SC lawmaker draws ire from fellow Dems on transgender bill Sign In MEG KINNARD, Associated Press FacebookTwitterEmail State Rep. Cezar McKnight, D-Kingstree, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee meeting on a bill that would likely ban all abortions in the state,. Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 in Columbia, S.C. The bill has already passed the Senate.Jeffrey Collins/AP COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Twenty-three South Carolina Republicans have signed onto a measure aimed at blocking hormonal treatments for transgender youth. But the bill’s chief sponsor is a Democrat, prompting intense scrutiny from within his own party. Last week, lawmakers introduced the " South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act,” aimed at prohibiting minors from undergoing sex-reassignment procedures. The measure would bar doctors from prescribing medication or performing procedures to alter gender or delay puberty for anyone under age 18, with felony charges possible for doctors who violate the law.