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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: GOP senator derides restrictive abortion bill, House turns to hemp

South Carolina Public Radio | By Maayan Schechter,
Gavin Jackson
Published April 22, 2026 at 6:01 AM EDT
Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, speaks against the restrictive abortion bill, S. 1095, before the Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted to advance the bill to the Senate on April 21, 2026.
GAVIN JACKSON
Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, speaks against the restrictive abortion bill, S. 1095, before the Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted to advance the bill to the Senate on April 21, 2026.

It's Wednesday, April 22.

The House will gavel in at 10 a.m.

The Senate also returns at 10 a.m. for an expected longer Day 2 of the upper chamber's debate over its version of the $15 billion state spending plan as senators take turns proposing amendments to the massive piece of legislation.

Already, senators have added measures to the budget that cover high school athletics, removal and disposal of vessels, carry forward dollars at the natural resources department, a new license plate design to mark the state's Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission, juvenile arbitration program dollars for the 16 judicial circuits and another attempt to raise legislative in-district expense pay by $1,500.

Confirmation update: The Senate confirmed Conway Belangia to be the next director over the State Election Commission. And senators confirmed Thomas Limehouse, the former chief lawyer for Governor Henry McMaster, for an at-large seat on the State Ports Authority.

You're reading The State House Gavel, your daily reporter notebook by Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson that previews and captures what goes on at the South Carolina Statehouse.

Notebook highlights:

  • Restrictive abortion legislation heads to the full Senate but GOP leaders say it's unlikely to go anywhere
  • House turns to contentious hemp debate as leading law enforcement agencies urge chamber to agree to changes
  • Takeaways from the second GOP debate for governor
at the South Carolina Statehouse on April 21, 2026.
GAVIN JACKSON
The South Carolina Statehouse on April 21, 2026.

Abortion ban bill moves to Senate floor. What's next?

A restrictive bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in South Carolina moved to the Senate floor Tuesday after an 8-4 full committee vote despite Republican leaders pouring cold water on the proposal's chances with 11 days left on the legislative calendar.

The legislation — S. 1095, sponsored by Sen. Richard Cash, an Anderson Republican and arguably one of the chambers most anti-abortion legislators — would outlaw abortions, strike exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies, add criminal penalties and reclassify abortion-inducing drugs as Schedule IV controlled substances.

Despite steep odds, Cash said he will keep pushing for passage.

"I am going to push within the Republican caucus to get this to the floor,” Cash said. “Will I be successful? I don't know. There's going to be other senators in there pushing for whatever it is they want. It becomes a question of what are the priorities of this caucus?"

You can hear Cash's full comments to reporters below:

The bill's chance for passage is, to put it mildly, an uphill climb. Here are a few reasons:

  • Senate GOP leaders say there have been no internal caucus conversations over the legislation, indicating it is not a priority for many
  • Debate on the bill would clog up the upper chamber's calendar, with bills having 11 days left on the official legislative calendar before dying for the year
  • The House, where support for the measure is unclear, has the same calendar restrictions and would have to send the bill through the full committee process
  • Gov. Henry McMaster has poured cold water on the idea and voiced his support for the current six-week ban that he says has the support of most South Carolinians
  • Republicans in both the House and the Senate have voiced opposition to criminal penalties in the bill for women and the eliminations of most abortion exceptions

Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis is among those GOP critics.

On Tuesday, Davis joined Democrats on the Senate Medical Affairs Committee to oppose the bill, saying he will do everything he can to "prevent this bill from ever becoming law in South Carolina."

"This bill isn't going to get debated on the calendar," Davis told his colleagues. “This bill couldn’t muster 15 votes in that Senate, much less votes to invoke cloture. I'm not sure what we're doing. And if we're trying to make the case for life — the people of South Carolina to instill a culture of life — this bill fails."

In short, Davis said the bill "sends a horrible message."

You can watch Davis's full remarks below.

The bill did not come up Tuesday for debate within the Senate GOP Caucus.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters nothing has so far changed on the bill's movement.

Read more:

Hemp's turn in the House

The House will decide today whether to agree with Senate changes to legislation that regulates consumable hemp products, like THC drinks and gummies, or further tweak the bill that at its core bars anyone under 21 from buying hemp products.

How that vote will go remains a bit up in the air.

The proposal — H. 3924, sponsored by Rep. Chris Wooten, R-Lexington — was amended by the Senate after a dayslong debate to allow retailers with beer and wine and hemp licenses to sell up to 5 milligram single-can 12-ounce THC drinks, which would be kept behind the counter.

Also, any beverage over that milligram amount would be required to be sold at licensed liquor stores.

And gummies with up to 40 milligrams of THC per package could only be sold at liquor stores. But, like the retail rules, store inventory must be kept behind the counter.

Any preexisting stock, bought before the effective date of the bill should it become law, could be sold through Nov. 12.

What else does the bill do?

  • Bans on-premise consumption at bars and restaurants
  • Creates a DUI offense for anyone who drives a car with 5 nanograms or more of THC per milliliter found in the blood
  • Keeps CBD products legal and under current state regulations

Will the House concur with the Senate's changes?

House GOP leadership tried, unsuccessfully, to push a regulated hemp bill through the lower chamber earlier this year. You can read all about that debate here.

And Tuesday gave observers a potential test vote of what a hemp debate in the House again could look like.

First, state Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Dorchester, a bill critic, unsuccessfully attempted to continue the bill, meaning push it to January 2027, which would kill the bill since it's the final year of a two-year session.

It was the next vote that was more eyebrow raising.

Gatch then made a motion to send the bill back to the House Judiciary Committee, another attempt to end the bill's chances for passage this year. House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, responded by moving to table, or set aside, Gatch's request.

That vote? It was 54-54, a rare but thrilling tie vote that resulted in the motion failing for lack of a majority.

Rather than risk the bill getting shelved for the year, Hiott quickly motioned for the chamber to adjourn, which passed.

That means Gatch's motion to recommit is still pending.

And the bill, for now, remains on the calendar for debate, with no clear indication yet there's a plan to resolve the deep divisions on the issue.

What could potentially move the House to concur?

Both the State Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Sheriff's Association, two groups who've advocated for tougher restrictions, urged the House to agree to the Senate changes and send the bill to the governor's desk.

"Clearly, I am in support of a full ban on these intoxicating THC products, however, I have closely followed each vote in the House and Senate and understand the votes are simply not there to do so," SLED Chief Mark Keel wrote in an Aug. 21 letter to House leaders. "In absence of a full ban, these products must be tightly regulated. That is what the Senate's version of H. 3924 does."

Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Spartanburg, talks with Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Charleston, in the House chamber at the South Carolina Statehouse on April 21, 2026.
GAVIN JACKSON
Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Spartanburg, talks with Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Dorchester, in the House chamber at the South Carolina Statehouse on April 21, 2026.

6 GOP gov candidates take the debate stage

The top six Republican candidates for governor met on the debate stage for the very first time Tuesday night in Charleston.

  • Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
  • State Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg County
  • 1st District Congressman Nancy Mace
  • 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman
  • Businessman Rom Reddy
  • Attorney General Alan Wilson

For more than an hour, the six hopefuls vying for the governor's mansion fielded six questions that ranged from hate crimes legislation, abortion restrictions, infrastructure and growth.

Here are a few highlights:

Abortion

Only Norman, if elected governor, said he'd sign S. 1095, the restrictive abortion ban legislation moved to the Senate floor on Tuesday.

Evette, meanwhile, said the legislation goes "too far."

"If a bill like that showed up on my desk, I would veto it as your next governor," said Evette, who touted an endorsement from anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

The lieutenant governor was joined by other candidates on the debate stage, who said the state's current six-week ban with exceptions, though limited, was sufficient.

Mace said she would support abortion restrictions with exceptions.

Kimbrell, who voted to send the bill out of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee and to the floor, said the bill in its current form includes too many penalties to get his support for final passage. Wilson said he would oppose the bill as written.

Reddy said he'd call for a ballot referendum for South Carolina voters to help decide.

"Aren’t we tired of this discussion?” Reddy asked. “It's been going on for decades."

Hate crimes law

South Carolina is one of two states without a hate crimes law.

Evette, Kimbrell, Mace and Norman said they would not support legislation that has so far stalled to make it through both Statehouse chambers.

Reddy did not definitively say where he'd land on the bill.

Wilson said he could support additional penalty enhancements to help law enforcement, but said he stopped at criminalizing speech.

A Mace-Norman ticket?

In a moment of debate levity, Mace appeared to float a Mace-Norman ticket (Mace as governor, Norman as lieutenant governor) as Norman took a shot at the lieutenant governor's role in government.

"One of the things that Ralph always says, and he missed it tonight, he wants his lieutenant governor to be a road czar," Mace said. "So, I want to ask Ralph to be my road czar. I would love that. He's great."

Norman didn't say yes, but said he'd be a great "road czar."

"It (the lieutenant governor) will no longer be a position that is kissing babies and blowing bubbles."

A subtle dig

Candidates were largely cordial with each other.

But there were moments on the debate stage where GOP hopefuls appeared to be peeling the gloves off.

One subtle jab came from Wilson toward Norman when asked how candidates would work to unite and lead Republicans in the General Assembly.

"You can't call people corrupt and then ask them to give you your agenda so that you can have a political win," Wilson said. "You've got to work with people. You can go after the bad guys in the legislative branch and the judicial branch, but you can't paint everyone with a wide brush."

The primary election is June 9.

Runoff elections are set for June 23.

The state GOP has two remaining debates scheduled:

  • May 26 at Wofford College (candidates must clear a 5% polling hurdle)
  • June 16 (if necessary) at Coastal Carolina University

Editor's Note: SCETV is planning to host a GOP governor's race debate in June.

Read more:

Spartanburg Sen. Josh Kimbrell, 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, 1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Attorney General Alan Wilson and businessman Rom Reddy on stage during the second Republican gubernatorial debate at the Sottile Theatre in Charleston on April 21, 2026.
GAVIN JACKSON
Spartanburg Sen. Josh Kimbrell, 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, 1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Attorney General Alan Wilson and businessman Rom Reddy on stage during the second Republican gubernatorial debate at the Sottile Theatre in Charleston on April 21, 2026.

Statehouse daily planner (4/22)

SC House

SC Senate

SC governor

  • 10:30 a.m. — Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to participate in the Governor’s Volunteer Awards at the Statehouse

Editor's Note: Statehouse schedules can change daily. To keep up with the House and Senate meeting schedules, click here.

Statehouse clips from around the state
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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
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