Florence city leaders OK local hate intimidation penalties amid push for statewide law
FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — Florence officials have approved a law adding extra punishment for anybody convicted of a hate crime within the city limits.
Language in the ordinance sets penalties of $500 or a maximum of 30 days in jail if a person is found guilty of committing a crime based on ” perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability or national origin.”
The move puts Florence on a list of cities including Charleston, Columbia and Greenville where local action has been taken to criminalize hate crimes. South Carolina and Wyoming are currently the only states without such a law on the books.
Last month, the city council adopted a resolution urging state lawmakers to enact the “Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act.”
Despite heavy bipartisan support in the House — where the measure was approved last March on an 84-31 vote, it has stalled in the Senate.
The bill can only come back up for consideration there through a procedure known as “special order,” which sets aside a specific day and time for debate on a single issue.
“It’s a very narrow margin right now. I think largely some of the issue we’re hearing is, folks don’t understand the bill,” State Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-Florence, told council members last month. Florence County’s nine-person legislative delegation unanimously support it.
According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, South Carolina saw 65 hate crimes in 2022.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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