TheState.com: Politics

SC inches closer to other states with military-friendly legislation

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:03 EDT

While South Carolina’s legislature made progress this session in reaffirming the state’s military-friendly status, but it still has work to do to pass muster nationwide.

With Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sessions looming in 2015, lawmakers this month passed two more of the 10 quality-of-life measures highlighted by the U.S. Department of Defense.

They are:

• The Military Service Occupation, Education and Credentialing Act: It grants veterans licensing and academic credit for certain kinds of military education, training and experience. The law was signed by Gov. Nikki Haley on June 7.

• The Veterans Treatment Court Program Act: The measure sets up special courts in each county that send veterans charged with nonviolent offenses into programs that treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder rather than jail. Haley is expected to sign the law sometime this week, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The Buzz: SC GOP flees debt, an “Obama judge”

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:00 EDT

The S.C. Republican Party withdrew last week from a federal lawsuit aimed at closing the state’s political primaries so that only party-faithful can vote – but not because the GOP thinks the state should keep its political primaries open to all comers.

The reason, in part, is money.

“The S.C. GOP simply moved to withdraw itself as a party to the lawsuit and let the Greenville GOP take the lead in litigation,” Alex Stroman, the party’s executive director, said in an email to The Buzz. Doubling the lawyers and legal fees didn’t “make fiscal sense,” he said.

The exit, orchestrated on Chad Connelly’s watch before he resigned as party chairman last weekend for a gig with the Republican National Committee, leaves the Greenville County GOP alone in fighting the party’s dilution by “Democrats, communists, independents” and others who now can vote in GOP primaries, said Stephen Brown, a Greenville GOP activist and attorney on the case.

Brown said the state GOP’s exit may be Connelly’s last dig at him and Samuel Harms, another attorney on the case, for running against Connelly for the party’s chairmanship. Connelly’s resignation came about a month after he won election to another two-year term, beating Brown and Harms.

SC political briefs, June 16

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:49 EDT

More than $7 million spent in 1st District race

Former Gov. Mark Sanford won his former congressional seat, representing South Carolina’s 1st District, in a campaign in which candidates and outside groups spent about $7.3 million.

Sanford, coming back from the scandal of an extramarital affair that derailed his political career, was outspent but still defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch last month to win the congressional seat he held for three terms in the 1990s.

Campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show all the candidates together spent just under $6 million, with another $1.3 million poured in by outside groups, most of it to oppose Sanford.

The Sanford campaign spent about $1.1 million compared to about $1.8 million for Colbert Busch. State Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston, also spent just more than $1 million in seeking the GOP nomination.

SC student leaders gather in state capitol

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:48 EDT

The two new governors for Palmetto Boys State and Girls State took the oath of office from South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal on the State House grounds Friday.

The two weren’t there to succeed Gov. Nikki Haley – at least not yet.

Naimik Patel from Wren High School and Michelle Troup from Powdersville High School were inaugurated during ceremonies capping off the weeklong programs designed to engage high school students in politics and civil involvement. The two were joined by more than 1,500 peers who marched, danced and cheered their way down Main Street and up the front steps of the State House before a crowd of friends and family.

“Just know that South Carolina is so proud of you, know that South Carolina is the best state in the country, and know that it’s the best state in the country because of you,” Haley told the crowd of high school students.

Part summer camp, part crash course in politics, the Palmetto Boys and Girls State programs allows rising high school seniors – selected by their teachers – to participate in a simulated political system designed to teach them about how government works. During the week, students run for political office, make stump speeches, cast votes, debate resolutions and write articles for a newspaper.

SC student leaders celebrate citizenship

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:47 EDT

Delegates from all over SC gathered on the state house grounds Friday to elect officers and hear from SC Governor Nikki Haley during the 2013 Boys and Girls State.

More than $7 million spent in SC's 1st District

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:31 EDT

Former Gov. Mark Sanford won his old seat in South Carolina's 1st District last month last month in a campaign in which candidates and outside groups spent about $7.3 million.

Sanford, coming back from the scandal of an extramarital affair that derailed his political career, was outspent but still defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch to win the congressional seat he held for three terms in the 1990s.

Campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show all the candidates together spent just under $6 million with another $1.3 million poured in by outside groups, most of it to oppose Sanford.

The Sanford campaign spent about $1.1 million compared to about $1.8 million for Colbert Busch. State Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston, also spent just over $1 million in seeking the GOP nomination.

