Overview 

South Carolina is embarking on a path toward a brighter future – and adopting key policies will be essential on this journey. The South Carolina Policy Council’s 2024 Legislative Scorecard was created to promote the organization’s principles of limited government and individual liberties, free markets, and traditional South Carolina values. 

This report, which covers the second year of the 2023-24 regular legislative session, scores lawmakers’ votes on key bills that relate to our legislative agenda and covers the following policy initiatives: election security, judicial reform, deregulation, Second Amendment rights, upholding traditional South Carolina values, school choice expansion, transparency, limiting the impacts of ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies on public funds, and nonparty fault consideration in civil cases. 

We created the scorecard to serve two important goals: 

1. Empower citizens with the tools and information to hold their representatives accountable on key issues; and
2. Acknowledge the General Assembly's most dedicated supporters of SCPC-backed proposals. We believe that a scorecard is the best tool for the job.

Members were each scored on nine votes, though the scorecard covers 13 total bills. This difference can be attributed to the fact that several bills passed only one legislative chamber; four passed only the House, and three passed only the Senate. Because this was the final year in the 2023-2024 legislative session, bills that did not get signed into law are dead.  They can, however, be prefilled before the 2025-2026 legislative session is underway, which we encourage legislators to do so with supported bills that were not signed into law. 

This report is the second of a two-part series for the 2023-24 regular legislative session. The original release can be viewed on our website. 

Votes scored and methodology 

Multiple votes are taken on a bill before it becomes law, and some votes are more important than others. For maximum impact, we opted to score votes at key pass-or-fail moments, which often is a second- or third-reading vote, but not always.  

Bills were scored on the following votes: 

Six bills were scored on final third readings, when roll call was requested. 

Four bills were scored on the adoption of a conference report, which occurs when a committee composed of members from both chambers finalizes and agrees on a compromise version of a bill to be considered by each chamber. State law requires roll-call votes on whether to adopt conference reports. 

Two bills were scored on a recorded concurrence vote, which is required when one chamber agrees to a bill as amended by the other and advances it to the governor’s desk to become law. Finally, one bill was scored on a cloture motion, a procedure used to end a debate and allow a vote to take place. Scored votes can be found in the bill summaries and on the rating table. 

The scoring system was kept simple to be easily understood by legislators and the public. A vote for an SCPC-supported bill was scored as “1,” while a vote against was scored as “0.” Conversely, a vote for an SCPC-opposed bill was scored as “0,” while a vote against was scored as “1.” Not voting was scored as “0” unless a legislator had an excused absence or abstained, in which case the vote was taken out of consideration for that legislator and not scored. (Legislators who are absent for four or more votes will not receive a score. This ensures the scorecard fairly reflects voting records while accounting for the impact of absences.)

Member scores were calculated by dividing their overall voting score (0 – 9) by the total number of votes taken (9) and converting the decimal into percentage. A member with a voting score of 8, for example, earned an overall score of 88.8% (8/9 > 0.888 > 89%). 

To account for the variance that can result from scoring just nine votes per person, the numerical scores were converted to a grading scale to represent members’ voting records more fairly as they related to SCPC’s legislative agenda. These ratings can be seen below.   

Of the 170 lawmakers whom we reviewed for our latest scorecard, 71, or 42%, achieved an “excellent” rating. 

The 2024 Legislative Scorecard

Note: Yellow indicates a lawmaker did not vote, blue represents an excused absence, green signifies a vote in alignment with SCPC's position, and red reflects a vote opposing SCPC's position.

Bill Summaries

Scored Votes for Both Chambers: 

S.1126 Citizens only voting 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Ratified; will be on Nov. ballet 

Votes scored: House – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken); Senate – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken) 

S.1126 proposes an amendment to the state constitution to strengthen election security. The proposed amendment aims to establish clearer voter-eligibility criteria by changing the wording from "every" to "only" regarding citizens' right to vote, specifying that only U.S. citizens age 18 or older, duly registered with proof of citizenship and residency, can participate in South Carolina elections. 

S.1046 JMSC enhancements 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Signed into law 

Votes scored: House – Adopt conference report; Senate – Adopt conference report  

S.1046 enacts changes to South Carolina’s judicial selection process addressing transparency, accountability and executive involvement issues. The bill expands the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) from 10 to 12 members, with the governor now making four appointments. It limits JMSC members to two consecutive two-year terms and raises the cap on judicial nominees from three to six per open seat. Additionally, the bill mandates livestreaming of JMSC hearings, ends the bypass of public hearings for unopposed candidates, and allows more time for the General Assembly to review nominees before they seek vote pledges. While these changes reflect SCPC's recommendations and broad public support, further reforms are needed. But S.1046 represents a crucial first step toward reforming South Carolina's broken judicial-selection process. 

H.3594 Constitutional carry 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Signed into law 

Votes scored: House – Adopt conference report; Senate – Adopt conference report  

This bill permits adults age 18 and over, who are legally authorized to own a firearm, to carry their firearm either openly or concealed without requiring a concealed weapons permit. It establishes clear exceptions to this provision, excluding places such as schools, detention facilities and courtrooms. Additionally, H.3594 enhances penalties for unlawful possession or misuse of firearms. This law reinforces individual liberties while underscoring personal responsibility in firearm ownership and usage. 

