THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

Says USC should use money on classes

While other lawmakers worked to cut $500 million from the state budget, Sen. Chip Campsen was worried about folks at USC palling around with terrorists.

Campsen on Thursday called for the University of South Carolina to give back the money it paid to ’60s-era radical Bill Ayers for speaking engagements he has made on the Columbia campus over the years. Campsen suggested the money be used to teach more classes on the Constitution.

The Isle of Palms Republican offered the proposal as a budget amendment during Thursday’s debate before withdrawing it. (more…)

A 1960s radical’s speaking visits to the University of South Carolina became a part of the Senate’s debate Thursday on almost $500 million in budget cuts after a senator said he wanted to transfer the money USC spent to classroom instruction on the Constitution.

Sen. Chip Campsen, a Charleston Republican, said he was upset the university had spent any money to bring William “Bill” Ayers, an Illinois college professor of education, to USC given his 1960s and 1970s participation with a group labeled by the FBI as a domestic terrorism organization and his more recent praise of Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez.

Campsen proposed an amendment, later withdrawn, to transfer $6,846 from USC — the amount spent on Ayers’ visits — to a program to instruct students on the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. (more…)

Lawmakers decide not to change House bill; Sanford indicates he might veto some items

The South Carolina Senate approved $488 million in spending cuts Thursday, refusing to change a bill the House approved earlier this week.

Slashing state support for higher education, state agencies and conservation while limiting the reduction to K-12 education, lawmakers tried to spend money where it was needed most. The cuts were required after state economists lowered revenue projections earlier this month. (more…)

The University of South Carolina’s link to a former 1960s radical is drawing criticism.

On Thursday, state Sen. Chip Campsen said he wanted the school to use the nearly $7,000 used to bring William Ayers to Columbia to pay for instruction on the U.S. Constitution.

Ayers founded the Weather Underground. Now a professor, he has spoken six times at USC and sometimes received reimbursements or a stipend. (more…)