SC senators intensely debate gay-themed issues, state budget

SC Senatior Brad Hutto

“I can assure you this is going to attract attention to this state for absolutely the wrong reason . . . As soon as S-E-X is mentioned in a book at the college level, we’ve got a hang-up,” the Orangeburg Democrat said, adding the votes to sustain the House-passed cuts made the Senate look like a “bunch of old guys” who are offended by homosexuality.

 Hutto was "reading" the rest of his SC Senate colleagues because some of them wanted to retained budgetary cuts given to the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina Upstate as some sort of punishment for offering gay-themed books for students to read. According to the State newspaper, while the cuts were eliminated, Sen. Mike Fair led the charge to get them renewed. Senators debated for hours over the issue. Some, such as Fair, called the books (Fun Home and Outloud: The Best of Rainbow Radio) pornographic. Other senators said the issue was about academic freedom and lawmakers shouldn't micromanage colleges. Hutto, specifically, blocked further progress on the state's budget until the matter is settled. Senators are expected to vote today.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/07/3433709/sc-senators-spar-over-gay-themed.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy