New Hate Crime Laws
H.3404 would create new felonies and accompanying sentences for offenses against a person (think murder, assault, etc.), or destroying or defacing property, if the offense was committed with the intent…
Worker’s Comp Laws Don’t Apply to Certain Professions
Companion bills H.3396 and S.16 would amend state law to stipulate that worker’s compensation laws in South Carolina do not apply to any employees for which there is jurisdiction under either the…
Creating the Commission on General Assembly Compensation
Oh, the danger that lurks beneath H.3410. This amendment seeks to establish the Commission on General Assembly Compensation. With the recent attention on ethics reform and rebuilding public trust, citizens…
Limiting Legal Penalties for Public Officials
It would appear that S.333 seeks to limit prison sentences for public officials who commit felonies or misdemeanors. For felonies and misdemeanors alike, the amendment states that any official who…
On Roads, S.C. House Doing Its Own Thing
THE HOUSE PLAN HAS THIS IN COMMON WITH THE GOVERNOR’S: IT ASSUMES WE HAVE A REVENUE PROBLEM. Nearly a week after the governor released her plan to fix South Carolina roads,…
What to Do about Ride-Sharing
SOUTH CAROLINA’S REGULATORY REGIME DOESN’T PROTECT CONSUMERS, PLACES UNACCOUNTABLE POWER IN THE HANDS OF A FEW POLITICIANS, AND OUGHT TO BE ROLLED BACK – STARTING WITH THE TAXI INDUSTRY. HERE’S HOW TO…
Limiting the Number of Licenses for Alcohol Retailers
H.3375 would prohibit the issuance of an alcohol retail dealer’s license if issuing the license would increase a county’s license ratio past one license per 7,500 residents. The bill would also…
Creating a Manufacturing Career Pathway
H.3373 and H.3774 would require the Board of Technical and Comprehensive Education to collaborate with DEW, CHE, DOE, and other alphabet soup agencies to establish a manufacturing career pathway for students within…
Allowing DHEC decisions to be appealed directly to the Administrative Law Court
H.3370 would allow Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) decisions on the issuance, denial, renewal, suspension, or revocation of permits, licenses, or other actions to be appealed directly to the…
Prohibiting Foreclosures on Select Mortgages
H.3360 would put in a place a moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages secured by residential real estate for a period of 180 days. In other words lending institutions will be…
New Regulations on Out of State Pharmacies
H.3348 is yet another bill regulating pharmacies filed by pharmacist Kit Spires. The bill would require any pharmacy located outside of South Carolina that engages in the “manufacture, production, sale, distribution,…
Tax Credits for Homeschooling and Independent School Tuition Costs
H.3339 is a reintroduction of last session’s H.4624. If passed H.3339 would represent a significant step on the road to school choice for all South Carolina children and parents. The bill would allow…
Haley Road Plan: Higher Taxes, New Debt, Fuzzy Numbers
THE GOVERNOR’S PLAN IS A SHELL GAME THAT WOULD DO LITTLE TO IMPROVE S.C.’S ROADS Gov. Nikki Haley’s plan to fix South Carolina’s decrepit roads and bridges and lower income taxes will…
The House Omnibus Ethics Bill
As Amended by the House Judiciary Committee H.3184 combines a reorganizing of the ethics committees and commissions with an alteration of criminal penalties for select ethical violations. The first portion of…
More Lottery Funding for Schools
H.3209 would require either a new state lottery game be created with all revenues going towards k-12 education, or the revenues of an existing state lottery be dedicated entirely to…
The Taxpayer Inflation Protection Act
S.312 would amend tax law to allow the state income tax brackets to be adjusted for inflation at the same rate federal income tax brackets are adjusted by the IRS. Under…
Raising the Gas Tax by 10 Cents
H.3262 would impose two new “user fees” of 5 cents each to increase the overall state gas tax by 10 cents. The revenues generated by these new taxes would be credited…
Authorizing Prepaid Medical Service Agreements
S.128 would legally authorize the issuance of prepaid medical services, as a product that is distinct from health insurance. Prepaid medical services are defined as medical services provided by one or…
School Districts may not Issue General Obligation Bonds for General Expenses
S.94 would prohibit the governing board of any school district from issuing general obligations bonds for the purpose of general operating expenses. The effect of a school district defaulting on obligations…
Mandating Wifi be provided in Public Schools and Buses
S.51 would mandate the General Assembly appropriate funds to provide wifi (wireless internet) in all public schools. Once all public schools have access to wifi the bill would mandate funds be…
Senate Ethics Bill Would Take Reform Backward
MEET THIS YEAR’S GIANT ‘ETHICS BILL’ The legislative session has only just begun, but somehow lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee are already poised to pass an omnibus ethics reform bill.…
Gov. Haley’s Budget: Same Deal, More Money
THE GOVERNOR DOUBLES DOWN, PHONES IT IN Update* Budget documents prepared by the Executive Budget Office not available at the time of initial publication reveal an even larger executive budget. The…
Restricting the use of Select Campaign Funds
H.3199 legally restricts the use of contributions accepted by candidates to retire campaign debt to the purpose for which they were intended. In other words, these contributions can be used only…
Increased Penalties for Multiple Ethics Offenses
H.3185 is an attempt to strengthen the penalties for various ethics violations. Under the proposed law, both offering a bribe to a public official or witness in order to influence testimony,…
Campaign Funds can’t be used to Pay Fines
H. 3195 seems to ban using campaign funds to pay fines, fees, or other charges as a result of a criminal charges. The prohibition, however, would only apply once an elected…
Amending the Definition of Committee
H.3187 aims to rectify a constitutional issue in South Carolina’s code. Due to a 2010 court ruling which found South Carolina’s definition of “ committee” unconstitutional, the state is without a legal definition on…
Prohibiting Legislators from Accepting Contributions during Session
H.3176 would prohibit legislators and the governor from soliciting or accepting contributions any time the General Assembly is in session. There would still, however, be no limitations on the uses of…
Limited Income Disclosure
H.3186 would require lawmakers to disclose their private income sources and require more disclosure on their Statement of Economic Interests (SEI). Unfortunately, the bill fails to require the reporting of all…
Allowing the Governor to Appoint Judges with the Consent of the House and Senate
H.3123 would amend the state constitution to allow Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and Circuit Court justices to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the General Assembly –…
Required Ethics Training for Public Officials
H.3237 proposes an amendment that would require all state or local public officials elected to office after July 1, 2015 to undergo specific ethics training in accordance with the guidelines…