Senate Summary | Week of June 03 - 05, 2008
Filed Under Caucus, Gregory, Hawkins, Leatherman, Ritchie, Top News, Vaughn | Leave a Comment
Quote of the Week– “If you all don’t work together, I’ll be back.”
Senator John Drummond’s final comments to the South Carolina Senate as he gaveled the session closed on Thursday June 05, 2008.
Immigration Reform Signed by Governor (Wednesday, June 04)
Illegal immigration reform was the number one issue going in the 117th General Assembly session and it came to a final resolution on Wednesday, June 04, when the Governor signed the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act into law. South Carolina now has the strongest, most comprehensive illegal immigration reform law in the nation.
The law requires that all employers use the federal E-Verify or a valid South Carolina driver’s license to confirm the legal status of new employees. The law allows businesses up to five days to verify a new employee’s legal status or be subject to fines and the loss of a newly developed South Carolina License to Hire.
Senator Jim Ritchie (R-Spartanburg) commented after the Governor signed the bill: “The whole point of this bill is to create a level playing field for everyone and prevent those who choose to operate outside the law from gaining a competitive advantage over businesses that play by the rules. The rule of law can now be asserted where the federal government has failed to protect our communities.”
Budget Vetoes Overridden by General Assembly (Wednesday, June 04) Governor Mark Sanford returned 69 vetoes to the 2008-2009 General Appropriations bill, this week the General Assembly overrode 57 of them. Senator Hugh Leatherman says this year’s $7 billion budget, which goes into effect on July 1, is a “lean but responsible budget that addresses the core needs of the state.”
Despite critics’ comments, the State Budget Office constantly monitors the budgeting process to ensure that appropriations do not exceed forecasted revenues. This year’s budget also includes almost $100 million in new money from the General Fund.
Where Are They Now - Bills Status at the End of the Session
Education Accountability Act ………………….. H.4662 - Allowed to Become Law
Concealed Weapons Reciprocity………………….. H.3212 – Pending Conference Committee
Sprinkler Bill………………….. H.4470 - Pending Governor’s Approval
DNA Databank-Post Conviction DNA ………………….. S.429 - Pending Conference Committee
Critical Needs Nursing Fund ………………….. S.1022 – Veto Overridden
Safe-Cigarette Regulations………………….. H.4900 – Veto Overridden
Historical Documents Display………………….. H. 3159 – Pending Governor’s Approval
Government Restructuring………………….. H.3590 - Stalled
Government Accountability Act ………………….. H.4538 - Stalled
Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Board………………….. S.104 - Allowed to become law
I Believe License Plate………………….. S.1329 - (Allowed to Become Law)
Constitutional Amend. Guaranteeing the Rights of Hunting and Fishing ……………… H.3202 - Stalled
Keel Confirmed by Senate as New Director of DPS (Wednesday, June 04) The Senate, by an unanimous vote, confirmed Mark A. Keel as the new Director of the Department of Public Safety, he now is immediately eligible to be sworn-in. Mr. Keel gave the following statement concerning his confirmation:
“I appreciate the confidence Governor Sanford has placed in me by nominating me to serve as the Director of the Department of Public Safety and I am grateful to each member of the Senate for their support, confidence and trust in my abilities during the confirmation process. I look forward to being associated with the professional and hardworking employees of this agency who protect and serve the citizens of the State of South Carolina.”
Mr. Keel has been serving as the Assistant Director and Assistant Chief at the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), where he has served since August of 1979.
Senator John Drummond Ends 44 Years of Service to South Carolina Called the standard-bearer for the “Greatest Generation” Senator John Drummond (D-Greenwood) spent his final day in the General Assembly being honored for his life of service. Senator Drummond first came to the General Assembly in 1965, where he served in the House of Representatives until 1966. In 1967, he was elected to serve Senate District 10. Although, Senator Drummond has accomplished many things in his life, including surviving a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, his legacy to the Senate will be a spirit of unity and bi-partisanship. The South Carolina Senate unanimously adopted a resolution thanking Senator John W. Drummond for his service.
In addition to Senator Drummond, five other Senators are retiring.
Kay Patterson (D-Richland) served in the Senate from 1985-2008.
Greg Gregory (R-Lancaster) served in the Senate from 1993-2008.
Linda Short (D-Chester) served in the Senate from 1993-2008.
John Hawkins (R-Spartanburg) served in the Senate from 2001-2007.
Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) served in the Senate from 2007-2008.
