Columbia, SC – March 26, 2010 - The State Senate gave key approval to legislation authored by Sen. Glenn McConnell that would institute spending caps and a "rainy day" fund. Several years of dwindling revenues and tough decisions on budget cuts have spurred this dramatic change to the state budgeting procedures. While the federal government seems determined to spend our nation’s future away, South Carolina’s Republican Senators are limiting spending and securing our state’s budgetary … [Read more...]

A comprehensive plan to divert nonviolent criminals from prisons to the probation and parole system so South Carolina can avoid spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build new prisons was adopted Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 14-0 vote. The bill calls for more drug users to serve supervised criminal sentences in the community as a way to free up beds in the overcrowded prisons. The measure, as written, deals with future offenders, although there are a few exceptions to … [Read more...]

A bill aiming to stop a federal mandate requiring South Carolinians to buy health insurance will be voted on today in the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, a day after the state joined 12 others in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health reform bill signed into law Tuesday by President Obama. Under the new federal law, individuals would be required to purchase coverage, with subsidies for low-income people. But under S987, no one in South Carolina would be required to buy a … [Read more...]

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Lawmakers and families from across South Carolina met in Columbia to honor the 10 lives lost at war in 2009. "A lot of people don't realize what they did sacrifice and I just think South Carolina's wonderful in doing it. Not a lot of states have done this," said Paula Antisdel, mother of Spc. Justin Antisdel. Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington Co., started the annual luncheon to honor those from South Carolina who've served the country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Tables at The Summit Club had … [Read more...]

South Carolina voters will decide on an amendment to the state constitution which would require secret union organizing votes. The House and Senate agreed on a final version of the constitutional amendment resolution on Wednesday. The Senate approved the measure 33-9 and the House followed that with a 106-12 vote. The measure headed for the November ballot asks voters to decide if a secret ballot is a fundamental individual right in deciding whether workers are represented by a labor … [Read more...]

The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that Republicans say will preempt future attempts by the federal government to promote labor unions in South Carolina by any other method than through a secret ballot. Card check, so-called because of federally proposed legislation, the Employee Free Choice Act, allows union managers to recognize employees' desire to organize by publicly displaying a card, and thereby bypassing a ballot election. That legislation has not passed the U.S. Congress, but South … [Read more...]

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a South Carolina soldier supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur, 25, of Lake City, died March 8 north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the First Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, Third Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga. Such notifications happened in South Carolina 10 times in the past … [Read more...]

South Carolina lawmakers remembered the members of the armed forces from South Carolina who died in the last year while serving their country. This year’s Fallen Soldiers ceremony and luncheon honored ten young men and their families. Each family was presented with a concurrent resolution from the state House and Senate honoring the fallen soldier, along with The Order of the Palmetto Patriot and a state flag that was flown in their honor over the Statehouse. WSPA … [Read more...]