Sanford emerged from a 16-way GOP primary with several sitting state lawmakers as well as Teddy Turner, the son of media magnate Ted Turner. He then won the primary runoff against Curtis Bostic. Colbert Busch, the sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert, defeated perennial candidate Ben Frasier in the Democratic primary.

SC legislators reach deals on road repair, 4K spending

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:19 EDT

Budget negotiators reached a tentative deal Friday on road funding and education that appears to clear the way for the state’s $22.7 billion spending plan, set to take effect July 1.

According to the deal, the state:

• Would borrow up to $500 million to repair interstates and primary roads. The deal also would spend $41 million to repair secondary roads – roads that are not eligible for federal highway money. Whatever money the state has left in nonrecurring dollars would go to repair state-owned bridges.

• Would spend $26 million to expand a 4-year-old kindergarten program into 17 school low-income districts, where at least 75 percent of students qualify for government-paid health insurance or free and reduced-price lunches. Sixty-five percent of the money would go to public schools, while 35 percent would go to private schools. Also, the state would offer a tax deduction – up to 60 percent of the donor’s tax liability – for the first $8 million in donations to scholarships for disabled students to attend private schools.

The deal does not include vouchers for poor parents to send their children to private schools, as was proposed in the House’s version of the budget.

SC political briefs, June 14

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:40 EDT

State pension fund posting 12.7 percent return

South Carolina’s pension fund investments are expected to post double-digit earnings for the current fiscal year.

According to the agency that oversees the fund, the latest report for the state’s portfolio shows a net return of 12.7 percent.

The Retirement System Investment Commission said Thursday its investments earned $3 billion between last July 1 and April 30, pushing the fund’s worth to almost $28 billion.

Chief Investment Officer Hershel Harper told state retirees in Columbia this week the portfolio should close June 30 with double-digit earnings despite choppier markets in recent months.

SC delegation at odds over immigration reform

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:16 EDT

A Republican proposal to deputize local police as immigration agents would improve public safety, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

But Democrats said it would reopen the fractious debate over whether states can be trusted to investigate a person’s citizenship status without engaging in racial profiling.

Those contrasting opinions were the focus of a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday about the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act sponsored by Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy of Spartanburg.

Gowdy’s bill is one of several House Republican proposals designed to create a stricter version of immigration reform than a bill under debate in the Senate.

Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, endorsed Gowdy’s bill as protection against a repeat of the 1986 immigration law that granted legal status to 3 million illegal immigrants but failed to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

School-choice debate looms in budget talks

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:11 EDT

A debate over how much private school “choice” S.C. taxpayers should subsidize looms as lawmakers work to adopt a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The S.C. House and Senate differ over whether private or public 4-year-old kindergarten providers should benefit most from an expansion of the state’s 4K program for at-risk children.

They also disagree on a plan to give tax breaks for donations made for private-school scholarships that are made available to children with disabilities or living in poverty.

A panel of three state senators and three representatives – two Republicans and one Democrat from each chamber – will meet Friday in an effort to resolve differences between the two chambers’ spending plans.

The General Assembly returns to the State House Tuesday with hopes of passing the spending plan next week. If they fail, the state government could face a shutdown.

SC business leaders continue push for support of Gang of Eight immigration bill

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:25 EDT

A group of S.C. business leaders gathered in a State House office building Thursday afternoon to urge passage of a federal immigration bill, saying immigrant workers were “an asset on the balance sheet.”

That line was delivered by Rueben Montalvo, a Greenville businessman who immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1986. Montalvo, who now owns 15 businesses, said other immigrants need the same opportunity. Immigration reform is long overdue, he said.

“This is the only place on earth where we protect the pursuit of happiness in our constitution,” Montalvo said. “Why on earth would we turn our backs on the people who want to give us their very best? It’s not only the right thing to do, but it makes good economic sense.”

The press conference was held hours after three national reform groups released the results of a 29-state, bipartisan poll that showed large support for an immigration bill working its way through Congress. The poll found 62 percent of S.C. voters strongly or somewhat supported the legislation.

The groups represented at the Thursday press conference in South Carolina rely on immigrant labor – the S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, the Palmetto Agribusiness Council, the S.C. Farm Bureau and the S.C. Peach Council.

