South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus

Files Legislation Creating I-85 Cherokee-Spartanburg Corridor Authority

(Gaffney, SC) State Senator Harvey Peeler today announced his efforts to establish the I-85 Cherokee Spartanburg Corridor Authority to oversee the recommendations of Department of Transportation’s I-85 widening report, which was issued back in June 2007. Senator Peeler believes the DOT has been lax in taking up the recommendations and it’s costing our region the opportunity for new jobs.

“We’ve seen money pouring into the coast and yes, Boeing was a good investment, but its time for equal economic development vigor in the Upstate, particularly I-85, Peeler said. “We can’t recruit new high paying industry without a strong infrastructure and the I-85 corridor between Cowpens and the North Carolina line need attention for economic development and safety reasons.”

Senator Peeler continued “it’s become pretty obvious that the state’s DOT is going to continue ignoring this problem, so I’m making I-85 my new Highway 5 (Highway 198 and Highway 5 between Blacksburg and York) effort.

The new authority will comprise of seven members – three appointed by the Senate, three appointed by the House and the President of Spartanburg Community College. Its mission is to work with any and all agencies to fund the I-85 widening and necessary water and sewer projects through grants, public and private donations, gifts and federal funds.

“Our region has been hit hard during this economic downturn and its time we hit back,” Peeler said.

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Columbia, SC – September 3, 2009 – South Carolina Senate Majority Leader and Medical Affairs Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) today announced his plan to move three big restructuring bills aimed at improving the efficiency of state government. Senator Peeler has appointed Senate Majority Whip Danny Verdin (R-Laurens) to chair a subcommittee examining restructuring of five health agencies.
Read the rest of this entry »

Mechanism needed to absorb jolts of the legislative spending cycle

State Sen. Harvey Peeler is correct when he points out that the state needs a shock absorber to even out the jolts from poor spending decisions.

The senator’s metaphor describes the situation well. A shock absorber takes up some of the impact of holes in the road, evening out the ride of a car by limiting the up and down movement of the suspension.

South Carolina has been made car sick by the ups and downs of state spending and budget cuts. The cycle of legislative spending is clear. When the economy is growing, the General Assembly spends all the money it can, every dime that is forecast to come into the state’s coffers. Lawmakers give no thought to the inevitable economic downturn. For instance, last year, lawmakers spent more than $1 billion in revenue growth. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a movie that House Speaker Doug Smith has seen before – a comedy turned drama with a tragic ending that leaves everyone frustrated.

Giddy with the smell of cash in good times, South Carolina lawmakers send money to every corner of the state. Then come the bad times, and legislators must take back large chunks of the bounty.

With the bad times comes a familiar song and dance, a tune that ends with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle singing never again. And that’s where the story ends.

Fade to black, roll the credits and start the show over again. Read the rest of this entry »

Gov. Mark Sanford said Thursday that South Carolinians could expect to see more budget-cutting sessions like the one scheduled for next week unless lawmakers pass legislation to limit spending increases.

“Absolutely,” Sanford said during a lunchtime visit to Daddy Joe’s Beach House and Barbecue. “Those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it.”

The Gaffney stop was part of Sanford’s 10-city, two-day tour to renew his call for government restructuring, which has been a hallmark of his six years in office. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and state Rep. Nathan Ballentine traveled with Sanford, and state Sen. Harvey Peeler joined them at Daddy Joe’s. Read the rest of this entry »

Gov. Mark Sanford said Thursday that South Carolinians could expect to see more budget-cutting sessions like the one scheduled for next week unless lawmakers pass legislation to limit spending increases.

“Absolutely,” Sanford said during a lunchtime visit to Daddy Joe’s Beach House and Barbecue. “Those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it.”

The Gaffney stop was part of Sanford’s 10-city, two-day tour to renew his call for government restructuring, which has been a hallmark of his six years in office. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and state Rep. Nathan Ballentine traveled with Sanford, and state Sen. Harvey Peeler joined them at Daddy Joe’s. Read the rest of this entry »

Legislators will attempt to cut about $490 million

Lawmakers will return to Columbia Monday to begin hacking away at the state’s $7 billion budget.

