Quick
MARLBORO COUNTY — During the August County Council meeting, President of the Marlboro County NAACP Betty Jo Quick addressed council to request enacting a hate crime bill.
“I stand before you to ask that you would consider hate crime or put in place and I have made some other contacts through our county and state, they have one and put one in place. But in this ordinance, it states that a person who violated any section of the City’s Code of Ordinances with the intent to intimidate another person or persons in whole or in part because of the action or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disabilities or nation origin is guilty of the separate offense of hate intimidation.”
Quick went on to say Florence County passed a similar ordinance in their county in March 2024. According to the Florence Ordinance, if someone is found guilty of hate intimidation, they could potentially face up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine for the violation.
Currently, Wyoming and South Carolina do not have statewide hate crime laws.
“What I’m doing is asking that you all consider putting a hate crime bill in place in our county to protect our citizens, and to continue to protect them,” said Quick. “It is not just about race, it’s not just about color or whatever, it’s all across the board to protect citizens here in Marlboro County.”