S.C. politics
Birth-center regulations before House panel
A S.C. House committee removed a provision in a bill Tuesday that would have forced birth centers to get approval for a plan to transport emergency patients to a nearby hospital.
The provision angered some birth centers, which said it gave the hospitals the power basically to shut them down. Birth centers provide midwifery services and alternative child-birth arrangements outside a hospital setting. There are four S.C. centers, and state health officials cracked down on regulation of them last year.
Legislators are updating regulations in an attempt to ensure safety while allowing the centers to remain open. The House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee took up the birth center bill Tuesday.
While it removed the need for hospital approval of a transportation plan, the committee kept provisions requiring centers to gain national accreditation. Currently, only two of the four S.C. centers have that accreditation. The others will have a year to earn it.
Sanders to speak at S.C. Democratic convention
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, will speak at the S.C. Democratic Party’s convention Saturday.
The self-described socialist is considering running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced earlier this month that she is running and is the odds-on favorite.
“South Carolina Democrats are thrilled to be hosting Democratic Party leaders and potential presidential candidates from all over the country at our state convention, especially a progressive U.S. senator like Sen. Sanders,” said Jason Perkey, S.C. Democratic Party executive director.
Democrats will host several 2016 hopefuls or their surrogates for their two-day gathering in Columbia, including former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee; former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley; Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton ally; and David “Mudcat” Saunders, an ally of former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.
Joey Holleman, Jamie Self
This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 8:08 PM with the headline "S.C. politics."