The state’s Board of Economic Advisors last week cut revenue estimates for the fiscal year by 6 percent, setting the stage for the Legislature’s special session. House Speaker Bobby Harrell and Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said in a statement they would seek to reduce spending by 7 percent, or about $490 million.

“We’re literally plowing new ground here,” said Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney. “We’re going in to make targeted cuts, and the entire budget is the target.”

In lowering the revenue projections, the Board of Economic Advisors cited faltering sales tax collections. Peeler said that was no surprise given that the state’s tourism industry has been decimated by the global economic crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

State Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler said this morning he will push for a rules change when the Senate meets next to require legislators to cast more recorded votes, even if it means slowing down the Senate.

The issue has been pushed by Gov. Mark Sanford and is supported by some House members and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell. House Speaker Bobby Harrell has questioned the need for it and the cost of such a change.

Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington unsuccessfully pushed a bill during the last session to require roll call voting for all legislation dealing with spending matters. She said she is introducing such legislation again. Read the rest of this entry »

Peeler: “when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there”

(Columbia, SC) – South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler today released the following statement on roll call voting legislation:

“There’s an old hymn we sing in church that goes ‘when the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.’ That’s the tune I’ll be singing next session and I’ll be passing song sheets around the Senate Republican Caucus so that my colleagues can sing with me.

South Carolinians are angry…and they should be. Although the current national financial crisis is stealing many of the headlines, South Carolina is facing a $70 million budget shortfall and the highest unemployment levels in fifteen years. Individual accountability and more government transparency highlight almost every conversation I have with constituents.

Editorials, press releases and blogs are great for bringing attention to an issue, but it takes real work to bring about change. It is time we start doing the work South Carolinians elected us to do. It might create more work. It might require us to work longer. It might even make us sit in a room with people we don’t particularly like. As leaders we must put petty political arguments and partisanship aside and focus on what is best for South Carolina, not the next election.

It starts with roll call voting. We will not fix South Carolina’s economy until legislators can be held accountable for their votes on government spending. Roll call voting will shine a light on the entire system, creating the transparency needed by legislators and deserved by taxpayers. There are two ways to accomplish this mission in the State Senate. The first is through a rules change on the first day of session, which I will be rallying our Caucus members around. A rules change is the easiest and quickest way to ensure transparency.

In addition to the rules change, I will file companion Senate legislation to Representative Nikki Haley’s House bill, which requires a roll call vote on spending bills and all other bills other than resolutions and recognitions.

Critics have two complaints. Many say that roll call voting will slow the Senate down. My response…so be it. We need to slow our work down and deliberate more on legislation. Far too often wasteful spending is inserted into bills and passed quickly without debate.

Other critics say that we already have roll call voting. All we need are five Senators to call for it. Well, we already have standardized business practices, but that did not stop the financial crises on Wall Street, and our current rules have not stopped wasteful spending in South Carolina.

Putting our state back on a course that leads to job creation and economic growth must be top priority for the General Assembly next year. And, I think it begins by joining hands and singing a song of transparency and responsible spending. ”

Two women whose complaints about their supervisor in the Cherokee County Veteran’s Affairs Office led to an unresolved state investigation have been fired.

About 60 people, most of them veterans, met Tuesday with Sen. Harvey Peeler and Rep. Olin Phillips, two of four Cherokee County Legislative Delegation members. But the meeting did not bring an end to the almost year-long controversy.

The special meeting came after VA Director Sammy Willard terminated Kathy Love and Michele Tucker on Monday. Read the rest of this entry »

Public Policy Ailments Create Public Ills

Mary Kay and Travis Ansley are living the health care crisis many others are talking about.

This month, the Ansleys nearly dropped the health insurance on their five-person family because the monthly premium on their self-insured policy jumped to more than $750 a month.

That’s an enormous chunk of money to this Charleston couple. Travis works in a two-man cabinet shop and Mary Kay runs a two-person home cleaning operation. Read the rest of this entry »