Recent Updates

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

For the past week and much of the coming week, the Senate is occupied with crafting the state’s budget for the coming year.

Much of the time has been spent discussing core government functions like adequately funding school bus transportation, and funding transportation infrastructure improvements. In addition to those big ticket items, the Caucus is continuing to look for other ways to save taxpayer money. For instance, Senator Chip Campsen proposed an amendment that was successfully adopted calling for a cost-benefit analysis of the state-owned plane.

This week the budget debate will shift to a school choice measure proposed by Senator Larry Grooms. The amendment would give tax credits to parents choosing to educate their children in a private school, home school, or in another public school that they weren’t zoned for. We expect this amendment to be thoroughly debated, as school choice has always been a contentious issue within the Senate.

In other matters, a bill sponsored by Senator Katrina Shealy was ratified and signed by the governor. The bill provides that flags atop state buildings will be lowered to half-staff when an SC resident in the military loses their life. The bill also requires the governor to identify the person being honored on the day of the funeral on the Governor’s Office website. It’s another small way we in the Senate believe we should recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

We also just passed the Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Integrity Bill. This legislation allows DEW to impose a penalty for fraudulent overpayments. This bill keeps SC in compliance with federal law which will allow employers to continue to receive certain tax credits for their employees. The savings are estimated to be up to $400 per employee for businesses in our state.

Finally, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a tough new Ethics law that we expect to be debated on the floor of the Senate very soon.

The bill makes a number of important changes, all centered on making sure citizens can trust the government representing them to make decisions ethically and transparently.

Among other things, the bill will increase the waiting period for former legislators to take lobbying jobs, remove ethics investigations regarding legislators to a new statewide board rather than being done within the chamber, strengthen conflict of interest and income disclosure rules, and establishes a Public Integrity Unit at SLED.

As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Filed Under: Blog, Caucus, Issues, The Blog

SC Senate Panel Advances Ethics Reform

May 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A South Carolina Senate panel has advanced an ethics reform package that removes ethics investigations from legislators.

The bill sent Tuesday to the full Judiciary Committee overhauls the makeup of the state Ethics Commission board and puts it in charge of investigating possible ethics violations by legislators.

The measure keeps House and Senate ethics committees in place. But their roles would change. They would publicly determine how to punish members for non-criminal allegations only after the commission does its work and finds probable cause a violation occurred.

Republican Sen. Chip Campsen says that ensures an independent investigation while avoiding constitutional questions. The state constitution says each chamber is responsible for disciplining its members.

The House plan approved last week created a joint House-Senate committee of legislators and people they select.

Courtesy of WLTX.com

Filed Under: Blog, Caucus, Issues, The Blog Tagged With: , , , , ,

Senate leaders issue statement on Ethics Reform Bill

May 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Columbia, SC-May 2, 2013-Senate leaders today issued the following statement on the House-passed ethics reform bill that was today assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee:

“Time is of the essence, and we appreciate the House’s passage of the bill so that we can consider it and get it passed before the end of the session,” Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler said. “The House bill represents a start, and we are committed to a strong ethics bill being passed by the Senate.”

“The House bill represents a solid step toward ethics reform, but there is still room for improvement,” said Senator Wes Hayes. “We need to make sure this bill is as strong as possible and has the teeth it needs to give our citizens confidence in the system.”

“We plan to move quickly on this bill in order to get it on the floor for consideration,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin. “Addressing ethics reform is something that we have to get right when the opportunity arises, because we won’t get another bite at this apple. Half measures won’t cut it.”

Filed Under: Blog, Hayes, Martin, Peeler, The Blog, Top News

Alexander Ensures Every Newborn Has a Healthy Heart

April 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Columbia, SC – April 11, 2013 – Getting every newborn in South Carolina screened for congenital heart defects is one step closer to reality today, after the state Senate passed a bill introduced by Senator Thomas Alexander.

Today the Senate passed the “Emerson Rose Act,” that will require all newborns to receive a special screening for critical congenital heart defects prior to discharge. Congenital heart defects are the number one killer of infants with birth defects, and have unfortunately taken a significant toll on families across the U.S. Pulse Oximetry is a non-invasive screening test that helps identify newborns at risk for heart defects. New research suggests that wider use of “Pulse Ox” screening in conjunction with the routine practices would help identify more than 90 percent of congenital heart defects.

The bill was named for Emerson Rose, an infant born with a heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Her parents, Jason and Susan Smith of Clemson, SC, started the Emerson Rose Heart Foundation in her honor.

“With medical technology where it is today, there’s simply no reason that this potentially life-saving screening should not be given to every South Carolina newborn,” Alexander said. “I am pleased the Senate moved forward with this bill, and am hopeful the House does so as well.”

