S.C. budget proviso targets bans on ‘conversion therapy’ for minors
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Cities and counties across South Carolina could soon see their state funding taken away if they enact local bans on conversion therapy for minors.
That’s the use of counseling to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
A temporary law that’s likely to be included in the next state budget – called a proviso – will revoke state dollars from any local government that enacts a ban on conversion therapy.
The only place in South Carolina where that applies is the city of Columbia, which has had its ordinance in place since 2021.
Will the proviso be in the budget?
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“So really, the City Council from Columbia were doing a very good job keeping us up to speed on avoiding a lawsuit and trying to resolve some stuff on a local level and asked for our help,” said Rep. Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sent a letter to the Columbia City Council last month saying he believes the city’s ban on conversion therapy is illegal – and threatening to sue if it isn’t repealed.
The potential repeal was discussed at the last council meeting.
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Nearly two dozen people spoke – telling council the ban should stay in place so minors would not be able to get this counseling.
The council decided to wait on a vote until state lawmakers resolved the budget.
“I think we’re in the middle of different political discussions and that we’re the only city, and my question is: Why are we the only city?” Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said.
The city could lose close to $4 million in state funding if the ban remains in place.
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Which is why it caught us off guard when House budget chief Bannister told reporters Columbia city officials were the ones who asked lawmakers to keep the funding threat in place as they negotiated the budget.
“They were ive of us adopting the proviso basically saying you can’t do something that probably is not constitutional, and they were going to lose a lawsuit over, and that this would encourage their to think a little harder about it,” Bannister said.
He wouldn’t disclose who he was referring to at the city.
“I neither confirm nor deny who was doing the work on that end,” Bannister said.
We reached out to Rickenmann’s office and city officials.
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A city spokesperson sent us this statement, saying:
“City Council has been seeking clarity regarding the state budget proviso related to the conversion therapy ordinance –primarily due to its impact on the City’s budget timeline to approve a balanced budget.”
The budget – with the proviso in it – will come before the full General Assembly next week – then head to the governor.
We asked Gov. Henry McMaster if he would veto that part of the budget.
McMaster has vetoed a lot of local legislation -- because of constitutional concerns.
“I’d have to look at it and see exactly what it says and what it means and what it intends to do,” he said. “But really, there are a lot of really important things that we need to be doing, and I would urge everyone to stick to the very important things that we must get done, and then we can think about other things.”
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