SC House OKs bill increasing fines for bothering alligators

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A bill increasing the penalties for bothering or feeding an alligator in South Carolina has unanimously passed the state House. The bill would allow a $500 to $1,000 fine for people who “feed, entice, or molest” an alligator. The current fines are $100 to $150. The bill now heads for the Senate. The bill was written after a social media post in 2020 showed players at a Hilton Head Island mini golf course sitting on top of a restrained alligator and riding it after a crew had removed it from a nearby retaining pond. The alligator was later euthanized under state policy. A screenshot of the video was show in the House by bill supporters before the vote.