February 20, 2010

UNEMPLOYMENT: The House has approved an overhaul of the state's troubled jobless benefits agency that would put the Employment Security Commission's operations under the governor's control. The agency has faced questions for more than a year and auditors found commissioners didn't do enough to head off an unemployment payment trust fund going broke and that staff lacked accounting skills. The bill lets the governor fire the new Workforce Department's director and requires higher standards for awarding jobless benefits. The legislation won second reading in the House by a 108-1 vote and final approval Thursday before being sent to the Senate, which is debating its own overhaul plans. ?

NUCLEAR WASTE: Legislators rushed to sign onto a bill Wednesday that would require utilities to send money to a state account instead of the federal government to cover the costs of creating a nuclear waste repository. The bill said that money would be used to create the state's own system. It's a reaction to Department of Energy plans to no longer develop the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. But by Thursday legislators were slowing down the effort after utilities said they could lose licenses to operate the nuclear reactors that account for nearly half of the state's power production.

DATING VIOLENCE: A South Carolina bill meant to curb abuse among dating teens in a state with one of the nation's worst domestic violence rates advanced on Wednesday. The bill approved by a Senate Education subcommittee would require school districts to adopt dating violence policies and discipline guidelines for students in grades six through 12. South Carolina consistently ranks high in the rate of women killed by men.?

GOLF CARTS: Golf carts could be a more common sight on South Carolina's roads with legislation a House panel approved on Wednesday, despite concerns from the state's top public safety official. The legislation expands the range for golf carts from a person's home or business to five miles from two.?

EMERGENCY SERVICES: Records of how emergency medical services respond to calls could again be open to public inspection in South Carolina with legislation sent to the Senate floor for debate on Thursday. The South Carolina Press Association wanted those records to be available to the public, including the identification of emergency medical workers who care for and transport patients. The panel wouldn't agree to providing those workers names.?

TEXTING: South Carolina legislators on Tuesday advanced bills limiting how drivers use their cell phones behind the wheel. A bill heading to the House floor bans both text messaging and talking on a hand-held phone. A bill sent to the Senate floor bars only texting and e-mailing. State Sen. Gerald Malloy said that measure should ban all use of cell phones while driving. ?

STUDY COMMITTEES: A legislator wants a study committee to study all the study committees the Legislature creates. Republican State Rep. Michael Thompson of Anderson says his tongue-in-the-cheek proposal should be entitled the "Doing the Most Important Kind of Nothing Act of 2010." He's frustrated about committees studying obesity or flammable furniture or study committees being told what they can't study. "People are fat because they eat too much and don't exercise. There. There's your study committee done in five seconds," Thompson said.

Campaign Reporting: During full committee the campaign reporting bill was amended to increase the amount to be reported in the filing before an election to $500.00 and extend the reporting period to 15 days before the election. Democrats argued against this measure for the lack of transparency to the public and that there would be an increase of $499.99 campaign donations not reported until after elections. The amendment was passed on a party line vote by the Republican members in committee, but the bill was amended on the House floor back to the original language which calls for stricter methods of reporting by candidates and campaign committees and that contributions be reported within 48 hours of receipt.

FURLOUGHS and BUDGET: There has been much discussion regarding proposed furloughs for state employees which will be debated in full in March during budget week. Last year legislators and immediate staff furloughed 7 weeks, amounting to nearly a 25% cut in salary and many other state employees took up to 10 days furlough. This year, which is the last year of a two year session and there are more bills to debate, legislators will furlough 4 weeks. Currently the state is facing a $1.5 billion decrease in tax revenue from last year’s figures.

If you have a comment or opinion concerning the matters discussed in this report, or if I may be of assistance to you at any time, please feel free to call your legislative office in Columbia (803-734-2957); my home office (843-237-8603); or the Georgetown County Legislative Delegation Office, located in the Courthouse (843-545-3029); or write P.O. Box 1270, Georgetown, SC 29442 or e-mail vidamiller@schouse.gov.