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The State House Gavel
The State House Gavel shares updates about the South Carolina General Assembly, including legislative actions, debates and discussions. Featuring news and interviews, so you have access to the latest developments in policy and decisions that shape South Carolina’s future.

The State House Gavel: Senate OKs tort reform, House punts anti-DEI bill debate to next week

South Carolina Public Radio | By Maayan Schechter,
Russ McKinney, Gavin Jackson
Published March 27, 2025 at 6:01 AM EDT
S.C. Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Williamsburg, speaks in the Senate on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbia. S.C.
MAAYAN SCHECHTER
S.C. Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Williamsburg, speaks in the Senate on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbia. S.C.

Statehouse reporters Gavin Jackson, Russ McKinney and Maayan Schechter are back at the Capitol reporting what you need to know when lawmakers are in Columbia. They'll post news, important schedules, photos/videos and behind-the-scenes interviews with policymakers.

Welcome to Thursday — the last day of Week 11.

You're reading The State House Gavel, a daily reporter notebook by reporters Gavin Jackson, Russ McKinney and Maayan Schechter that previews and captures what goes on at the South Carolina Statehouse this year while lawmakers are in session.

Notebook highlights:

  • Senators worked late Wednesday and gave key approval to tort reform legislation during Week 4 of the upper chamber's debate on S. 244.
  • The S.C. House hit a pause on an amended Republican-pushed bill that deals with diversity, equity and inclusion on college campuses, in state and local governments and school districts. Reporters spoke to the House education chairwoman and Democrats of the Legislative Black Caucus about the surprise delay.
Russ McKinney, Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson
SCETV
Russ McKinney, Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson

Senate passes tort reform bill

The Senate has spent the better part of four weeks of debating S. 244, the closely watched tort reform legislation, on the Senate floor.

Early Wednesday, the bill sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told his colleagues that "we've got to move on" and it was time "to have some votes."

After nine hours of discussion, extended recess, and a lot of backroom dealing, Massey got his wish. Senate leaders emerged with a compromise amendment late Wednesday night that passed on a voice vote, paving the way for the full approval.

The bill passed 35-7.

Only Democratic senators Tameika Devine, Jeffrey Graham, Brad Hutto, Margie Bright Matthews, Ronnie Sabb, Deon Tedder and Overture Walker voted against the bill.

What's next: The heavily amended legislation gets one more perfunctory vote Thursday. Then it heads over to the House, where its future remains in question after the House passed the more narrow liquor liability legislation and set up a new ad hoc panel to address larger tort issues.

And welcome back: Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat who has largely been absent from session as he battles cancer, returned to the floor Wednesday to standing applause from his colleagues.

Editor's note: Find expanded coverage, including extended interviews, of the tort reform debate in Friday's Gavel.

The S.C. Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.
MAAYAN SCHECHTER
The S.C. Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.

House DEI bill on hold — for now

The House took a surprise turn Wednesday and punted on an expected lengthy debate on a bill that targets diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives on college campuses, in state and local government and public and charter school districts.

Procedurally, the House adjourned debate on H. 3927 that in part bans DEI offices and prohibits race and gender from being part of college admissions or hiring decisions.

Recall: The bill — filed by Union Republican Rep. Doug Gilliam and pushed by the House Republican Caucus — was heavily amended in the House Education and Public Works Committee, mainly over concerns that it could cost millions of dollars in revenue because it included a measure that targeted private companies doing business with the state and others. The legislation made it to the floor two weeks after a similar provision in the budget was removed on a procedural move by House Democrats.

"Diversity, equity and inclusion are not bad words. They're something we should all strive toward," Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Horry, said in his opening remarks to explain the bill Wednesday. "However, DEI programs as we've seen in this country are a failed experiment."

Why the pause: House education Chairwoman Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, whose committee vetted the bill, spoke to reporters and said she simply wanted time to go through the more than 20 amendments that lawmakers have introduced to make changes. She denied the pause was due to discontent within the House GOP Caucus.

"We shouldn't mind that I took a hot minute to say, 'Let's look at this and let's talk with the folks in the House,' because I really value their opinions," Erickson said.

Here's more from Erickson:

S.C. House Education and Public Works Committee Chair Shannon Erickson speaks to reporters 3.26.25

What did Democrats say: Wearing all black in solidarity, House Democrats assailed the bill on Wednesday in an early press conference, questioning altogether the purpose of the bill. Later, members of the Legislative Black Caucus spoke to reporters. They included Richland County Democratic Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who said he postponed a trip to see his father, who was having surgery, so he could participate in the debate.

S.C. Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland 3.26.25

What is next?

Erickson said the expectation is that the bill will be debated Tuesday, when the Legislature returns for Week 12 of session.

The S.C. House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbia, S.C.
MAAYAN SCHECHTER
The S.C. House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbia, S.C.

Daily planner (3/27)

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Maayan Schechter
Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter) is a news reporter with South Carolina Public Radio and ETV. She worked at South Carolina newspapers for a decade, previously working as a reporter and then editor of The State’s S.C. State House and politics team, and as a reporter at the Aiken Standard and the Greenville News. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2013.
See stories by Maayan Schechter
Russ McKinney
Russ McKinney has 30 years of experience in radio news and public affairs. He is a former broadcast news reporter in Spartanburg, Columbia and Atlanta. He served as Press Secretary to former S.C. Governor Dick Riley for two terms, and for 20 years was the chief public affairs officer for the University of South Carolina.
See stories by Russ McKinney
Gavin Jackson
Gavin Jackson graduated with a visual journalism degree from Kent State University in 2008 and has been in the news industry ever since. He has worked at newspapers in Ohio, Louisiana and most recently in South Carolina at the Florence Morning News and Charleston Post and Courier.
See stories by Gavin Jackson