Last week, House Democrats introduced a resolution to formally censure their Republican colleague Representative Vic Dabney. The resolution was filed after the posting of an insensitive and racist Facebook tirade by the Kershaw representative in response to H.3620 or the hate crime bill.
Just hours before the hate crime bill was to be voted on for its second reading, Dabney published his criticism of the bill on his personal Facebook page. The Republican wrote that the legislation was an attack on “whiteness” and “straightness” and shared racist messages about the disparities that exist between white and Black Americans.
In response to the post, thirty-three Democratic representatives have signed on to H.4180 which argues that Dabney’s comments “were so egregious as to amount to personal attacks upon members of the House of Representatives.” The resolution would allow for Dabney to be stripped of his committee assignments but retain his ability to vote in the General Assembly.
Several House Democrats expressed their concern with Dabney’s post on social media. Rep. John King condemned the Republican’s use of stereotypes and false crime statistics, calling the statement “overtly racist and deeply offensive.” Others such as Rep. JA Moore and Wendy Brawley joined King in requesting Dabney’s immediate resignation.
Dabney has indicated that he will not resign, but as of yesterday, he has stepped down from his chairmanship of the Kershaw County legislative delegation. The South Carolina Democratic Party stated that the move is a “meaningless gesture” from “someone who has shown little remorse for his vitriolic and hateful rhetoric.”
Dabney is a recent addition to the General Assembly as he unseated long-time Democratic incumbent Laurie Funderburk just last year. Funderburk was known to be an ardent fighter for her district, often crossing partisan lines to deliver real results to her constituents through legislation focused on voting, healthcare, education, and safety. It’s clear from Dabney’s post that the Republican is very unlike his Democratic predecessor, both in terms of kindness and effectiveness in the House.
The resolution to censure Dabney now awaits a hearing in the House Ethics Committee.