NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Beyond Distilling Company in North Charleston is celebrating after a bill passed the South Carolina Senate that would close the loophole allowing businesses to pay employees with disabilities less than the minimum wage.

The company’s mission is to hire anyone regardless if you are disabled or not. Co-Owner Kerrianne Krause says that the bill being close to becoming law is exciting.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for many years. It’s funny because any time we talk about it, any time you bring up ‘Oh did you know that there’s a loophole in the labor law that says people with intellectual disabilities can make no money or less than minimum wage?’ everybody thought that was insane,’ said Krause.

The loophole gave employers the right to pay people with disabilities less than $7.25 an hour if they can’t perform as well as someone who isn’t disabled.

“There are over a thousand people with disabilities (in South Carolina) who are paid less than minimum wage,” said Kimberly Tissot, the President and CEO of Able South Carolina. “Ending subminimum wage to me is finally justice for South Carolinians with disabilities.”

Governor Henry McMaster now has to sign the bill into law which would be a big step for employees of the company like Zach Spanos.

“Zach has been working with us learning everything for two years now. When we opened up everyone knew what to do and we were ready,” said Krause.

Spanos says that his favorite part about working at the...

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