Reaction to Sanford's Admission

Statement from Speaker Harrell

(Columbia, SC) – House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the statement below following Governor Sanford’s press conference:

“Today’s revelations are disturbing and shocking. There is no excuse for the unfortunate events that have transpired in recent days.

“The personal issues must be sorted out by the Sanford family and we hope for the best for them during this most difficult time.

“For five days the governor let his staff deceive the press and the people of South Carolina regarding where he was and what he was doing.

“The governor’s absence has brought to light some issues regarding the chain of command in the absence of the chief executive. It is imperative that the General Assembly deal with this during the next session. More importantly, we must focus on our state’s economy and improving education. With our unemployment rate as the third worst in the country, our time has to be devoted to getting unemployed South Carolinians back to work, improving education and growing our state’s economy.”

SCDP Chair Responds to Sanford Admission

Columbia, SC- South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler issued the following statement today in response to Governor Mark Sanford's admission during a press conference to having an extramarital affair. The Governor returned to the state today from Argentina.

"Our thoughts are with the Governor's family at this time. Mark Sanford should be given time to focus on his family right now. There will be other opportunities in the weeks ahead to discuss his effectiveness as our state's governor," said Fowler.

Speaker Harrell Comments on Supreme Court Ruling

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about today’s Supreme Court ruling that directed the Governor to follow state law and prevent money our citizens will have to repay from being sent to other states:

“I am glad this issue is now behind us. The debate on whether or not the Governor should send our money to other states, money that our taxpayers will have to pay back either way, has lasted far too long. Now is the time to move on and focus on our state’s unemployment problem. I am committed to working with the Governor and helping him use all the economic development tools he controls to focus on improving our state’s third worst in the nation unemployment rate. We cannot afford to let another minute pass before our leadership’s focus is turned to job creation and retention in South Carolina. The number of unemployed workers in South Carolina has doubled since 2003. The over 100% increase in the number of jobless citizens in our state has to be addressed and the House of Representatives stands ready to help Governor Sanford work on this problem.”

Responsible Actions Taken, Dangerous Vetoes Overridden

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement on the House’s decision to preserve funding for teachers, law enforcement officers and prisons:

“This year marked one of the most difficult budget years our state has ever faced. The General Assembly chose to balance the budget by cutting government spending instead of raising taxes. By cutting waste and increasing efficiencies, lawmakers passed a balanced budget that prioritizes our state resources and allows government to function.

“A vast majority of us in the House strongly opposed the ‘so-called’ stimulus bill Congress passed and would rather have used the money to pay down state debt. However, this measure became law despite the concerns of many and using it to pay down debt was deemed a legal impossibility by Federal authorities. That being the case, lawmakers decided to utilize these funds marked for education and law enforcement instead of sending South Carolina’s money to other states because our citizens would have to pay it back either way.

“After all, the Governor has already taken the necessary steps in accepting 90% of the $8 billion in stimulus money slated for South Carolina. Since Governor Sanford has already signed letters requesting other stimulus funds – such as the $50 million for energy upgrades to buildings he requested months ago – it makes sense to also tap this education and law enforcement money.

“By rejecting only the education and law enforcement portions of the stimulus money coming to South Carolina, Governor Sanford put thousands of teachers’ jobs in jeopardy, threatened the closing of 4 prisons and the release of 3,400 convicted felons.

“The House took the responsible step of overriding this dangerous move. And because of our actions today our students will have teachers in their classrooms, police will remain on the streets and prisoners will stay behind bars. With South Carolinians responsible for the repayment of this money, we owed it to our students, teachers, police officers and citizens to make this responsible decision.”

