S.C. county to discuss ‘hate crime ordinance’ with sheriff, tell me about this news in (https://www.wrdw.com/2026/09/11/sc-county-discuss-hate-crime-ordinance-with-sheriff/)

This news story covers Beaufort County Council’s discussions regarding a proposed local hate crime ordinance, held in consultation with law enforcement leadership, including Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner and 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone.Key Points of the Report

• The Proposed Measure: Beaufort County officials moved to consider establishing a local “hate intimidation” ordinance covering unincorporated areas of the county. The ordinance would allow local authorities to add a misdemeanor charge and penalties to existing criminal offenses if the act was motivated by bias against protected categories such as race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability.
• Statewide Context: South Carolina remains one of only two states in the United States (alongside Wyoming) without a comprehensive state-level hate crime statute. Because state legislation has repeatedly stalled, several individual municipalities and countiesincluding Richland County, Columbia, Charleston, and Blufftonhave pursued their own local ordinances to address racially and bias-motivated crimes locally.
• Consultation with Law Enforcement: County Council scheduled discussions with Sheriff Tanner and Solicitor Stone to review the legal framework, wording, and practical enforceability of the ordinance. Discussions focused on the jurisdictional limits of county-level ordinances (which are generally restricted to misdemeanor penalties such as fines or up to 30 days in jail) and how local charges interact with broader state and federal statutes.
• Community and Legal Concerns: Proponents advocate for the measure to ensure protections do not depend on municipal boundaries, while officials and legal advisors have weighed concerns over statutory language, scope, and whether state lawmakers should ultimately pass statewide protections.