Urgent Action Needed in South Carolina School Choice Fight

Tomorrow, the House Ways and Means Committee will be voting to decide if H.4894 will be brought to the House floor.  The bill gives parents and students greater control over their education by allowing the use of tax credits and deductions to send children to the school that best meets their needs.  

The education establishment and special interest lobby groups in South Carolina have been fighting hard to prevent this legislation from making it to the House floor.  According to the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA), protecting the egos of failing public school administrators should take priority over the quality of education they provide.

But the numbers don’t lie. Despite over $12,000 spent per student annually, South Carolina ranks 47th in education.  

This is why FreedomWorks and local activists have been fighting hard for months to pass much needed education reform.  With the help of over 20,000 activists, FreedomWorks is running a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign that includes door-to-door campaign walks, phone calls, yard sign blitzes, educational events, direct mail and online campaigning.  

We have their attention. But we need your help.

The SCEA and teachers unions will play every card in their hand to block the path to reform. In a recent committee hearing Jackie Hicks of the SCEA testified that, “the possibility of children leaving the public school is disgusting.”   

Why is Jackie Hicks so scared? If schools are performing at the levels they should be, won’t families choose to send children to their schools anyway?

Let your legislator know that the SCEA is NOT more qualified to choose your child’s educational path than you are.  

Please call or email the lawmakers listed below, “School Choice is the right choice. Please take a stand for children and vote YES on H.4894. “

Brian White (Chair) 734-3144 brianwhite@schouse.gov (H.4894 sponsor)
Chip Limehouse 734-2977 chiplimehouse@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Mike Pitts 734-2830 mikepitts@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Roland J. Smith 734-3114 rolandsmith@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Denny Neilson 734-3097 dennyneilson@schouse.gov
Rita Allison 212-6788 ritaallison@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Mike Anthony 734-3060 mikeanthony@schouse.gov
Liston Barfield 734-2968 listonbarfield@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Jim Battle 734-3001 jimbattle@schouse.gov
Kenny Bingham 734-3139 kennybingham@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Bill Clyburn 734-3033 billclyburn@schouse.gov
Gilda Cobb-Hunter 734-2809 gildacobbhunter@schouse.gov
Tracy Edge 734-3013 tracyedge@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Bill Herbkersman 734-3063 billherbkersman@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Lonnie Hosey 734-2829 lonniehosey@schouse.gov
Chip Huggins 734-2971 chiphuggins@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Dwight Loftis 734-3101 dwightloftis@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Jim Merrill 734-3072 jimmerrill@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Joe Neal 734-2804 joeneal@schouse.gov
Harry Ott 734-2998 harryott@schouse.gov
Gary Simrill 734-3040 garysimrill@schouse.gov (sponsor)
B. R. Skelton 734-3036 brskelton@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Murrell Smith 734-3042 murrellsmith@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Garry R. Smith 734-3141 garrysmith@schouse.gov (sponsor)
Bill Whitmire 734-3068 billwhitmire@schouse.gov