Racially motivated attack renews calls for statewide protections as lawmakers face pressure ahead of 2026 session
South Carolina is facing mounting pressure to adopt a statewide hate crime law after a racially charged attack in Richland County exposed once again the state’s lack of protections against bias-driven violence.
In July, Jarvis McKenzie, a Black resident, reported that a white man fired a rifle over his head while shouting racial threats. The suspect, Jonathan Felkel, was arrested and became the first person charged under Richland County’s hate crime ordinance. He also faces weapons and assault charges.
The case has highlighted the limits of local ordinances, which exist in more than 20 South Carolina municipalities but carry only misdemeanor penalties capped at 30 days in jail.
“Federal hate crime laws exist, but they are slow to enforce and don’t always address local needs,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. “Our communities deserve stronger protections.”
Legislation Stalled Again
For nearly a decade, lawmakers have debated the Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act, named for the late state senator and pastor killed in the 2015 Emanuel AME Church massacre. Versions of the bill have cleared the House of Representatives multiple times but have repeatedly stalled in the Senate.
The latest effort, Senate Bill S.247, was introduced in January 2025 and proposes enhanced penalties of two to fifteen years in prison and fines up to $10,000 for violent crimes proven to be motivated by bias. The measure remains in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey has stood against advancing the legislation, arguing that current laws already provide equal justice. “We ought to treat everybody the same,” Massey said, calling the proposal a “feel-good” measure.
Advocates Demand Action
Civil rights groups, faith leaders, and business organizations have urged the state to act, noting that South Carolina and Wyoming are the only states without such a law.
“This isn’t just about punishment,” McKenzie said. “It’s about whether the state values our safety enough to take hate seriously.”
The renewed push comes ten years after the Charleston church shooting, which left nine parishioners dead at the hands of a white supremacist. Survivors and community leaders say the absence of a statewide law a decade later reflects a failure of political will.
With public pressure intensifying and the legislature set to reconvene in 2026, the question remains whether South Carolina will remain an outlier—or finally enact a law its critics say is long overdue.