The American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Cardiology Foundation recommend that every state passes Pulse Ox legislation, and Senator Alexander is passionate about getting the bill passed in SC.

For additional information on Pulse Ox Screening contact: Carolyn Bivona, Government Relations Director, American Heart Association, carolyn.bivona@heart.org 803-806-3027.

Filed Under: Alexander, Caucus, The Blog, Top News Tagged With: , , ,

Lawmakers presenting measures to change SC student athletics

April 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

COLUMBIA (WACH) – Some state lawmakers are presenting measures that would change who oversees high school sports. However, they don’t see major changes coming soon.

Charleston Sen. Chip Campsen is one of several lawmakers ready to see changes in how student athletics is handled across the state.

“Athletics was probably the most important activity I ever engaged in my life as far as teaching me discipline,” said Campsen.

Campsen says the South Carolina High School League, the system that currently oversees athletics, has structural flaws that allow rivalries and coaches to influence the system.

“Those rivalries will always be imported,” said Campsen. ” They are not independent arbitrators of disputes and rules when it comes to interscholastic athletics.”

Several proposals that would change how athletics operate in the state are being debated. One bill looking to change the structure would have the state superintendent of education appoint a new commissioner to oversee high school athletics. Another proposal put forth Wednesday would give home schooled children the chance to compete alongside public school athletes in their school district.

“The state should respect those parents decision, but not deny those children the ability to participate in athletics because their parents have made a decision about what is best for their education,” said Campsen.

Sonya Timmons has been home schooling her son for almost four years, and he has become an avid runner.

“We just don’t feel like just because we made an academic choice for our children it negates the fact that they do know how to run, they do know how to play baseball, they do know how to play football,” said Timmons.

Timmons helped create a tract team for home schoolers and they’ve had an easy time competing against other schools at tournaments until this year. The high school league worries that students could leave traditional schools and create an all-star team of home schoolers to compete for state championships.

“The notion that somehow parents of great athletes are going to decide to home school their kids simply so these great athletes can form a great team and go out and beat the Goose Creeks and the Gaffneys of SC on the football field is absurd,” said Campsen.

“If you say it’s for the competition and you want to beat the best of the best if we ever got there, why not?” said Timmons. “They’re just kids running. There are kids in public and these are home school kids. They’re just kids running.”

It’s a debate that is sure to keep running on and off the field.

Courtesy of Midlands Connect.

Filed Under: Blog, Campsen, Caucus, The Blog, Top News Tagged With: , , ,

Upstate senator proposes bill to provide $200M for S.C. roads

April 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

COLUMBIA – The Senate’s majority leader is proposing a comprehensive transportation bill that would provide more than $200 million for the state’s crumbling roads and bridges, move the State Infrastructure Bank and add a second appointee by the governor to the state’s highway commission.

Sen. Harvey Peeler of Gaffney, the Senate’s Republican leader and the bill’s author, said he knows the bill is ambitious.

“I agree it’s a big bill,” he said. “It’s a big bill because it’s a big problem. And it’s getting bigger every day. If I accomplish nothing today, it will at least create a conversation on the needs of our infrastructure in South Carolina.”

Sen. John Scott, a Richland County Democrat, said he thinks Peeler may be trying to do too much.
“I think in trying get it all done in one comprehensive bill, we might not be able to get anything out because of so many different issues,” he told Peeler.

Transportation funding has been the focus of debate in both chambers this year following an estimate by a DOT task force that found it would take $29 billion over 20 years to bring the state’s roads and bridges up to good condition. A business coalition has estimated the state needs $6 billion over 10 years.

The state operates the fourth-largest state-maintained road system in the nation with one of the lowest gas taxes, at 16.75 cents per gallon. It was last raised in 1987.

The House has responded by passing a measure authored by House Speaker Bobby Harrell that would send $80 million of the revenue collected from car sales tax to DOT. The remainder would go to education needs, as is now allocated. The House also appropriated $60 million towards bridge needs.

Peeler said he doesn’t believe an increase in the gas tax is possible and while he is not opposed to Sen. Nikki Setzler’s idea to borrow $500 million through bonds, he doesn’t yet support spending it all on secondary roads.
“I’ve tried to be as realistic as possible in funding our infrastructure needs,” he said of his proposal. “Granted, it’s a drop in the bucket but it’s still a drop. It’s an empty bucket right now.”

The bill’s funding would come from a bevy of sources, he said. Like other bills, his would send money collected from the sales tax onvehicles to the state Department of Transportation. But Peeler’s bill would split the money, currently about $103 million, between DOT and the Infrastructure Bank, which his bill would move into DOT so the DOT board could take over those responsibilities. The money sent to the bank could then be leveraged for bonds, he said.
Peeler and others have complained that the Infrastructure Bank has spent most of its money on projects in a handful of counties in the state.

