South-Carolina

Why controversial education bill failed at SC State House and what’s next

Published

1 year ago

July 9, 2024

Why controversial education bill failed at SC State House and what’s next

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – In a turn of events some at the State House, including lawmakers, called “shocking,” a bill to restrict what can be taught in South Carolina classrooms won’t become law after all.

But supporters and opponents of the push both said this likely isn’t the last time South Carolinians hear about it.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the “South Carolina Transparency and Integrity in Education Act” by wide margins but with key differences between their versions.

To get it to the governor’s desk, they had to settle on a compromise and earn the support of two-thirds of their chambers.

That’s where things fell apart.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, said. “It is a horrible bill. It is a bill — beginning of last year, we had 1,600 vacancies of teachers, and in a survey of teachers, most of them said they felt disrespected, they felt overwhelmed. This bill would’ve made it worse.”

Among its provisions, the bill would have banned teaching concepts including one race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin is inherently superior to another and that people are responsible for other actions committed in the past by members of their same race or sex.

The bill stated it would not ban the fact-based discussion or instruction of controversial aspects of history or current events or about the historical oppression of a particular group of people based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, et cetera.

“Teachers are going, ‘That is an insult. You think we say that? You think we would do that?’” Jackson said of the concepts that would have been prohibited.

Democrats uniformly opposed the bill over concerns this could lead to censorship in the classroom and a chilling effect on teachers.

But Republicans argued it would have cleared up confusion on what is allowed in classrooms and what is not.

“I wish we could’ve done it this year to have gotten some clarity for parents and for educators, but it didn’t happen,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said.

But the provision that caused the most heartburn was one from the House.

It would have allowed parents to sue school districts if they disagreed with what was being taught, despite having remedies in the bill to allow them to work out their differences before any lawsuit was filed.

“You gotta ask, what was the goal there? Because if the goal was about giving parents the ability to act on concerns, they already had it,” Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association said. “So why do you need to sue a school district?”

Senators had removed this lawsuit language from the version of the bill they passed, but House members insisted it remains in some capacity.

An attempt to reach a compromise — by narrowing who could sue from any parent in any state, which was the original provision, to any parent of a student in a South Carolina public school district — opened the door for Democrats in the Senate to kill the bill.

Without at least some Democratic support in the upper chamber, the compromise failed to clear the threshold necessary to get it to the governor’s desk, so it died.

“It is solely this lawsuit power that blew up this bill,” Kelly said.

Members of both parties expect this bill will be refiled again next year when a new legislative session begins, and what it could look like is unknown.

All seats in the legislature are up for re-election this year, so there are guaranteed to be some new members in both chambers at the State House.

“I don’t know that what we talked about this year will be the same product next year,” Massey said.

Jackson also acknowledged that possibility but said Democrats were happy to delay what they view as harmful policy by at least a year.

“If we could turn a horrible bill into a bad bill, that’s good. If we could stop a bad bill from becoming law, that’s even better,” Jackson said. “And I think that is what happened.”

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South-Carolina

LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts

Published

6 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts

Statehouse Reporter Mary Green will have more on this tonight.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – South Carolina Attorney General and other officials will be holding a press conference Friday at 9:30 a.m. to talk about statewide drug busts.

Wilson is set to be joined by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security, as well as several local sheriffs and other law enforcement partners.

Watch the full press conference in the video above.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.

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South-Carolina

2026 Football Schedule Unveiled

Published

18 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

The University of South Carolina’s 2026 football schedule has been unveiled, it was announced tonight on the SEC Network.

The Gamecocks’ 2026 schedule features nine regular-season SEC contests, with five games at home and four on the road. The schedule also includes non-conference games versus Kent State and Towson as part of the seven-game home slate, and a non-conference road contest at Clemson.

After opening the season with three-consecutive home games for the first time since 2014, the Gamecocks will alternate home and road contests throughout the remainder of the schedule. The 2026 schedule features just one open date which will come on week 7 (October 17).

As announced on Monday, the Gamecocks will open the season on Sept. 5 by hosting Kent State. Carolina drubbed the Golden Flashes in its only previous encounter, a 77-14 decision in 1995. Kent State finished the 2025 season with a 5-7 mark overall and a 4-4 record in the Mid-American Conference.

Week 2 will see the Towson Tigers make their first trip to Williams-Brice Stadium. The Tigers compete in the FCS Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and posted a 6-6 record in 2025 under head coach Pete Shinnick.

The Gamecocks begin their nine-game SEC gauntlet on Sept. 19 when Mississippi State visits Columbia. Carolina has won eight of the last nine meeting with the Bulldogs including a 37-30 win in 2023, the only contest played between the two schools since 2016. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series by a 10-7 margin. Mississippi State is one of seven teams on Carolina’s 2026 schedule that is playing in a post-season game this year.

