NEWS BRIEFS: Coalition sets sights on curbing hate crimes

Staff reports  |  A startup coalition called Stamp Out Hate South Carolina is rallying ahead of the 2021-2022 legislative session to urge lawmakers to finally pass a hate crimes law in South Carolina.  Despite efforts for years by S.C. Democratic Reps. Wendell Gilliard of Charleston and Beth Bernstein of Columbia to pass protections, South Carolina remains one of three states without a hate crimes law.

“Given the number of high profile hate crimes that have happened around the country in the past year, I think there is renewed energy to see South Carolina get a hate crimes law on the books,” said Chase Glenn, executive director of Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA) in North Charleston. “I believe this time will be different. We’ll get the law passed.”

Among the members of the coalition are the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Charleston, Alliance for Full Acceptance, Emanuel AME Church, Charleston Hispanic Association, Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate, the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Columbia Jewish Federation and the Charleston Jewish Federation.  Read the full story.

Also in recent news:

Ariail pens new cartoon.  The Charleston City Paper on Wednesday started publishing a new weekly cartoon strip about the Lowcountry by nationally-syndicated cartoonist Robert Ariail of Camden.  He said he would use the weekly space in the City Paper to target coastal issues with his well-known sense of irony and humor.  “I envision ‘Lowcountry’ as a vehicle for social, political and environmental commentary letting animal characters tell the story,” he said.  “I know it will be fun for me to draw and I hope it will be equally fun, if not thought-provoking, for those who read it.”  View the first installment.

This week in Columbia. The state’s 2020-21 budget and allocation of federal pandemic aid money will loom large over the special session called for the House and Senate slated to begin Tuesday.  Learn more.

Census count still low in S.C. U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said last week just 78 percent of South Carolina’s known addresses have been counted in the 10-year census that helps allocate federal representation and money. The count will end Sept. 30. Read more. 

Charleston files lawsuit against Big Oil.  The city of Charleston last week announced it filed a lawsuit against 24 fossil fuel companies for the costs of adapting to climate change.  The lawsuit alleges the companies profited from the extraction and use of fossil fuels for “nearly half a century,” despite decades of scientific research warning of fossil fuel’s harmful impact on nature and climate change.  The city, the first in the South to file such a suit, seeks damages for increased flooding.  Read more.

Statehouse Report’s Lindsay Street and the Charleston City Paper’s Heath Ellison contributed to this section. Have a comment?  Send to:  editor@charlestoncurrents.com