South Carolina making progress to get more women in General Assembly and leadership roles

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — At first glance, the all-male South Carolina Senate subcommittee deciding whether to approve a proposal to remove the sales tax from feminine hygiene products was a reminder that as recently as 2012 the state had no women in its Senate.

But progress is being made. The election of a sixth woman to the 46-member Senate in January pulled South Carolina up from last place in the U.S. in the percentage of women in its upper chamber.

No one noted the composition of the all-male Senate Finance subcommittee and they listened to five women speak in favor of the bill before ceding the floor to Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy, who broke the chamber’s four-year run with no women in 2013.

“I know we have a lot to do, but we can always do one more thing,” said Shealy, who spoke about how important it is to keep products like pads and tampons affordable and available, especially for younger women already struggling in poverty.

The bill, which was approved 114-0 in the House last year, passed through the subcommittee unanimously Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate floor. There are only three weeks left in session, but if anyone has a shot in making sure it gets to the governor’s desk, it’s Shealy, who got 11 bills where she was primary sponsor passed last session — twice as many as any other senator.

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