The bill would require that 20 percent of any new revenue would be used for bridge repairs and construction. This year that would amount to about $100 million, he said.

Other money would come from out-of-state truckers’ fees.

He said state inspectors under the bill would check to be sure ethanol is being blended properly at the pump and that it is being listed as a motor fuel so it is taxed.

The bill also would make the last overhaul of DOT, which resulted in the governor appointing DOT’s director, now called the state transportation secretary, permanent. The law otherwise is set to expire in 2015.

He said the bill would require any future infrastructure bank projects fall under the same priority requirements as other state road projects and only be approved if funding is available.

The bank’s last approved project, final funding for an 8-mile extension to I-526 in Charleston, is to be financed through future revenues because the bank has used up its bonding capacity on the project.

Sen. Paul Thurmond of Charleston asked if Peeler’s bill would impact the I-526 project.

Peeler replied he wasn’t sure but believed the state should be funding repairs to I-85 before paying for an extension of I-526.

“You can have pot holes on Maple Street and live with it,” he said. “But we can’t have pot holes on interstate highways. We have potholes on I-85 today. It’s dangerous to ride on that stretch of road.”

Peeler said he believes I-526 should only be funded after the state pays to widen I-85 to six lanes from North Carolina to the Georgia line.

Courtesy of Greenville Online.

Filed Under: Blog, Peeler, The Blog, Top News Tagged With: ,

The SC Senate Republican Caucus continues to “crank out the bills”

March 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This week was especially productive in the Senate. Here are some things you may have missed:

On Monday, The State published an article titled “SC Senate Cranking Out Bills,” and only three days later, the South Carolina State Senate moved three more important bills, continuing its quick work for South Carolina families.

The early voting and the NDAA nullification bills both passed the Senate on third reading, while a bill expanding gun rights for CWP holders was placed in special status.

S.4 will allow South Carolinians to cast ballots during a seven-day period before Election Day.

S.92 nullifies the enforcement of the federal National Defense Authorization Act that deals with unlimited detainment of any American citizen suspected of terrorism.

S.308 will allow people with concealed weapons permits to legally carry firearms in restaurants.

Filed Under: The Blog Tagged With: , , , , ,

Senate passes Early Voting and NDAA nullification bills

March 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

CWP Bill is also Fast-tracked

Three days after The State published an article titled “SC Senate Cranking Out Bills,” the South Carolina State Senate moved three more important bills, continuing its quick work for South Carolina families. The early voting and the NDAA nullification bills both passed the Senate on third reading while a bill expanding gun rights for CWP holders was placed in special status.

S.92, nullifies the enforcement of the federal National Defense Authorization Act that deals with unlimited detainment of any American citizen suspected of terrorism. The second bill, S.4, will allow South Carolinians to cast ballots during a seven-day period before Election Day.

Senator Tom Davis, sponsor of the NDAA nullification bill, was especially pleased:

“The federal government is trying to ignore basic individual rights like due process,” Davis said. “States must, therefore, act as quickly as possible to stand up against federal overreach, and prevent unconstitutional detainments.”

S.308, sponsored by Senators Sean Bennett, Katrina Shealy and others, will allow people with CWP permits to legally carry firearms in restaurants.

“While the federal government continually attempts to restrict gun rights, we’re trying to ensure that those who’ve received the proper training have the freedom they deserve,” Bennett said.

Senator Shealy agreed:

“Our top priority right now is to make sure that the constitutional rights of South Carolinians are protected. This bill brings us one step closer to achieving that goal.”

Filed Under: The Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

SC Senate cranking out the bills

March 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

COLUMBIA, SC — It took the state Senate five weeks last year to debate and pass a bill restructuring state government – a bill that ended up dying, in the Senate, on the last day of the legislative session.

This year, the Senate passed government restructuring in just a week. In fact, the Senate – known as the General Assembly’s “deliberative body” – has been on a roll, approving 41 bills through March 12, according to the Senate’s records. That’s 16 more bills than the Senate passed through March 12, 2011, which, like 2013, was the first year of a two-year legislative session.

What’s behind the newfound sense of urgency?

Leaders say they want to ensure the Senate is not tagged as “dysfunctional,” like the U.S. Congress. And, they add, the Senate’s loss of some “obstructionist” members, who retired or were defeated last fall, also has helped.

The Senate has worked so fast that it has decided to give itself a two-week, mid-session unpaid vacation. That’s something the S.C. House traditionally does every year but the Senate rarely has participated in, as it tried to catch up on its work.

