COLOMBIA, SC – The Senate approved a proposal that would pay South Carolina teachers the small annual increases that were postponed at the beginning of the school year because of economic uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, senators unanimously approved “gradual increases,” which are increases of several hundred dollars a year that teachers receive for each year of service.
The Senate made some minor changes to the bill, including ensuring that school nurses were included in the increases.
This means that the House, which originally approved it in a 118-0 vote on January 28, will have to vote it again.
The money would be given to teachers in a single amount in June. The state is setting aside $ 50 million for the increases.
Contraceptive measure approved by Senate committee
COLOMBIA, SC – A bill sponsored by the Republican Party that would allow pharmacists to prescribe a contraceptive to a woman without a specific prescription for the patient has been approved by a state Senate committee.
Senator Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, sponsored the bill after he began to worry that the lack of regular access to health professionals was hampering the rural community’s access to contraceptives.
If the bill were passed, pharmacists could distribute self-administered contraceptives and administered by pharmacists if they followed a set of protocols established by the Pharmacy Council and the Council of Medical Examiners.
Senator Richard Cash, R-Anderson, expressed concern at the committee that this bill could harm women and that the process of distributing contraceptives is routine and non-informative for the patient.
“It wouldn’t be superficial if you just call and check the box,” said Davis.
Davis said 13 states have similar legislation in place.
Ag commissioner recommends that eligible workers be vaccinated
COLUMBIA, SC – With South Carolina preparing to expand the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hugh Weathers, is urging those in the food and agriculture sector to intensify vaccination and be vaccinated when they are eligible.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced on March 2 that Phase 1B of vaccine availability will begin on Monday.
The agency’s criteria for Phase 1B can be found at scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-vaccine.
It is evident that many people working in the food and agriculture industries of South Carolina meet the SCDHEC definition of “frontline workers”, “rural migrant workers who live in shared housing or depend on shared transport” and / or other Phase 1B qualifications, according to a news release from Weathers.
Weathers encourages anyone who meets criteria 1b to contact their doctor or pharmacy supplier about scheduling a vaccination appointment. DHEC also maintains an online service, scdhec.gov/vaxlocator, and a hotline, 1-866-365-8110.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is also communicating with state officials, health care providers and agricultural companies about installing some vaccination clinics in the workplace during this phase.
The Associated Press contributed to this report