H.4624 Help not harm 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Signed into law 

Votes scored: House – Concur with Senate; Senate – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken) 

This law prohibits the provision of gender transition procedures, including puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones and surgeries, to minors under 18, with specific exceptions for non-gender-related medical needs. It also bans the use of public funds and Medicaid for these procedures, classifies violations as unprofessional conduct, and allows for legal recourse. Additionally, public schools are required to inform parents if a minor's expressed gender identity differs from their biological sex.  H.4624 protects the well-being of minors.  

S.858 Exempt acute hospitals from Certificate of Need 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Signed into law 

Votes scored: House – Second reading; Senate – Concur with House  

This piece of legislation allows for acute-level hospital care units to be removed from the Certificate of Need (CON) process. CON is a regulatory requirement that mandates health care providers obtain state or local approval before making major changes or expansions to their facilities or services. Exempting these care units from CON will reduce regulatory barriers and support the advancement of healthcare solutions in South Carolina. S.858 enhances the lives of South Carolinians by lowering regulatory barriers for hospitals and thus improving access to care. 

Scored Votes for House Only: 

H.4710 Maximum potential unemployment benefits 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: House – Second reading  

H.4710 establishes the maximum unemployment benefits for each half-year based on the unemployment figures from the preceding half-year. This approach adjusts benefit levels in response to fluctuations in unemployment rates, resulting in lower payouts during periods of low unemployment. By encouraging workforce participation and generating significant savings on unemployment insurance premiums for small businesses, this legislation provides critical support to local businesses. These savings enable businesses to reinvest in South Carolina's economy, fostering economic growth and stability. 

5164 Education Scholarship Trust Fund expansion

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: House – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken) 

This bill represented a substantial enhancement of the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, established in 2023. Key provisions include the removal of household income restrictions and the lifting of the current enrollment cap of 15,000 students, with future capacity subject to available funding. Additionally, the legislation proposed annual adjustments to the $6,000 scholarship amount based on the growth of state education funding, thereby increasing flexibility and support for eligible families. As championed by SCPC, this bill would have set the stage for South Carolina to implement a universal school choice program, thereby expanding educational opportunities for all students statewide. 

H.4289 Removing diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) from admissions at state universities 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: House – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken) 

H.4289 would have prohibited state colleges, universities and technical schools from considering applicants' political views or DEI stances into hiring and admissions decisions, and would have banned mandatory diversity training for faculty members. This legislation not only would have strengthened free-speech rights on campuses but also would have mandated that higher education institutions annually disclose the number of administrative positions dedicated to DEI and provide a detailed account of all DEI-related programs and expenditures.

H.4622 Itemized medical billing 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: House – Second reading  

This bill would have mandated that healthcare providers issue itemized bills for all services and medications when requesting payment from patients. It stipulates that these bills must include "plain language descriptions" to ensure that patients can clearly understand the charges. This legislation aimed to empower patients and require greater transparency in healthcare billing practices. 

Scored Vote for Senate Only: 

H.3690 ESG removal from pension 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Signed into law 

Votes scored: Senate – Third reading (roll call on this vote was requested and taken)  

This bill protects the state pension system from the impacts of ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing by requiring the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (RSIC) to cast shareholder proxy votes based solely on “pecuniary factors,” meaning those dealing with the financial risk or return of an investment and excluding those promoting ESG objectives. It also limits when the RSIC can delegate shareholder proxy-voting rights to outside investment managers. 

S.533 Tort Reform 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: Senate – Motion for cloture failed, thereby killing the bill. 

S.533 would have required juries or judges to consider the liability of nonparties, in addition to defendants, when assigning fault in civil cases. Under current law, nonparties are excluded from fault determinations, even if they contributed to an incident. This reform seeks to address the issue in South Carolina's modified "joint-and-several liability" system, where a defendant found to be 50% or more at fault can be held liable for the entire verdict. By including nonparties in fault assessments, the bill aimed to reduce disproportionate damage awards and ensure fairer liability distribution. 

S.1132 Licensing reform 

SCPC Position: Supported 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: Senate – Second reading  

This bill would have eliminated licensing requirements for hair braiding, blow-dry styling and makeup artistry, reducing regulatory burdens in these fields. By streamlining regulations, the bill aimed to simplify business establishment and operation for entrepreneurial South Carolinians. 

S.208 Out of state DOT licensing fee 

SCPC Position: Opposed 

Status: Dead 

Votes scored: Senate – Second reading  

S.208 would have allowed counties to impose additional driver’s license and motor vehicle licensing and registration fees on new residents, subject to a local referendum. This would penalize future residents and deter economic growth.  

Clearer skies ahead

As we move into 2025, SCPC will be conducting a comprehensive review of the scorecard, considering several factors including budgetary votes, committee votes, and attendance. This effort aims to ensure the scorecard is the most accurate representation of a lawmaker’s legislative record.

SCPC extends its gratitude to lawmakers for their hard work throughout the year. We appreciate the commitment shown in addressing the challenges facing our state. Looking ahead, we are eager to collaborate and celebrate meaningful policy victories on the priorities outlined in our 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda. Together, we can continue to advance a stronger, more prosperous South Carolina.

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The South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC), founded in 1986 by Thomas Roe, is the state's longest-serving free market research organization. It is an independent, nonpartisan group dedicated to promoting limited government, individual liberties, free markets, and traditional South Carolina values.