FLORENCE — Conservative group may target Graham

A conservative group said Thursday that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Seneca, is at the top of its target list for 2014.

At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor newspaper, Club for Growth president Chris Chocola told reporters his group is eyeing Graham’s race with a “lot of interest,” given the Republican’s deviations from the club’s free-market agenda.

“If you’re looking to the horizon of 2014,” Chocola said, “the sun may rise over South Carolina.”

Chocola, a former Indiana congressman, said his group’s involvement in Graham’s re-election bid ultimately would depend on who emerges to challenge him in the GOP primary. He hinted other organizations also are preparing to oppose Graham’s renomination.

The Club for Growth has amassed a record for knocking off GOP incumbents over the past few cycles, helping defeat U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana in last spring’s GOP primary, for example. It has been less successful in electing its favored candidates. In Indiana, for instance, a Democrat won the normally Republican seat.

Education board: Letter grades won’t work

S.C. education board members want to assure teachers they won’t implement the Education Department’s proposal to give teachers letter grades.

Board chairman Dennis Thompson said Wednesday evaluating educators on an A to F scale is not going to work. The governor’s appointee, bank president Michael Brenan, said businesses would never evaluate employees that way.

The comments followed a presentation by the state Association of School Administrators, which offers an alternative to the state’s plan for evaluating teachers and principals.

Superintendent Mick Zais says he’s still exploring evaluation possibilities.

Evaluating educators based on performance is a required part of the state’s exemption from key provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The evaluation system is set to start statewide in 2014-15.

Tax evasion case against S.C. lawmaker back in court

A S.C. state representative is back in court this week for a retrial on tax-evasion charges.

Rep. Kris Crawford, R-Florence, is charged with failing to file state tax returns for 2004 through 2007. In a trial in March of last year, the jury could not reach a decision and a mistrial was declared.

Crawford’s attorney, Celeste Jones, acknowledged her client did not file his returns on time but says he got bad advice from his accountant.

The retrial began Tuesday just a week after Crawford was re-elected in House District 63 over Democrat Austin Smith.

The charges against Crawford are misdemeanors, but he could face jail time if convicted.

From Staff and WireReports