Senators Deliver their Last Blow to P.A.C.E. S285
This is the most recent and final amendment from our Senators! This is the best they could deliver for our children?? Please make your voice heard! South Carolina children deserve better!!
Senators Pass P.A.C.E. after slicing funds and opportunity!!!
Our opportunity to restore P.A.C.E. Scholarship back to its original size and opportunity lies in the hands of the PEOPLE communicating with the house representatives now!
The house bill is: H3422. It is currently in the Means and Ways Committee. Please call these Representatives and share with them your support for P.A.C.E. Scholarship. House Ways and Means
Committee https://www.scstatehouse.gov/CommitteeInfo/housewaysandmeans.php
Remember, what they do, is their campaign in truth. Words are cheap!
Please call the Representatives below and thank them for sponsoring the P.A.C.E. Scholarship bill H3422. Ask them to fight for the children of South Carolina to have TRUE School Choice without government entaglement.
Representative Steven Long 864 978 3104
Representative Mike Burns 864-906-6949
Representative Josiah Magnuson 864-420-7933
Representative Bill Chumley 864-303-2726
Representaive Jordan Pace 843-300-7193
Representative Jay Kilmartin 803-873-8967
Representative Thomas Beach 864-448-6336
Representative Rob Harris 610-392-7358
Representative Roger Nutt 864-706-1557
Representative Mark Willis 864-862-6179
We must restore the government back to the people! Please make the calls, email and send texts in support!
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*****UPDATE**URGENT*****URGENT******URGENT*****
A hearing has been set for Tuesday, January 7th. Please call the legislators on the subcommittee and express how you feel about them giving the purse strings to the department of education. That is exactly opposite of what the point of the P.A.C.E. Scholarship is about.
These are the Senators making these decisions for our state "School Choice" please go to P.A.C.E. Scholarship Facebook Page and watch our videos of the Senate in action.
Senator Sean Bennett - seanbennett@scsenate.gov
Senator Nikki Setzler- nikkisetzler@scsenate.gov
Seantor Shane Martin- shanemartin@scsenate.gov
Senator Kevin Johnson- kevingjohnson@scsenate.gov
Senator Tom Davis- tomdavis@scsenate.gov
Senator Greg Hembree- greghembree@scsenate.gov
UPDATE ON P.A.C.E. Scholarship bill has been added to the ESA/ESTF S39 as an amendment. The Senate Republican's would not pass P.A.C.E. Scholarship on it's own. Please be sure to call your Senator and tell them that you do not want the P.A.C.E. Scholarship Amendment altered in any way.
JAN 23, 2023 —
The $100 MILLION "TRUE" school choice PACE Scholarship Bill ... administered by INDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS ... is set to pass the SC Senate on Tuesday.
It is a "compromise" as the nefarious ESA, which we don't like due to it being 100% government run and does not adhere to the conservative platform ... Rest assured our PACE Scholarship Bill does... and it looks like the both will pass as ONE BILL.
We have worked hard to provide details and information on P.A.C.E. Scholarship and made it clear that the PEOPLE of SC want TRUE School Choice without government tentacles ...Our Senators were determined to get the ESA on the books. They decided on a compromise to pass BOTH ... For a host of reasons, we agreed that BOTH was OK.
We owe a thank you to Senator Tom Davis, Senator Shane Martin, Senator Tom Corbin!
Also, a HUGE thank you to Senator Mike Fanning who took the time last session as well as this one to not only educate the other Senators on the P.A.C.E. Scholarship bill, he also sponsored the P.A.C.E. Scholarship. He was a pleasure to listen to during the debate and really stepped across party lines to do the right thing for the children of South Carolina!!!
Please be sure to reach out to Senator Shane Massey, to let him know you want P.A.C.E. Scholarship without any amendments to it.
Senator A. Shane Massey
Majority Leader Chairman, Senate Rules Committee
Business Phone (803) 212-6330
Thank you to ALL of the Parents & Teachers who have reached out to the legislators of our great state of SC in support on the TRUE School Choice bill P.A.C.E. Scholarship. Please continue to call! Up next is the House Representatives!
SHARE THE PETITION at the bottom of this page!! Let's get to 1k!!
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.
This is a new session and we need P.A.C.E. to get passed out of either house this session.
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 (S285 / H3422) 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.
#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 S285 / H3422 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?
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 a "school choice bill" makes it to the floor debate or gets a hearing in Ways & Means:
1. Offer a Strike & Replace Amendment: Strike the verbiage from the ESA Bill or any other VOUCHER bills and replace it with S285/H3422 (P.A.C.E. Scholarship) verbiage in its entirety!
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 emails explaining why you want the P.A.C.E. Scholarship. This bill truly will help all South Carolina families, including teachers.
Murrell Smith, Speaker of the House 803-734-3144 murrellsmith@schouse.gov
Bruce Bannister, Chairman 803-212-6944 brucebannister@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
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!
Although P.A.C.E. (see below) is superior, in every way, the RINOs will try to the get the ESA bill S39 passed. The ESA bill is very flawed. They changed the name, included the word "scholarship" in it to try and trick the constituents. Yes, they try and trick us. We must READ the bills. SAY NO TO S39! Shame on Senator Grooms for filing this bill.
If you want to see
TRUE SCHOOL CHOICE,
we need your voice and
we need it NOW!!!
Please call your legislators! Ask them the following?
-Why are there committee members that don’t sponsor any version of school choice?
-Why would any members even sponsor any option and call it school choice if it 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)
Call your legislator and see where they stand ... this year ... and let us know what they say. The PACE Scholarship Bill will be a LITMUS TEST for Republicans especially leading into the JUNE 2024 Primaries where every SC Senator (46) and every SC House Rep (124) will be on the ballot ... and those that choose the ESA are not going to be on the good side.
This year they must PICK ... ESA or PACE ... not both as an "excuse" to confuse parents.
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:
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. S285 and H3422. 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, 10, 2023
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, 10, 2023
Letter to House Committee Supporting the P.A.C.E. Bill H3422
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 H3422 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 H3422 Bill":
Mission:
Show state senators that South Carolina residents want them to pass the P.A.C.E. Scholarship S285 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 46 state senators & 124 State House Reps 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 S285 Bill": https://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS
"P.A.C.E. Scholarships H3422 Bill": https://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=HMEMBERS
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 S285 / H3422" via postal mail. Click on this link to find out who your local representatives are: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
Call to Action -
Petition Showing Support for P.A.C.E.
Mission
Show South Carolina Senators how many of their constituents support TRUE School 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.