The Gamecocks first road trip of the 2026 season takes them to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 26 for a date with the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of four teams on South Carolina’s 2026 slate that will appear in this year’s College Football Playoffs. It will mark the third-consecutive season that Carolina and Alabama have squared off, with the Tide narrowly winning the previous two – 27-25 in Tuscaloosa in 2024 and 29-22 in Columbia in 2025.

The Gamecocks and Kentucky Wildcats will meet in Columbia on Oct. 3. The teams met in Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025, with Carolina prevailing by a 35-13 score, its fourth-straight win in a series they lead 22-14-1.

Carolina wraps up the first half of the season at Florida on Oct. 10. The Gamecocks and Gators met every year on the gridiron from 1992-2023 but have not played in either of the last two seasons. Florida holds a commanding 31-10-3 lead in the all-time series including a 17-2 advantage when playing in The Swamp. Carolina’s last win in Gainesville came in overtime the 2014 season.

After an open date on Oct. 17, the Gamecocks will return to action at home on Oct. 24 against the Tennessee Volunteers. Like Florida, the Gamecocks and Vols met every year from 1992-2023 but have not played in either of the last two seasons. Tennessee leads the all-time series by a 29-13-2 count including a narrow 10-8-2 advantage when the game has been played in Columbia.

The Gamecocks will spend Halloween in Norman playing the Oklahoma Sooners. The teams had never met prior to OU joining the SEC but have played each of the past two seasons with each team winning on the others’ home field.

The Bonham Trophy will be at stake on Nov. 7 when Texas A&M visits Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks and Aggies have met every year since A&M joined the SEC in 2014. The Aggies hold a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series, but the Gamecocks have won each of the last two meetings in Columbia.

The Gamecocks will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. for just the second time since 2013 when they tangle with the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 14. South Carolina has won three of the last four games with the Hogs, but Arkansas clings to a 14-10 advantage in the all-time series.

The second-longest running series in school history behind only Carolina-Clemson, the Carolina-Georgia rivalry gets renewed on Nov. 21 when the Bulldogs make their way to Columbia from Athens. Georgia has won 55 of the previous 76 meetings between the flagship schools from neighboring states, with the Gamecocks last win coming in 2019.

The 2026 regular season comes to an end on Nov. 28 when the Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers meet in the annual Palmetto Bowl. The 2026 meeting will take place in the Upstate, where the Gamecocks have won each of their last two visits.

SEASON TICKETS
Whether you’ve been attending games for years or want to experience the magic for the first time, it’s not too early to secure your season tickets for the 2026 season. Season tickets are available for as low as $65 per game with a 10-month payment plan option available. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the first time, can place a season ticket deposit today for only $50 plus fees or fill out our season ticket interest form to receive more information. Current season ticket holders will receive information soon on how to renew their tickets for the 2026 season and can contact their Gamecock Club Account Representative today to enroll in the 10-month payment plan. For more information on ticket options for the 2026 season, visit 2026 Football Hub.

2026 SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 5                  vs Kent State
Sept. 12 vs Towson
Sept. 19 vs Mississippi State*
Sept. 26 at Alabama*
Oct. 3 vs Kentucky*
Oct. 10 at Florida*
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24                 vs Tennessee*
Oct. 31 at Oklahoma*
Nov. 7 vs Texas A&M*
Nov. 14                 at Arkansas*
Nov. 21                 vs Georgia*
Nov. 28 at Clemson

*-SEC game

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South-Carolina

Nebraska targeting former South Carolina coach Lonnie Teasley

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Nebraska targeting former South Carolina coach Lonnie Teasley

Nebraska is targeting ex-South Carolina offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley for an offensive staff role, according to the Omaha World-Herald’s Sam McKewon. The role itself is still to be determined.

Teasley spent three seasons as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach. He had been with the program since 2021, serving as an offensive analyst. He assumed on-field coaching duties for the program in 2022.

Teasley was let go by South Carolina in October, ending his time with the program.

In addition to his coaching role, he was a strong recruiter for the Gamecocks. He most recently landed Darius Gray, the top interior offensive line recruit in the 2026 class. He was also able to land four-star offensive tackle Kamari Blair for the class as well.

Nebraska football has undergone several changes on offense over the last couple of days. They hired former Georgia Tech offensive line coach Geep Wade for the same position on Saturday, following the firing of Donovan Raiola.

The program is making sweeping changes on both sides of the football. Adding Teasley to the staff would be important for the program, which needs to be better prepared across all areas.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

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