Pee Dee clinic excluded from receiving state money for poor

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:47 EDT

A group of S.C. health centers for the poor will be eligible to share at least $10 million from the state budget that begins July 1, but one health clinic could be left out.

Genesis Health Care, which has offices in Darlington and Florence counties, is the only health center excluded, according to the S.C. House’s $22.7 billion spending proposal.

Genesis chief executive Tony Megna is a party in several longstanding lawsuits against state Rep. Kris Crawford, a Florence Republican who is also an emergency-room doctor. Those lawsuits involve the Lake City Community Hospital, where Crawford practices and where Megna was once the chief executive officer.

Crawford says he has not been involved in the decision to exclude Genesis. Megna declined to comment for this story.

But Dr. Alexander Cohen, medical director for Genesis, said he was “extremely concerned about the reason Genesis Health Care was excluded” but would not say whether the Crawford lawsuit is the reason.

SC Supreme Court dismisses Rainey ethics complaint against Gov. Haley

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:23 EDT

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The state Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed an ethics complaint against Gov. Nikki Haley, ending a Camden attorney’s years-long effort to bring criminal charges against the Republican governor.

John Rainey – a prominent Republican fundraiser and former chief economic forecaster under former GOP Gov. Mark Sanford – had argued that Haley used her position while a Lexington state representative for personal gain, lobbying for Lexington Medical Center, where she was a fundraiser, and Wilbur Smith Associates, where she was a paid consultant.

Rainey first filed a lawsuit in circuit court, but a judge threw it out, saying the House Ethics Committee – not a court – was the correct place to hear the allegations. Rainey then filed a complaint with the GOP-controlled Ethics Committee, which cleared Republican Haley twice. Those hearings included testimony from Haley – a first for a sitting governor. Rainey then asked the Supreme Court to declare the circuit court was wrong to dismiss his lawsuit. The high court unanimously upheld the lower court’s ruling Wednesday.

“Every court and every legislative body that has looked at these bogus claims against Governor Haley has determined that they are without merit. Now, the Supreme Court has joined in that view,” Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said in a written statement. “While even a Supreme Court ruling will likely not stop Gov. Haley’s determined political opponents from continuing to make false charges against her, the people of South Carolina see that for what it is.”

State transportation chief has reservations about Senate road funding plan

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:47 EDT

State Department of Transportation Chairman John Edwards says he’s not looking a gift horse in the mouth but has strong reservations nonetheless about a Senate budget plan to spend $500 million on roads and bridges.

The plan would use $50 million to leverage about $500 million in bonds from the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

Although the state’s transportation needs range as high as an estimated $29 billion, lawmakers this year couldn’t agree on a permanent funding fix. So the Senate adopted the bond plan, while the House passed a plan that would use $60 million from the budget for bridge work and dedicate about $80 million a year in vehicle sales tax revenue for roads.

The two chambers are in final negotiations on the budget. The Senate bonding idea also was inserted into another transportation bill.

Edwards told GreenvilleOnline.com that he doesn’t like the idea that the Senate’s plan depends on borrowing.

SC students up 10%, but staffing up 50%? Study would scrutinize school spending

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:42 EDT

The number of children in S.C. schools increased by 10.3 percent from 1995 to 2011. But the number of teachers and school administrators increased by 48.1 percent.

That disparity has state schools Superintendent Mick Zais questioning whether S.C. public schools are spending taxpayers’ money wisely.

A $300,000 program analyzing school districts’ non-instructional spending habits, proposed as part of the state budget to take effect July 1, would help districts see how their spending compares to other districts and identify possible savings. The outcome, supporters say, could be more money reaching students and classrooms.

The state Education Oversight Committee, which makes policy recommendations for S.C. schools, has proposed to hire a private firm to evaluate at least three school districts, analyzing how efficiently they spend money on non-instructional expenses, including overhead, personnel, procurement, facilities, transportation and technology.

The program would “encourage school districts to ... find ways to save money,” said state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, who asked the Senate to include the program in the budget.

Probation has ‘not complied with state law’

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:46 EDT

When the state probation department told lawmakers it was spending less time supervising offenders because of budget cuts, lawmakers gave the agency an extra $3.8 million over two years to hire 47 new agents.

But the agency, part of the governor’s Cabinet, did not spend that money to hire new agents. Instead, it used the money to help boost its cash reserves to more than $15 million, according to a report released Tuesday by the Legislative Audit Council.

