Snowed In but Showing Up: Rep. Robert T. Reese’s Town Hall and the Fight for South Carolina’s Democracy
- CUBNSC
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
By Javar Juarez | CUBNSC | Legislative Town Hall
On a winter Saturday when much of South Carolina was quite literally snowed in, civic engagement did not freeze. Instead, it adapted.
Representative Robert T. Reese, who represents House District 70 across parts of Kershaw and Richland Counties, convened a town hall meeting that became a powerful reminder of what representative democracy looks like when it is taken seriously. Although the original plan called for in-person attendance in Camden, severe weather forced a pivot to Zoom. Legislators and residents showed up anyway, filling the virtual room with energy, concern, and resolve.
The result was not a scaled-down conversation, but a far-reaching one. Joining Rep. Reese were Representative Annie E. McDaniel, Representative Hamilton Grant, Representative Keishan Scott, Representative Courtney Waters, and Representative Jermaine Johnson Sr. Even in the midst of a winter storm, the panel reflected the breadth of leadership currently working within and alongside South Carolina’s Legislative Black Caucus.
Robert T. Reese: Leadership Rooted in Education and Participation
Representative Robert T. Reese, a member of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, used the town hall to emphasize a point he has made consistently throughout his legislative career: South Carolina’s greatest political challenge is not partisanship, but participation.
As Reese and several panelists noted, South Carolina is often labeled a “red state,” but the reality is more complex. It is better understood as a non-voting state, where low turnout, voter purges, and misinformation suppress the will of the people.
Drawing on prior conversations with Black educators, Reese underscored a troubling reality. Historically, only a fraction of Black educators in South Carolina were registered to vote, despite their frontline role in shaping civic values and political consciousness. While those numbers have improved, the core question remains unresolved: How can communities effectively advocate for public education, fair funding, and teacher pay if they are disengaged from the electoral process?
For Reese, voter education is not optional. It is foundational.
Bills, Policy, and What’s Actually Happening at the State House
The town hall addressed a wide range of legislation moving through the General Assembly, cutting through confusion and political noise.
One of the most urgent discussions centered on House Bill 4764, a measure explained in detail by Representative Hamilton Grant. The bill would require every local law enforcement agency in South Carolina to enter into so-called 287(g) agreements with ICE. Grant warned that such a mandate would effectively federalize local policing, eliminate body-camera transparency during joint operations, and expose communities to unchecked enforcement actions while shifting training and implementation costs onto taxpayers. Reese encouraged residents to track the bill, submit public comments, and engage during committee hearings while there is still time to influence its outcome.
The conversation also addressed changes to SNAP benefits, led by Representative Courtney Waters. New work requirements and expanded cost-sharing provisions could leave thousands of families without food assistance if the state fails to meet its obligations. Panelists made clear these are not abstract policy debates. They represent immediate threats to food security that will strain food banks, rural communities, seniors, and working families.
Healthcare access emerged as another defining issue. Rural districts across South Carolina continue to face hospital closures, provider shortages, and dangerously long emergency response times. Panelists highlighted federal rural healthcare block grants and stressed the importance of community-level organization to ensure that funding does not bypass the areas most in need.
The Bathroom Bill Explained
One of the most confusing and emotionally charged topics for residents has been the so-called “bathroom bill,” House Bill 4756, a measure described by its sponsors as a “Safety and Privacy” act. The bill applies to K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, restricting bathroom and locker room use based on sex assigned at birth.
Representative Courtney Waters, who addressed the issue directly, was clear: there is no evidence of a widespread safety problem necessitating such legislation. Panelists explained that the bill disproportionately targets transgender and intersex individuals, who are already among the most vulnerable populations. Through floor amendments, lawmakers were able to limit liability exposure and require at least one single-user restroom per facility, reducing potential harm. Still, the bill has not yet become law and now awaits consideration in the Senate.
Voting, Voter Purges, and the Road Ahead
Perhaps the most urgent theme of the town hall was voting itself.
Representative Annie E. McDaniel, Chair of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, emphasized the need for more candidates to step forward and run for office, particularly women. A question from an audience member who attended in person focused on the lack of balance in the State House and the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.
Representative Jermaine Johnson Sr. expanded the conversation, responding to concerns about election integrity and political interference. He addressed recent national developments, including the involvement of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a federal action connected to the Fulton County elections office in Georgia. Johnson warned that efforts to close primaries, require REAL ID, and aggressively purge voter rolls are not neutral administrative changes. Rather, they function as strategic barriers that disproportionately impact Black, rural, elderly, and low-income voters.
Speakers cautioned that South Carolina is one of several states participating in voter data-sharing and roll-purge programs that risk removing eligible voters without notice. The message from the panel was consistent: checking voter registration regularly, educating neighbors, and maintaining direct relationships with elected officials are no longer optional civic habits. They are survival tools for democracy.
Energy, Industry, and Environmental Responsibility
Representative Reese also reiterated his stance on unchecked industrial expansion, particularly industries that consume massive amounts of energy, such as data centers. He stressed the need for steep fines for environmental violators, arguing that residents should not be forced to subsidize infrastructure and energy demands created by private industry. Companies, he said plainly, should pay for their own expansion.
Representative McDaniel echoed concerns about long-term energy planning, referencing discussions around small nuclear reactor models being explored internationally, while noting resistance to such conversations within parts of South Carolina. The broader point was clear: energy policy decisions must be transparent, community-centered, and environmentally responsible.
Snowed In, But Not Silenced
Many residents may not know that Representative Reese raised his daughters in Minneapolis, where they graduated high school before he eventually moved his family back to South Carolina. A native South Carolinian with deep roots in the Lower Richland community, Reese also lived in Atlanta, where he attended Morehouse College. Yet, as he shared during the town hall, he found a deeper sense of Black community and collective support in Minneapolis than in Atlanta, a reflection he offered while pushing back against harmful national narratives about Minnesota and its residents.
What made this town hall especially powerful was not just the substance of the discussion, but the circumstance. Even as winter weather disrupted travel and daily routines across the state, elected officials and constituents logged in, stayed engaged, and wrestled honestly with the issues facing South Carolina.
It was a reminder that democracy does not pause for convenience. It persists because people choose to show up.
As Representative Reese made clear throughout the meeting, progress will require more than good policy ideas. It will require candidates who reflect shared values, communities willing to organize, and voters prepared to participate fully in the process.
South Carolina’s future will not be decided by weather, labels, or narratives imposed from outside. It will be decided by who shows up, who stays informed, and who votes.
And on this snowed-in Saturday, that work was already underway.
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