COLUMBIA — A North Charleston lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to repeal a decades-old law that prohibits people who default on federal student loans from holding government jobs.
State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis said the law, which led to the firing earlier this month of a Charleston County sheriff’s official, was “outdated and illogical.”
“It doesn’t make sense why the state of South Carolina prevents student loan defaulters from working in state government,” the Democrat said in a statement. “This disproportionately impacts minority job candidates, who are more likely to carry student debt.”
The bill has the backing of Pendarvis’ fellow Lowcountry Democrats, including Reps. Spencer Wetmore, JA Moore, Wendell Gilliard, Leon Stavrinakis and Deon Tedder.