South Carolinians are expressing frustration over the recent killing of a bill that would have made ivermectin available over the counter (OTC) in the state. The bill, which had passed overwhelmingly in May with a 100 to 9 vote in the House and 38 to 3 in the Senate, was killed by House majority leader Davey Hiott, who moved to recommit the bill to the agriculture committee.

Ivermectin Stigmatized

Ivermectin, an extremely safe and inexpensive broad-spectrum anti-parasitic, has been used in both humans and animals for decades. During the Covid pandemic, it showed promise as an antiviral, but was quickly politicized and became difficult to obtain even with a prescription. Many believe the stigmatization was self-interested, as the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Covid vaccines would have been at risk if ivermectin had been deemed effective.

Representative Jay Kilmartin, a member of the S.C. Freedom Caucus, introduced the bill to make ivermectin available OTC. However, after the midterms, Hiott moved to kill the bill, with some Republicans who had initially voted for the bill flipping their votes to support Hiott. The reason for the bill’s demise is reportedly to punish the Freedom Caucus, according to a legislator who voted to kill the bill.

Punishing the Freedom Caucus

The killing of the ivermectin bill has sparked outrage among South Carolinians, who believe that lawmakers should govern in the interests of their constituents, not in service of personal vendettas. The Palmetto State deserves leaders who will put the needs of their citizens first, rather than playing politics.

Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.