A South Carolina lawmaker pre-filed a bill that seeks to lower the state’s drinking age from 21 to 18, arguing that this is a “personal freedom issue.”
Democratic Rep. Todd Rutherford pre-filed the legislation on Wednesday, which would lower the drinking age in South Carolina, WMBF News reported. Rutherford argued that if a person is old enough to serve, vote, and collect student loans, one should also have the right to drink alcohol.
“This is a personal freedom issue,” Rutherford said in a statement. “If you are old enough to fight for our country, if you’re old enough to vote, if you’re old enough to sign on for thousands of dollars of student loans for a college education, then you are old enough to have a drink.”
The last time the drinking age changed was 37 years ago, in 1984, when it was raised to 21 to conform with the federal drinking age. The federal government frequently threatens to withhold highway funds to states with low drinking ages. Rutherford explained that as a result of the state’s excess budget, he believes South Carolina has the ability to change the drinking age while also maintaining the roads.
“Now is the time to do this,” he said. “Between the existing state budget surplus, all the money that Joe Biden sent us, and the economic growth that will come as a result, we can afford to do this.”
Rutherford’s bill would be considered by the South Carolina General Assembly when it reassembles in January, according to the outlet.
“Rather than criminalize adults for doing something that is otherwise legal, we can show the rest of the country that there is a better way,” Rutherford said.
Today I filed a bill to lower the drinking age to 18. If you’re old enough to fight for our country, old enough to vote, old enough to take out student loans — then you’re old enough to have a drink. https://t.co/iyIPnNnnxs
— Todd Rutherford (@RepRutherford) November 11, 2021
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Rutherford has recently made headlines as a vehement supporter of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, bringing up the idea of a state lottery in June as an incentive for people to get a coronavirus vaccine.
“What we’re doing isn’t working,” Rutherford tweeted in June. “SC has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Ohio saw demand for the vaccine skyrocket with their lottery. I don’t care if it’s ‘goofy,’ I care if it gets results!”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Rutherford for a statement but did not receive a response.
