S.C. State funding debate rages as GOP lawmakers seek to block $5M

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina State University is now part of state budget negotiations after days of protests resulted in the cancellation of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s planned commencement speech in April.

Lawmakers have discussed pulling back funding from the HBCU for weeks after the university decided not to have Evette as its commencement speaker.

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S.C. State, the state’s only publicly funded historically Black university, rescinded plans for Evette to speak at its May 8 commencement following days of student protests. The school said it also made the decision due to security concerns.

Students argued that Evette, who is running for governor as a Republican, and her political views do not align with the university and its history.

Evette notably referred to the protesting students as a “woke mob” multiple times and said she did not intend to apologize for the remark.

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A letter from several Republicans in the General Assembly urged budget conference committee members to block $5 million for a convocation center.

Rep. Melissa Oremus, R-Aiken, and other lawmakers said the money should be excluded after S.C. State canceled Evette’s commencement speech following student protests.

“This issue is not about whether South Carolina State University is an HBCU,” Oremus said. “It’s about whether a publicly funded university should allow a small group of students to decide which viewpoints are acceptable to hear.”

READ THE LETTER:

In the letter, lawmakers said no one was forced to agree with the lieutenant governor’s views, but students should have had the opportunity to hear them and decide for themselves.

In May, nine Republican representatives sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister raising similar concerns, a move Evette supported.

The Senate GOP Caucus said it has no statement at this time.