THAT’LL LEARN ‘EM
The South Carolina House recently passed a bill making it a criminal offense, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or a maximum one-year prison sentence, to “wilfully” file a “groundless” complaint against a South Carolina judge. The Nerve broke that story last week.
On Wednesday, the House dropped the same language from a larger ethics bill introduced after The Nerve’s story, though it remains in the smaller bill, which currently is before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
And that’s hardly the only instance of state lawmakers attempting to turn “ethics reform” legislation into retaliatory measures that punish citizens for challenging public officials. In fact, The Nerve’s Jamie Murguia recently cataloged four areas where lawmakers are using legislation to hit back at their critics.
So perhaps the next time you hear South Carolina lawmakers talking about “ethics reform” … RUN.