Earmark Reform Plan Takes Huge Step Out Of Subcommittee
Move proves Senate’s commitment to transparency in state government
Columbia, SC – February 10, 2009 – On the heels of a monumental rules change mandating more roll call votes in the South Carolina Senate, the State Senate has taken another huge step toward transparency by passing Senator Shane Massey’s (R-Edgefield) earmark reform plan out of a key Finance Subcommittee.
Senator Massey’s reform package requires legislators to put their names on any spending requests they insert into the state budget. Currently a Senator can request a spending project under the cloak of anonymity. Massey’s plan shines the light of public scrutiny on state government spending.
“South Carolina’s State Senators see the wave of change sweeping across the state and nation. We know taxpayers are demanding reform, accountability, and transparency. This plan uncovers the secret spending projects that could balloon our state budget at the expense of essential services such as our education, transportation, and criminal justice systems,” Massey said.
In voting for the reform plan, Senator Glenn Reese (D-Spartanburg) said “South Carolina taxpayers deserve to know where their dollars are going. This bill is a major step forward for transparency in state government and it will ensure resources are spent wisely. We look forward to a quick passage in the Senate and in the House.”
The bill was voted out of subcommittee with a unanimous vote. Joining Senators Massey and Reese in support of the plan were Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee), Subcommittee Chairman Billy O’Dell (R-Abbeville), Senator Mike Fair (R-Greenville), and Senator Dick Elliot (D-Horry).
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