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URGENT CALL TO ACTION - The P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill, S0903 / H4772
Call to Action from the P.A.C.E. Team - Providing Academic Choice in Education for our SC children!
CALL TO ACTION - Send a Quick Email - We still have a chance to get TRUE school choice by passing the P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill!
A lot is going on with school choice at the State House...this is the "Year of the Parent"!!! The SC Senate debate over the P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill has created a major stir.
Unfortunately, P.A.C.E. did not get passed out of either house this session...but the inferior ESA school choice bill did pass the Senate and is now in the House Ways and Means Committee.
A senior SC Senator shared that the House is not very excited about passing a very flawed school choice bill. How is the ESA bill flawed?
First, it serves only disabled and very low income children, only 5000 the first year and a maximum of 15,000 by year three. Certainly, this is not true school choice. Actually, it's just another entitlement program that uses tax dollars...growing government yet again!! Secondly, since it uses tax dollars, you can rest assured that there will be government intervention into private schools...new regulations and likely curriculum interference! Parents and private schools do not want government entanglement! But the biggest FLAW is that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Every ESA has been struck down in the courts!
SC STATE CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE XI, SECTION 4:
Direct aid to religious or other private educational institutions prohibited.
No money shall be paid from public funds nor shall the credit of the State or any of its political subdivisions be used for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.
The P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill (S 903 / H 4772) is the ONLY school choice structure allowed in South Carolina under our SC State Constitution.
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS NOW!!! They have to go the P.A.C.E. tax credit scholarship route ... privately funded and run by INDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS ... or we will have ZERO school choice.
Ask the legislators to put SC parents and their children FIRST!
Ask them to FIX the ESA by "striking and replacing" the ESA Bill (S935) currently in the SC House Ways & Means Committee and making that bill the P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill (S903 / H4772).
Here is what YOU can do ...
#1. Take the below template text to help you tailor a personal message and email your SC House Representative. (https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php)
#2. Then email (you can use the same letter) the members of the SC House Ways & Means Committee (all 25 emails are listed below the template language).
EASY!!!
TEMPLATE LANGUAGE TO HELP YOU CREATE YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL:
Dear Representative ______________,
Thank you for being our voice in the State government.
I know you work hard to represent the people of South Carolina.
We’ve seen some crazy things happen over the last couple years. COVID, etc. has had a huge effect on our children and on our schools.
I am writing to you today because the P.A.C.E. Scholarship Bill S903 / H4772 must get passed this session!
It offers TRUE K-12 school choice for students and parents; it is privately funded and does not use government money; and it is CONSTITUTIONAL!
Since each child is different and learns differently, every parent needs school choice to make sure their child reaches their full potential.
What is better than truly helping South Carolina families WITHOUT costing more money?
Although P.A.C.E. (see below) is superior, in every way, to the ESA bill S935, the ESA was passed in the Senate. The ESA bill is very flawed.
It serves only disabled and very low income children. Certainly, this is not true school choice. Actually, it's just another entitlement program that uses tax dollars...growing government yet again!!
Since it uses tax dollars, you can rest assured that there will be government intervention into private schools...new regulations and likely curriculum interference! Parents and private schools do not want government entanglement!
The biggest FLAW is that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Every ESA has been struck down in the SC courts!!
You still have the opportunity to pass true school choice for our SC children...when S935 makes it to the floor debate (or when S935 gets a hearing in Ways & Means):
1. Offer a Strike & Replace Amendment: Strike the verbiage from the ESA Bill (S935 or H4879) and replace it with S903/H4772 (P.A.C.E. Scholarship) verbiage in its entirety!
OR
2. Submit a Proviso adding S903 to 7/1/2022-6/30/2023 Budget when it returns from the Senate.
To be honest, we are looking for some heroes in the legislature. Men and women who will step forward and sponsor this P.A.C.E. bill and fight for our children and parents.
Thank you for your courage to stand up for the parents and children of SC!