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Senate Summary | Week of February 19-21, 2008
Filed Under Bryant, Caucus, McConnell, Ritchie, Thomas, Top News, Vaughn | 1 Comment
Quote of the Week: “It’s all about accountability. We want the citizens of this state to know how their money is being spent. The more access taxpayers have to information the more likely they are to hold government accountable for the spending of those dollars.” Senator Kevin Bryant (R- Anderson), a co-sponsor of the Truth in Spending Bill (S.1144) introduced this week and vocal advocate of financial disclosure.
Vaughn to Retire at End of Term
After 18 years of service in the General Assembly, Senator Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) has decided not to seek re-election in November. “In September I had the best physical of my life, but since then a series of health related issues have arisen, and I don’t think it is fair to my family, my constituents or my colleagues to seek re-election in the fall,” says Senator Vaughn.
“The people of District 5 need and deserve active representation, and that is part of what brings me to this decision,” explains Vaughn.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of the Greer and Greenville community, and although I will not be seeking re-election, it is my intent to stay engaged in the issues facing the Upstate.”
Senator Vaughn was elected to the Senate in a 2006 special election to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of J. Verne Smith. He serves as a member of the Corrections & Penology Committee, Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee, General Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Rules Committee.
Drug Testing for Candidates Moves to Full Judiciary Committee
A constitutional amendment (S.1070) requiring all future candidates for any elected office in South Carolina to pass a drug test began making its way through the legislative process this week by gaining approval from a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee. The subcommittee chaired by Senator Jim Ritchie (R-13), Majority Whip, gave the bill a favorable report as amended.
The subcommittee amendment added judges to the list of officials that would be required to submit the results of a recently completed drug test along with candidate filing papers. The bill will now go before the full Senate Judiciary Committee, which is expected to meet again on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
DUI Reform - Stronger Penalties for Repeat Offenders On Wednesday, February 20, the Senate debated DUI Reform (H.3496). The debate was highlighted with spirited exchanges on proposed amendments.
The Senate did pass the bill and returned it to the House with several key enhancements to current law including: the creation of a two-tiered system for first-time offenders; stronger penalties for increased blood alcohol levels; enhanced penalties for repeat offenders; and the elimination of unnecessary law enforcement procedures.
“I am proud of the work that the Senate did in quickly passing DUI reform,” says Senate President Pro Tempore, Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston). “While the House wanted to convict all South Carolinians without being able to defend themselves, the Senate made it easier to convict those who are guilty while ensuring that the innocent were protected. We showed that you can be tough on drunk driving without being tough on people’s rights.”
On Thursday, February 21, the bill was given third reading and sent over to the House.
Fire Sprinkler Bill Remains Hot as it Moves to Full Committee The Labor, Commerce and Industry Regulation Subcommittee working on the fire sprinkler legislation gave a favorable report to S.860 as amended during a meeting on Thursday, February 21.
The amendments to the bill included: preventing public or private utilities from charging exorbitant “tap-on” fees for sprinkler systems, and provides for an 80% cost of installation tax-credit for the installation of sprinkler systems in private residences not required by law.
The bill now heads to the full Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Regulations Committee.
Illegal Immigration Reform Moves to Conference Committee Last week the Senate completed final debate on the Illegal Immigration Reform Act (S.392) creating the strongest illegal immigration reform bill to be proposed in the General Assembly. The debate centered on the House amendments and the requirement of private businesses to verify legal status of new employees. After working out the details of these new provisions, the Senate sent the bill back to the House.
The House voted on Thursday, February 21, to “nonconcur” with the Senate’s latest amendments, which sends the bill to a conference committee. The committee will be comprised of three Senators and three members of the House. Conference committee meetings could begin as early as next week.
Payday Lending Regulated
On Tuesday, February 19, the Senate took up the “deferred presentment” bill (S.398), better known as the Payday Lending Bill.
The three-hour debate was filled with a volley of political maneuvers, one of which included an amendment that failed 18-23, to completely ban payday lending.
Ultimately, the Senate passed a bill with several major provisions including: the creation of a state-wide database; a seven-day cooling-off period between loans; limiting borrowers to only one loan at a time; maximum loan amounts based on income; and a standard calculation formula established by the Board of Financial institutions.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
SC HealthNet Introduced
On Tuesday, February 19, Senator David Thomas (R-Greenville), Chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee introduced a bill (S.1129) that would create the South Carolina HealthNet, a pilot project initiative by the Department of Insurance. The project would provide basic health coverage to between 150 - 200 thousand of South Carolina’s working uninsured. Premiums for this basic coverage plan are expected to be in the range of $165 for single coverage to $450 for family coverage. The plan would also contain annual coverage caps of $150,000 per person.
