S.C. politics

The new trustees at S.C. State University have declared a financial emergency at the school that will allow deep cuts in programs, faculty and workers.

The trustees approved the move at the end of their board meeting Wednesday.

In a statement, board chairman Charles Way says he is confident acting president Franklin Evans and other administrators can make strategic cuts, not just slash across the board.

S.C. State is more than $20 million in debt after it failed to cut expenses as enrollment at the state’s only public historically black school plummeted.

S.C. GOP leaders ask that debates be more open

S.C. Republicans called Wednesday on Fox News and the Republican National Committee to open their upcoming presidential debate to “all credible candidates.”

Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster of Columbia and S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas of Darlington were among 130 state Republicans listed in a letter charging the plan — to include only the top 10 candidates — denies “all credible candidates an opportunity to have their voices heard on an equal basis at the beginning of the process.”

“Excluding candidates based on national polling at this point in the race rewards name recognition for those candidates who are celebrities, candidates who have run previously or candidates who have lots of money to purchase early national advertising,” the S.C. Republicans wrote.

GOP leaders in New Hampshire and Iowa have expressed similar concerns. The first nationally televised GOP debate is scheduled for Aug. 6.

National GOP officials and network executives have struggled to accommodate a 2016 Republican field expected to feature more than 15 high-profile candidates.

Fox News, the host of the first debate, plans to restrict it to the top 10 candidates based on polling averages from the five most recent national surveys. The network recently said candidates who do not qualify will be invited to participate in a forum to be aired on the afternoon of the debate.

The second GOP presidential debate, hosted by CNN in September, will be divided into two parts. One will feature the 10 highest-polling candidates. The other will feature the remaining candidates who register at least 1 percent in polling.

McMaster said the networks should allow two debates that divide the field evenly. “What we want to do is let everybody get on the stage – although certainly not altogether, that would be unwieldy and a waste of time.”

House approves compromise to keep Uber running

A bill allowing Uber to continue operating in South Carolina past the end of June could be one vote from Gov. Nikki Haley’s desk.

The House voted 96-2 Wednesday on a compromise worked out by a six-member legislative committee. The Senate is expected to vote Thursday.

The compromise addresses how much insurance Uber drivers must hold. It specifies cars must meet a 19-point safety inspection and have a removable emblem to identify that they are available to riders.

In January, the Public Service Commission issued a cease-and-desist order stopping the app-based service. After criticism from lawmakers, the commission granted a temporary license through June 30.