SC anti-Semitism bill has clear route to passage despite free-speech concerns

The S.C. House’s controversial anti-Semitism bill now has a clear route to passage this year, despite the objections of pro-Palestine groups who say it could chill free speech on college campuses.

The bill, which requires S.C. colleges to use a U.S. State Department definition of anti-Semitism when investigating alleged civil rights violations on campus, was OK’d Thursday by a Senate panel.

State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, told The State newspaper he will try next week to pull the bill out of the Senate’s Education Committee, which will not meet again this year, and onto the Senate floor for a vote.

And S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster would sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate, his office confirmed Thursday.

“This body in recent years has done yeoman’s work in pushing back on bigotry of all shapes and forms,” said state Rep. Alan Clemmons, the Horry Republican who sponsored the bill. “Today we see the largest rise of bigotry being directed toward the Jewish in this country, particularly on college campuses. We are addressing a need.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 10:43 AM with the headline "SC anti-Semitism bill has clear route to passage despite free-speech concerns."