Morning Buzz: Presidential pre-primary underway, governors reflect on spats with lawmakers + is school choice growing?
Call it the primary before the primary.
The 2016 presidential race in South Carolina has focused so far on candidates going to fundraisers and town-hall meetings. But White House hopefuls also are doing something that might be more important — building their Palmetto State operations in hopes of capturing an early primary win.
“It’s the talent primary,” said Chris LaCivita, who is aiding Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in South Carolina. (Plus, a chart of who’s working candidates.)
Buzz: A fight that’s rarely clean
After Nikki Haley’s “shower” remark, former S.C. governors talk about trying to keep often touchy relationships with lawmakers from getting out of hand
Also, S.C. Democrats invite another Virginia senator for dinner, and the Palmetto State will get a visit from a (formal) presidential candidate this week.
Bill could expand school choice
More than 70 percent of South Carolina’s 700,000 public-school students would qualify for the state’s private school-choice program if a state House-passed plan becomes law.
ALSO: The leader of the nonprofit that has raised by far the most money in the state’s fledgling private school-choice program says proposed changes to the law are taking aim at her and threatening the program.
S.C. Clicks
Environmental control: In a lengthy diatribe against environmentalists last week, a state highway commissioner urged lawmakers to limit the ability of conservation groups to challenge construction projects.
Crude controversy: When Charleston’s City Council voted last week to oppose offshore drilling in South Carolina, the decision widened a fracture over U.S. energy policy between local government leaders and their counterparts at the federal and state levels.
Speed bump: A deal this month to bring 1,300 new jobs and a Daimler Sprinter Vans plant to North Charleston was in danger of being derailed at the last minute, at least in part because of something a Charleston legislator says he never said.
Road rage: Some lawmakers, groups and citizens believe the state Department of Transportation is rife with wasteful spending, but other legislators and some agency leaders say suspicions are untrue and have been used to avoid paying more in taxes and fees to repair the state's crumbling infrastructure.
Prez Clicks
Lindsey speaks: After his third venture into Iowa testing the waters for a presidential bid, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham is convinced he sees an opening for himself in the 2016 race. (ALSO: ‘I wouldn’t run if I didn’t think I could win’)
Ring, ring: Jeb Bush called the chairman of Greenville County Council and talked about the former Florida governor’s positions on abortion and the Common Core educational standards.
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This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 2:15 AM with the headline "Morning Buzz: Presidential pre-primary underway, governors reflect on spats with lawmakers + is school choice growing?."