Governor McMaster signs new pension bill with statewide urging from educators

The unified membership of The South Carolina Education Association voiced support for H.3726, a law that will now ensure a stable pension plan for state and district employees.

COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) expresses their gratitude to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster for today signing into law the Retirement System Funding and Administration Act of 2017 (H.3726). This bill caps the employee contribution to 9% until 2023, providing the most stability in incomes from annual increases since 2012.

“The South Carolina Education Association gives our greatest thanks to educators across the state who mobilized when they heard our emergency call and united their voices to urge Governor McMaster to sign the bill that will ensure viability for the pensions they work for,” said The SCEA President Bernadette R. Hampton. “Equally, we are grateful to Governor McMaster for hearing us and listening to our concerns, and acting prudently to preserve and sustain pensions for those who work hard for our state.”

The SCEA worked for more than three months with legislators from both parties in a bipartisan effort to craft a pension bill that would ensure sustainability of the pension plan for our state’s public service employees, such as educators. To show support for the bill, The SCEA launched an extensive social media, e-mail and printed collateral messaging campaign to members and educators to voice their support of the bill.

Educators ensured their voices were heard by sending hundreds of letters and emails as well as making hundreds of phone calls to the Governor to sign the bill, in addition to an extensive social media-based messaging outreach. The SCEA President Bernadette R. Hampton provided an op-ed that was run in the State and supporters sent letters to the editor. The SCEA also called on educators in dozens of schools to engage in a messaging campaign to urge Governor McMaster to sign H.3726 into law.