WATCH LIST
2011 - 2012 Legislative Session

These are bills we are monitoring during the 2011-2012 legislative session for possible negative impact on the family.

Poker  (S.254)
Makes social poker in a private residence legal. Our attorneys suggest the state proceed very carefully, as tinkering with this code section could open loopholes that could allow the return of a form of organized gambling.
Status:  Senate. Referred to Judiciary Committee.
Sponsors:  Senators Cleary, McConnell, Hutto, Ford and Ryberg.

Raffles  (S.255, S.256, H.3061)
The Bill attempts to lift restrictions on raffles for charitable organizations. The Constitutional Amendment is needed to make that statute legal. As originally drafted by the Senate, it could open the door for other forms of gambling.
Status:  Senate. Passed the Senate. Sent to the House as ammended.
Status:  House. Awaiting a hearing in Judiciary Committee.
Sponsors:  Cleary, McConnell, Hutto, Rose, Ford and Knotts; Reps. Merrill, Daning and Taylor.

Bingo  (H.3079)
This bill creates a mysterious “Charitable Bingo Advisory Committee” and appears to add bingo tickets to traditional and electronic bingo games.
Status:  House. Awaiting a hearing in Ways & Means Committee.
Sponsor:  Rep. Herbkersman

Gaming Machines
These types of bills purport to regulate only “Chuckie Cheese” type games, but the language looks familiar to that used in other states to attempt to legalize certain video poker type machines.
Status:  No free-standing bill has been introduced so far this session, but S.254 has been amended to include this language.

Alcohol Sales by Homeowners Associations  (H.3295)
This bill allows homeowners associations to sell alcohol.
Status:  House: Passed and sent to the Senate with amendments.
Status:  Senate:. Previously passed Senate and returned to House with amendments; Considering House amendments.
Sponsor:  Rep. Herbkersman

Wine Tasting  (H.3621)
Permits retailers to conduct wine tasting.
Status:  House: Passed and sent to the Senate.
Status:  Senate:. Passed Subcommittee and referred to the full Judiciary Committee..
Sponsors:  Rep. Bannister, Rutherford, Herbkersman, Weeks, J.E. Smith and Viers

Dating Violence Policies  (S.528)
Dating Violence as Criminal Domestic Violence  (S.539)  (H.3131).
Palmetto Family will monitor these bills to insure that the state does not include “dating” as a bona fide “family” relationship.
Status:  Senate. Awaiting a hearing in Education and Judiciary Committee respectively.
Status:  House. Awaiting a second hearing in Judiciary Subcommittee.
Sponsors:  Leventis, Matthews, Elliott, Thomas and Anderson; Rep. Brady, Long.

Maintain Current Lottery Law
Palmetto Family is alert to any possible legislation that would create video lottery terminals for convenience stores, allow the lottery to avoid its advertising expenditure limit (1% of revenue), to allow elected officials to play the lottery, to allow sales of lottery tickets on election days or to offer higher priced lottery tickets.
Status:  No bill introduced.

Prevent 501-c-4 Donor Disclosure
Palmetto Family will be on watch for legislation that requires legislative action organizations like Palmetto Family Alliance to disclose its donors and open them to intimidation.
Status:  No bill introduced.

Protect Private Kindergartens
Every year the public sector seeks to take more and more of the pre-kindergarten market from private (often church) day care centers.  With a general public takeover, religious instruction for the smallest South Carolinians will go away, and free enterprise will once again take a hit from government expansion.
Status:  No bill introduced.

Monitor Judicial Elections
Palmetto Family will be attentive to judicial elections, and when possible, elections to state boards. This is particularly important for Supreme Court justices who serve 10 year terms.
Status:  Elections are held periodically throughout the session.

“Romeo” Clause
Sexual relations with a child should always be a crime. Bills are introduced from time to time to water down this statue so that older teenagers (17-18 year olds) are punished less severely for sex with younger teenagers (14-16 year olds). Palmetto Family will monitor bills of this nature very carefully.
Status:  No bill introduced.

Maintain Current Alcohol Laws
Though it may seem odd, Palmetto Family Alliance and most beer, wine and spirits wholesalers and retailers are generally in agreement that our alcohol laws should not be changed. Recent attempts to weaken our laws include requiring Sunday sales of alcohol, allowing drive-through sales, allowing food to be sold in liquor stores and vice-versa, expanding tastings, and weakening the open container law. Most of these efforts have failed, but proponents of liberalizing the law are relentless.
Status:  No bill introduced.

Alimony
Weakens our alimony law by permitting a court to award alimony in certain cases to a party who commits adultery. 
Status:  No bill introduced.

For the wrap up of the 2009-2010 legislature, please visit these pages: Hot List, Watch List, Wish List.