H. 4894 tomorrow. They need to hear from you now. H.4894 is a modest choice program, primarily supporting low-income students and students with special needs. The plan offers tax credit funded scholarships for those children to attend the independent school of their parents' choice. Last week, as the bill was passed out of subcommittee, the "Education Lobby" attacked the proposal vigorously. Jackie Hicks of the SCEA testified about her disgust at the possibility of students with disabilities leaving public schools "merely" because their own parents felt those schools weren't serving the child's needs sufficiently! Statewide, thousands of emails were sent to public school employees, on the taxpayers' time and money, coordinating assaults on the proposal. That's why lawmakers need to hear from you today. As the bill moves forward in the legislative process, these attacks on the sovereignty of parental rights will only worsen. Take a moment right now; call and email these lawmakers. Press them to vote in favor of the bill tomorrow -and more importantly- to aggressively use their position and influence to see this bill through to enactment as law. Brian White (Chair) 7343144 brianwhite@schouse.gov (H.4894 sponsor) Chip Limehouse 734-2977 chiplimehouse@schouse.gov (sponsor) Mike Pitts 734-2830 mikepitts@schouse.gov (sponsor) Roland J. Smith 734-3114 rolandsmith@schouse.gov (sponsor) Denny Neilson 734-3097 dennyneilson@schouse.gov Rita Allison 212-6788 ritaallison@schouse.gov (sponsor) Mike Anthony 734-3060 mikeanthony@schouse.gov Liston Barfield 734-2968 listonbarfield@schouse.gov (sponsor) Jim Battle 734-3001 jimbattle@schouse.gov Kenny Bingham 734-3139 kennybingham@schouse.gov (sponsor) Bill Clyburn 734-3033 billclyburn@schouse.gov Gilda Cobb-Hunter 734-2809 gildacobbhunter@schouse.gov Tracy Edge 734-3013 tracyedge@schouse.gov (sponsor) Bill Herbkersman 734-3063 billherbkersman@schouse.gov (sponsor) Lonnie Hosey 734-2829 lonniehosey@schouse.gov Chip Huggins 734-2971 chiphuggins@schouse.gov (sponsor) Dwight Loftis 734-3101 dwightloftis@schouse.gov (sponsor) Jim Merrill 734-3072 jimmerrill@schouse.gov (sponsor) Joe Neal 734-2804 joeneal@schouse.gov Harry Ott 734-2998 harryott@schouse.gov Gary Simrill 734-3040 garysimrill@schouse.gov (sponsor) B. R. Skelton 734-3036 brskelton@schouse.gov (sponsor) Murrell Smith 734-3042 murrellsmith@schouse.gov (sponsor) Garry R. Smith 734-3141 garrysmith@schouse.gov (sponsor) Bill Whitmire 734-3068 billwhitmire@schouse.gov And, as always, mysclegislator.com is the simplest way to reach out to your own state representative and senator to let them know you support parental choice in K-12 education. South Carolinians for Responsible Government | 1301 Gervais | Suite 480 | Columbia | SC | 29201