South Carolina House Passes Historic School Choice Reform

Washington, DC- Following intense grassroots pressure from FreedomWorks activists across the state, the South Carolina House voted to pass H.4894 by a margin of 65-49. The education reform bill uses tax credits and deductions to empower families and business entrepreneurs to send students to schools that best meet the individual needs of each student.

FreedomWorks and its network of 20,000 activists across the state have engaged in the grassroots campaign to pass education reform legislation since day one, arming distribution centers across the state with tens of thousands of voter education materials, including door hangers, yard signs, district-targeted palm cards, tee shirts and bumper stickers.

“Historically in South Carolina, this is the farthest an education reform bill has ever made it in the state legislature,” commented David Spielman, Campaigns Coordinator for FreedomWorks. “We expect some in the Senate to be as hostile to education reform as they have been in past years, so we are doubling down on our grassroots efforts for this last round.”

In the weeks leading up to the Senate vote, FreedomWorks activists and school choice allies will be walking neighborhoods, making thousands of phone calls, and engaging voters on social media. FreedomWorks also plans to air radio ads across the state and use targeted direct mail to identify Senators opposed to the reform bill.

Education reform is a hot topic in South Carolina, which currently spends about $12,000 per student annually, yet ranks 47th in the nation in test scores.

Spielman added, “The House vote was a huge -and symbolic- win for the parents and hardworking teachers of South Carolina. The momentum is on our side, and we are not stopping now. We are sending a clear warning to the Senate: Voters will remember who tried to kill this bill, and you will pay at the ballot box.”  

For more information on the FreedomWorks school choice campaign, contact Press Secretary Jackie Bodnar at 202-942-7652 or jbodnar@freedomworks.org.