Proponents of SC HealthNet hope to secure grants, establish public-private partnerships, and collect premiums to help fund the effort, eliminating the need for taxpayer funding.
“The mission of SC HealthNet is to introduce a state program distributed through private carriers, which will make basic health insurance truly affordable,” says Scott Richardson, Director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
The bill was referred to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
Spending Caps Study Committee Continues Work The Senate Spending Caps Study Committee met on Wednesday, February 20, and heard additional testimony from Dr. William Gillespie, the state’s Chief Economist, as well as updates from Senate legal counsel on the continued efforts to draft appropriate language for the constitutional amendment on spending caps and the statutory language outlining implementation of a spending cap.
The next meeting of the subcommittee is expected to take place in the next two weeks.
Truth In Spending Bill Introduced
Under the “Truth in Spending Act” (S.1144) introduced on Thursday, February 21, taxpayers will no longer need to wonder where their tax dollars are being spent. They will be able to go online and see for themselves. The bill requires all state and local government entities, including school districts, to post monthly expenditures over $100 on their website.
Under the provisions of the bill, online listings of expenditures must be updated monthly and must include: the transaction amount, name of payee, and purpose of expenditure. In addition to cash expenditures, monthly credit card statements must also be posted online. The bill does make some exception for law enforcement expenditures that could jeopardize the operations of a department.
State or local governments that do not maintain a website will be required to send information to the State Budget and Control Board who will post the information on a designated section of the Board’s website.
The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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Vaughn to Retire at End of Term
Filed Under Caucus, Top News, Vaughn | Leave a Comment
Points to Recent Health Problems as Reason for Decision
Columbia, SC - After 18 years of service in the General Assembly, Senator Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) has decided not to seek re-election in November. “In September I had the best physical of my life, but since then a series of health related issues have arisen, and I don’t think it is fair to my family, my constituents or my colleagues to seek re-election in the fall,” says Senator Vaughn.
“The people of District 5 need and deserve active representation, and that is part of what brings me to this decision,” explains Vaughn.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of the Greer and Greenville community, and although I will not be seeking re-election, it is my intent to stay engaged in the issues facing the upstate.”
Senator Vaughn was elected to the Senate in a 2006 special election to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of J. Verne Smith. He serves as a member of the Correction & Penology Committee, Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee, General Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Rules Committee.
Prior to being elected to the Senate, Vaughn served for 16 years (1989-2006) in the South Carolina House of Representatives. His tenure in
the House included 12 years on both the Operations and Management Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Senator Vaughn also served as the Chairman of the Greenville Delegation.
Vaughn’s service in the General Assembly is best described as that of a “strong conservative,” who acted as a watchdog for the taxpayer.
Among his legislative accomplishments Senator Vaughn cites his work to secure funding for the rebuilding of railroad bridges throughout the state and his efforts to stem local governments ability to incur debt with the eight percent debt limit. Senator Vaughn is looking forward to completing this legislative term and working with his colleagues to maintain a conservative agenda in the Senate.
“I learned of Lewis’ decision to retire with sadness,” says long time friend and fellow Senate member Mike Fair (R-Greenville). “Our delegation and the Senate will be losing a conservative stalwart. Senator Vaughn’s success with the Greenville Hospital System Board legislation is just the latest example of his legislative effectiveness.”
“Senator Vaughn remains a vital part of the Senate Republican Caucus and we look forward to working with him throughout the remainder of the session,” says Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee).
Senator Vaughn, with the announcement of his retirement, joins Senators Hawkins, Gregory, Drummond, Short and Patterson, as those not seeking re-election in November.
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Greenville News: Vaughn to ‘hurry’ on hospital bill
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He wants to bypass committees on board restructuring
State Sen. Lewis Vaughn says he will wait until the first day of the Legislature’s next session to introduce a bill that would change the makeup of Greenville Hospital System’s board of trustees so he can bypass the committee process.
“We want to get it passed in a hurry,” Vaughn, R-Greenville, told The Greenville News.
Vaughn said his bill would change the board from seven to 11 members to ensure better representation for the county. By introducing it Jan. 8, he said, the bill won’t have to go through the committee process.
