South Carolina lawmakers clash over historical monument protections and QR code ban

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A bill moving through the General Assembly has renewed debate over how South Carolina preserves and explains its history.

If the bill passes, it would protect the names of every monument, statue, road, and building across the state named for a historic figure while also restricting additions, such as QR codes, that provide additional context.

Supporters of the bill, largely Republicans, say the measure is necessary to protect historical sites from being altered or removed based on shifting political views.

Democrats argue the bill limits the public’s ability to fully understand the state’s history and prevents communities from addressing painful or incomplete narratives.

“This is not preserving heritage — it’s the opposite,” said Sen. Ed Sutton, D-Charleston. “It’s making it harder.”

Under the proposal, lawmakers, rather than local governments, would have the final say on any changes to protected monuments. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to pass amendments giving local governments more control, a move Republicans opposed, citing Charleston’s removal of a statue of John C. Calhoun in 2020.

Calhoun served as Secretary of War under President James Monroe and Vice President under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Calhoun was well-known for his strong stance in favor of slavery.

“Trusting local communities is how we lost the Calhoun statue. I move to table this,” Sen. Matt Leber, R-Charleston, said.

Other Republicans concurred, saying the bill is necessary because it protects history.

Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, the bill’s sponsor, said it is intended to preserve these monuments exactly as they were placed.

“The speech, the presentation — the offering for multiple generations of posterity — is a snapshot in time,” Verdin said.

Another major point of contention is language in the bill that would ban QR codes or similar digital tools from being added to protected sites. Supporters say added context can alter the original message. Opponents argue that QR codes are a modern, widely used way to provide historical information without altering the monument itself.

Sutton said that this move puts South Carolina behind the rest of the country.

“No one could provide a good example of how that’s been used negatively. Nobody, I kept asking, where is this coming from? No other state in this country has banned QR codes on state-owned property. Where is this coming from? Couldn’t get a good answer for that,” he said.

Republicans said that history should remain unchanged, even if certain aspects might make the audience uncomfortable.

The bill passed 31-7 in the Senate and now heads to the House on a tight deadline. Lawmakers are expected to wrap up this legislative session on May 14, just four legislative weeks away.

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