“We’ve earned this,” Senate President Pro Tempore John Courson, R-Richland, told the Senate just before it voted earlier this month.

In addition to government restructuring, the Senate this year has passed:

A bill outlawing sweepstakes machines, which many compare to video poker. The highly polarized issue is championed by well-paid lobbyists, once making it ripe for delay, but not this year.

A bill changing how candidates file for office, addressing last year’s election debacle that saw nearly 250 candidates kicked off the ballot. The Senate tried, but failed, to pass similar legislation last year so the disqualified candidates could be put back on the ballot. This year, the proposal passed in the first two weeks of the legislative session.

A bill allowing nonprofits, including churches, to hold raffles. Former state Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, unsuccessfully tried to pass the bill for years. This year? The Senate passed it in the session’s first two weeks as McConnell, now lieutenant governor, watched from the Senate’s podium.

A bill to allow early voting in the days before an election, an issue that spent last year in legislative limbo

Courson jokes the Senate is becoming “a racetrack.” But both he and Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, say the famously slow Senate has worked faster this year because it doesn’t want to be compared to the U.S. Congress, which has historically low approval ratings after not acting to avert budget cuts, known as “sequestration.”

“Both sides look at Congress of the United States as dysfunctional, absolutely dysfunctional,” Courson said. “We will not allow that to happen to the S.C. Senate.”

The Senate has other smaller changes working in its favor, too. For the first time, it met in December – a full month earlier than usual – for an organizational session to elect officers and assign committees.

The Senate also changed its rules, making it slightly more difficult for senators to block bills.

And, as Courson put it, the Senate has 10 new members this year who “are not obstructionists. That’s been a huge plus.”

“We had maybe four or five (senators) who slowed things down who are no longer there,” Courson said.

Courson declined to identify those senators. But State House observers note the absence of former state Sens. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington; Phil Leventis, D-Sumter; and Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, all capable of tying the Senate in knots when they were opposed to a proposal.

Setzler, the Democratic minority leader, said he has been pleased with the Senate’s work this year. But he noted several major issues still are in committee – including his proposal to borrow $500 million to repair the state’s roads and bridges.

“There will be contentious debate on those issues,” Setzler said. “But I think the important thing is that the debate be civil, and you continue to move forward and work together.”

Members of the S.C. House long have complained about the pace of the Senate, where many House bills go to die slowly. But House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, said he has been pleased with the Senate’s work this year.

“The Senate’s willingness to act on key priorities early in this year’s session marks a move toward the more responsive state government that our citizens have called for,” Harrell said in a statement. “Real reform only becomes a reality when both legislative bodies are able to act.

“Already, we’ve had a productive session, and I thank the Senate’s leadership for helping us advance issues that will improve the lives of many South Carolinians.”

New Senators

The S.C. Senate is moving faster this year, and Senate President Pro Tempore John Courson, R-Richland, says it is partly because of the body’s 10 new members, who, he says, are not “obstructionists.” A look at the Senate’s new members, and who they replaced:

Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington (Jake Knotts)

Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter (Phil Leventis)

Tom Corbin, R-Greenville (Philip Shoopman)

Karl Allen, D-Greenville (Ralph Anderson)

Ross Turner, R-Greenville (David Thomas)

Tom Young, R-Aiken (Greg Ryberg)

Greg Hembree, R-Horry (Dick Elliott)

Kevin Johnson, D-Claredon (John Land)

Sean Bennett, R-Dorchester (Mike Rose)

Paul Thurmond, R-Charleston (Glenn McConnell)

Courtesy of The State.

Filed Under: Courson, The Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Senate sets two key bills for priority status

March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
NDAA Nullification, Early Voting set for special order next week

The Senate Republican Caucus today announced a compromise on two key bills ending a longtime deadlock on moving forward with the legislation.

The two bills are set for special order, meaning they’ll be given priority status for debate next week. One bill, S.92, nullifies the enforcement of the federal National Defense Authorization Act that deals with unlimited detainment of any American citizen suspected of terrorism. The second bill, S.4, will provide for a limited period of early voting in South Carolina.

Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler praised the move:

“It’s a good day when we can both expand people’s access to the ballot box, and protect their constitutional rights against federal overreach all at the same time,” Peeler said. “This is a great compromise that will end the Senate’s deadlock on these bills, and make sure they’re given the consideration they deserve.”

Senator Tom Davis, sponsor of the NDAA nullification bill, agreed:

“If states don’t act, the federal government will continue its march over basic individual rights like due process,” Davis said. “It’s the appropriate role of the states to stand against federal overreach, and act as a constitutional check on unlimited federal power.”

Filed Under: Davis, Peeler, The Blog Tagged With: , , ,
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