WHEN THE ISSUE IS THE PRESERVATION OF POWER, REFORM HASN’T GOT A CHANCE In 2013, despite all the rhetoric with which the legislative year began, lawmakers failed to pass a…
IT’S ALL ABOUT POWER (A LOT OF IT) AND ACCOUNTABILITY (NONE OF IT) Last week, we posted a brief analysis of S.535, legislation that would create a murky new…
MORE STUFF THE DEPT. OF ADMINISTRATION BILL WOULDN’T HAVE DONE Last week, we attended a meeting of the Budget & Control Board. Now, oftentimes these meetings are excruciatingly uneventful,…
THE DOA BILL HAS DIED IN THE SENATE. DID IT DESERVE ITS FATE? It’s been more than a month since we last saw the Department of Administration bill being debated…
The House of Representatives has finally unveiled their amendment to the Department of Administration bill – after crafting it behind closed doors for more than two months. It sailed through…
Yesterday the Senate passed what many are calling the most significant restructuring plan this state has seen in decades. By a vote of 44-0, the South Carolina Senate passed H.3066…
South Carolina elected officials claim to be restructuring government, but is anything changing? Are we moving toward real separation of powers, or is the status quo being preserved? Below are…
The state Senate is currently debating what could turn out to be the most important piece of government restructuring legislation to come along in a quarter-century. Among other things,…
What’s wrong with the structure of South Carolina’s government? All the power is held by five-member boards, like the State Financial Affairs Authority and Budget and Control Board. Major functions…
A new amendment to the Department of Administration bill has hit the Senate floor. Although it’s a moving target, here’s an overview of what the bill would do with state…
The Senate is currently debating potentially the most important government restructuring legislation in decades (H.3066). The bill is intended to concentrate accountability by separating executive from legislative functions. But what’s…
The Senate is currently considering legislation (H 3066) that would eliminate the Budget & Control Board (BCB), devolving the BCB’s responsibilities to a cabinet-level Department of Administration and a newly…
The Budget & Control Board is the only agency of its kind in the nation – a legislative/executive hybrid with vast powers and virtually no accountability. After 61 years, lawmakers…
South Carolina’s General Assembly has long enjoyed a virtual monopoly of power over the state’s government and economy. The Legislature overshadows the executive branch and controls judicial branch appointments. Likewise,…
South Carolina's Budget & Control Board (BCB) is a unique state agency, the only one of its kind in the country. While the Board itself is technically made up of…
Why Did Reform Die in 2013?
WHEN THE ISSUE IS THE PRESERVATION OF POWER, REFORM HASN’T GOT A CHANCE In 2013, despite all the rhetoric with which the legislative year began, lawmakers failed to pass a…
An “Enterprise Division” for Clemson?
IT’S ALL ABOUT POWER (A LOT OF IT) AND ACCOUNTABILITY (NONE OF IT) Last week, we posted a brief analysis of S.535, legislation that would create a murky new…
Restructure This?
MORE STUFF THE DEPT. OF ADMINISTRATION BILL WOULDN’T HAVE DONE Last week, we attended a meeting of the Budget & Control Board. Now, oftentimes these meetings are excruciatingly uneventful,…
Government Restructuring – or Reshuffling?
THE DOA BILL HAS DIED IN THE SENATE. DID IT DESERVE ITS FATE? It’s been more than a month since we last saw the Department of Administration bill being debated…
UPDATE: The House version of the DOA bill
The House of Representatives has finally unveiled their amendment to the Department of Administration bill – after crafting it behind closed doors for more than two months. It sailed through…
Government De-Structuring?
Yesterday the Senate passed what many are calling the most significant restructuring plan this state has seen in decades. By a vote of 44-0, the South Carolina Senate passed H.3066…
Government restructuring – Reform or status quo?
South Carolina elected officials claim to be restructuring government, but is anything changing? Are we moving toward real separation of powers, or is the status quo being preserved? Below are…
Getting restructuring right – or wrong?
The state Senate is currently debating what could turn out to be the most important piece of government restructuring legislation to come along in a quarter-century. Among other things,…
The Citizen’s Guide to Restructuring
What’s wrong with the structure of South Carolina’s government? All the power is held by five-member boards, like the State Financial Affairs Authority and Budget and Control Board. Major functions…
Creating a Department of Administration – An Update
A new amendment to the Department of Administration bill has hit the Senate floor. Although it’s a moving target, here’s an overview of what the bill would do with state…
Restructuring Done Right, Part II – A guide for the perplexed
The Senate is currently debating potentially the most important government restructuring legislation in decades (H.3066). The bill is intended to concentrate accountability by separating executive from legislative functions. But what’s…
Restructuring Done Right: Separate and Diffuse Power, Concentrate Accountability
The Senate is currently considering legislation (H 3066) that would eliminate the Budget & Control Board (BCB), devolving the BCB’s responsibilities to a cabinet-level Department of Administration and a newly…
Fact Sheet: Restructuring Done Right
The Budget & Control Board is the only agency of its kind in the nation – a legislative/executive hybrid with vast powers and virtually no accountability. After 61 years, lawmakers…
Policy Report: Reform the South Carolina Legislature
South Carolina’s General Assembly has long enjoyed a virtual monopoly of power over the state’s government and economy. The Legislature overshadows the executive branch and controls judicial branch appointments. Likewise,…
Fast Facts About the Budget & Control Board
South Carolina's Budget & Control Board (BCB) is a unique state agency, the only one of its kind in the country. While the Board itself is technically made up of…