The council detailed 36 findings in its 62-page report, concluding Probation, Parole and Pardon Services “has not complied with state law and agency policy in the areas of human resources, procurement, and finance.”

Among the findings, the agency:

• Did not return $20,000 that rightfully belonged to probation offenders

State GOP’s new chairman optimistic about party-building, paying back debt

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:38 EDT

Matt Moore, the S.C. Republican Party’s new chairman, is starting the job eager to make the state party a model for national Republican politics and optimistic about paying back $300,000 in legal debt.

In a meeting with media Tuesday, Moore said his contribution is “bringing in fresh ideas,” and as an engineer by training, he hopes to use technology to attract as many people as possible to the party.

“We have a big-tent party, and I’m committed to it being a big tent.”

Moore says the party’s debt should be paid back by the end of 2013 or early 2014. The lawsuits resulted from more than 200 candidates being removed from the ballot last year because of paperwork errors.

Moore, 31, was elected chairman by the state GOP’s executive committee after Chad Connelly, who was elected by party convention last month to another two-year term, resigned Saturday to take a job with the Republican National Committee.

Haleys donated $130,000 to charity

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 23:37 EDT

Gov. Nikki Haley and her husband reported earning $284,226 in 2012, including $109,481 in profits from the sale of her 2012 book, according to a copy of the couple’s tax returns.

The couple donated $130,000 to charity. The tax return did not specify what charity the Haleys donated to, but Haley’s spokesman said $120,000 went to the Original Six Foundation, a nonprofit Haley founded to aid local communities. The rest went to Mount Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington.

While the Haleys owed the state and federal government $84,323 in taxes in 2011 largely due to a large advance on Haley’s book, the Haleys were due a state and federal refund of $11,471 for 2012 — all of which the couple applied toward their estimated 2013 tax liability. The Haleys paid $36,490 in combined state and federal taxes in 2012.

Haley reported income of $175,000 in book royalties, but $66,019 of that went for legal and professional expenses, netting a profit of $109,481. Haley’s salary as the state’s chief executive is $106,078 — according to her 2012 statement of economic interest — meaning Haley earned a combined $215,559.

The remainder of the couple’s reported income, $68,667, came from First Gentleman Michael Haley’s salary with the S.C. National Guard and interest from an investment with Dr. Ajit Randhawa, Nikki Haley’s father.

South Carolina transplant announces for Montana Senate seat

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 22:08 EDT

When the national mid-term elections come up next year, Republicans nationwide will be looking to find a few candidates who can turn the balance of the U.S. Senate to their favor, and a Sumter native is hoping to represent his party in what is expected to be a battleground state.

Champ Edmunds, a 1981 graduate of Wilson Hall who has lived in Montana for the past 16 years, declared his candidacy last month, hoping to convince Big Sky Country voters to support sending him to Washington, D.C., in the 2014 elections. He spoke to The Item about his plans during a recent visit home.

In making his announcement in April, more than a year before the primaries in Montana, Edmunds hopes to have the time to overcome obstacles that currently lead pollsters and pundits to label his campaign as a longshot.

First, Edmunds starts with a distinct name identification disadvantage, as nearly four out of five Montana voters asked in a poll last month had either never heard of Edmunds or had no opinion. It's a disadvantage Edmunds recognizes.

"I'm a state legislator. Most folks outside of Missoula don't know who I am," said Edmunds, who is currently in his second term representing a portion of the Missoula area in the state's House of Representatives.

State House for sale: How SC ethics reform died

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 20:20 EDT

Gov. Nikki Haley – cleared by the S.C. House of allegations of violating state ethics laws – flew to Charleston last August to announce that ethics reform would be her cause in the 2013 legislative session.

Haley wasn’t alone in her interest in the subject.

The Republican-controlled S.C. House and Senate announced ethics reform efforts, too. Public interest and good government groups signed on, and Haley named a blue-ribbon, bipartisan commission. It recommended tougher income disclosure requirements for legislators, requiring secret political groups to report their activities and – perhaps most important – ending the practice of lawmakers investigating ethics complaints against lawmakers.

After scandals that had embroiled former Gov. Mark Sanford, led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Ken Ard and, this year, added an investigation of House Speaker Bobby Harrell, the momentum was clear: South Carolina soon would get tougher laws governing elected officials.

Last week, that effort failed in the state Senate, dying at least for 2013.