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address/Contact Information
First, send to YOUR House Rep: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
Next, send to members of the SC House Ways & Means Committee:
(Where the S935 ESA Bill now sits)
Murrell Smith, Chairman 803-734-3144 murrellsmith@schouse.gov
Gilda Cobb-Hunter, 1st VC 803-734-2809 gildacobbhunter@schouse.gov
Nathan Ballentine 803-734-2969 nathanballentine@schouse.gov
William “Bill” Clyburn 803-734-3033 billclyburn@schouse.gov
Lonnie Hosey 803-734-2829 lonneyhosey@schouse.gov
Bill Whitmire 803-734-3068 billwhitmire@schouse.gov
Phillip Lowe 803-734-2975 philliplowe@schouse.gov
Jackie Hayes 803-734-3099 jackiehayes@schouse.gov
Bruce Bannister 803-212-6944 brucebannister@schouse.gov
Dennis Moss 803-734-3073 dennismoss@schouse.gov
Mark Willis 803-212-6882 markwillis@schouse.gov
Todd Rutherford 803-734-9441 toddrutherford@schouse.gov
Chip Huggins 803-734-2971 chiphuggins@schouse.gov
Chandra Dillard 803-212-6791 chandradillard@schouse.gov
Craig Gagnon 803-212-6934 craiggagnon@schouse.gov
Garry Smith 803-734-3045 garrysmith@schouse.gov
Bill Herbkersman 803-734-3063 billherbkersman@schouse.gov
Kirkman Finlay, III 803-212-6943 kirkmanfinlay@schouse.gov
J. David Weeks 803-734-3102 davidweeks@schouse.gov
Lee Hewitt 803-212-6927 leehewitt@schouse.gov
Heather Crawford 803-212-6933 heathercrawford@schouse.gov
Gary Simrill 803-734-3040 garysimrill@schouse.gov
Shannon Erickson 803-734-3261 shannonerickson@schouse.gov
Joe Daning 803-734-2951 joedaning@schouse.gov
Leon Stavrinakis 803-734-3039 leonstavrinakis@schouse.gov
Thank you for contacting these legislators! Thank you for helping set the P.A.C.E for school choice in South Carolina!
If you want to see
TRUE SCHOOL CHOICE,
we need your voice and
we need it NOW!!!
Currently the SC Senate and House committees are only setting hearings to push the ESA school choice bill through. If the P.A.C.E. bill doesn’t get a hearing this month then it is probably not going to have another chance until next year!! Demand P.A.C.E. be set for a hearing.
-If school choice is a “priority”, then why isn’t P.A.C.E. getting a hearing date?
-Why are there committee member that don’t sponsor any version of school choice?
-Why are so many committee members ONLY sponsoring the school choice that EXCLUDES many types of children and schools, probably will not cover the full tuition, and is gov't funded?
(ESA, the politicians bill)
-Why aren’t these committee members sponsoring school choice in which 100% of public-school students are eligible, all schooling types are eligible, is designed to cover 100% of tuition, and is NOT gov't funded?
(P.A.C.E., the peoples bill)
Committee Members who do not sponsor any school choice bill:
Committee Members who sponsor only ESA for school choice:
Say THANK YOU to our P.A.C.E. sponsors
and encourage them to push the committee to set a hearing:
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Call to Action
Feb. 10, 2022
Email House and Senate Committees Currently Reviewing P.A.C.E. Bill
Below are all the emails for the Senate and House members that are currently on the committees reviewing the P.A.C.E. bill. Many of them are preoccupied with the gov't funded ESA bill that very few people will be eligible for (see pacesc.info for comparison chart). If we all contact them weekly then they will have to recognize that P.A.C.E. is what they PEOPLE want!
Please email them all that:
-
We want a committee hearing set for P.A.C.E. S0903 and H4772. Passing true school choice should be a priority!
2. We don't want the bill altered by politicians so that it loses the
intention of being privately funded school choice scholarships
for any public school student who chooses a different form of
education.
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Call to Action - Jan, 12, 2022
Grow the Grassroots Movement for in Your Community
Mission:
Get as many members of your community aware that P.A.C.E. is on the way to providing TRUE school choice. Recruit more members to grow our grass roots movement.
Action:
Print the flyers below and post them in places that parents will see it. Tape them to the back bathroom stall doors, church cork boards, thrift store bulletin boards, hand them to your hair dresser, ask your grocery store manager to put a flyer on the break room table... any thing you can think of!
Call to Action - Jan, 14, 2022
Letter to House Committee Supporting the P.A.C.E. Bill H4772
Mission:
Show members of the House Ways and Means committee (currently reviewing the bill) that South Carolina residents want them to pass the P.A.C.E. Scholarship H4772 Bill. Get as many members of the House to co-sponsor and support the only bill on the table that offers TRUE school choice.
Action:
1) Email All House Ways and Means Committee Members: Click on the button below to send 1 email to all committee members at once! Do this once a week! It doesn't have to be a long letter. Send a short few sentences of why you want school choice and tell them you want them to sponsor and pass the "P.A.C.E. Scholarships H4772 Bill":
Mission:
Show state senators that South Carolina residents want them to pass the P.A.C.E. Scholarship S0903 Bill. Ask all your local representatives to support getting this bill ratified in anyway they can assist.
Action:
1) Email All SC State Senators: Copy and paste this link into your browser to send an email to all 43 state senators at once! Do this once a week! It doesn't have to be a long letter. Send a short few sentences of why you want school choice and tell them you want them to sponsor and pass the "P.A.C.E. Scholarships S0903 Bill": https://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS
2) Mail a letter to each of your district legislators: Should be 3-5 local representatives. Request each of their support for "P.A.C.E. Scholarships S0903" via postal mail. Click on this link to find out who your local representatives are: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
Call to Action - 10/20/2021
Petition Showing Support for P.A.C.E.
Mission
Show South Carolina Senators how many of their constituents support choice in education.
Action
Sign the petition linked below. Send the petition to members of your community in SC that support equal choice in education.