Responses to Sanford's Budget Veto

From Democratic National Committee: The Democratic National Committee issued the following response to Gov. Mark Sanford’s announcement that he will veto $348 million in federal funds the South Carolina legislature requested to create jobs in the state. “Governor Sanford is putting his own political ambitions before the well being of the South Carolinians he represents," said DNC spokeswoman Joanne Peters. "Instead of working with Republicans and Democrats in South Carolina to fund important priorities and create and save jobs, Sanford is siding with the Rush-Limbaugh-led 'Party of No' wing of the national GOP, saying no to jobs, no to an education for our youngsters, and no to safe streets for South Carolina families. Governor Sanford should instead put the interests of his state ahead of his own future political ambitions."

From S.C. Democratic Party: South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler released the following statement today in response to Gov. Mark Sanford's vetoes of the state's $5.7 billion budget. The budget, passed last week by the General Assembly, forces Sanford to request $350 million in federal economic recovery funds. "Gov. Sanford is clearly oblivious to the fact that our state has been hit hard by both the recession and his long-term failure to bring jobs to South Carolina. He needs to allow lawmakers to use these funds for their intended purpose instead of making them the platform for his presidential bid. Although Mark Sanford has successfully shown himself to be a strict Republican ideologist, he has failed to prove himself as a leader. I urge legislators to override the governor's vetoes of the stimulus money; South Carolina's working families are dependent on the General Assembly to pick up the governor's slack."

From State House Speaker Bobby Harrell: “First, this so-called stimulus bill should have never been passed, and second, we would have liked to use the money on paying down debt. However, the federal package was passed into law despite our objections and the President said twice we could not use it to pay down debt. It is simply not legally possible to do what the Governor is saying; it would only ensure that South Carolina’s money would be sent to other states while our citizens are left paying it back. The Governor’s vetoes takes away money that would keep teachers in the classroom and criminals in prisons. We owe it to our teachers and law enforcement officers to override these vetoes.”

House Speaker Responds to Senate’s Changes on Cig Tax Credit Plan

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about the changes the Senate Finance Committee made to the Cigarette Tax Credit plan:

“I have concerns about the changes that the Senate Finance Committee made today to the House’s cigarette tax credit plan. Putting this money into a ‘trust fund’ to use later on instead of returning these dollars back to the people to assist in the purchase of private health insurance raises uncertainties. This sets up the potential for government to just tax and spend the money elsewhere instead of using tax credits to help people purchase the health care coverage they need.

“Simply raising taxes and then waiting around to see what Congress does with a universal health care plan is not the right approach. We need a plan that is based on giving this money back through tax credits and private insurance options. This ‘tax now, wait and see’ method is dangerous. The revenue neutral plan the House put together is far from the expensive government issued health care plan Congress is preparing to fund with a massive tax increase. The House’s cigarette tax credit plan makes it affordable for individuals to purchase private health care coverage and incentivizes small businesses to offer better benefits to their workers.

“I hope the full Senate will address these changes and return to a plan that gives the money back to the people.”

House Republicans Strip all Democratic Appointments to TRAC

Columbia, SC – Partisan Politics reached an all-time high on Thursday as Republicans in the House passed an amended version of S.12, establishing what was supposed to be a bipartisan Tax Realignment Commission. The legislation that passed in the Senate allowed for the eleven member committee to be appointed by leaders in both houses and both parties. But House Republicans amended this portion of the bill in the Ways and Means Committee stripping the power of appointments from both the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. This overtly political move will ensure that the Tax Realignment Commission will be represented by a completely Republican body.

When House Democrats proposed amendments that would reinsert the original language that passed in the Senate, Republicans consistently voted their amendments down.

Rep. Chris Hart (D-Richland) said that removing all Democrats from the commission is an irresponsible and petty political charade.

Hart asked, “How can we allow the same people who caused our tax problems, to be fully in charge of fixing them?”

“I was elected to give all of my constituents a voice in Columbia,” said Rep. Vida Miller (D-Georgetown). “Unfortunately this commission will no longer reflect the views of South Carolina. It will only represent the views of one political party, and that’s not the way to get things done.”

Democrats hope that Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell will appoint members to the Commission that reflect the diverse views of South Carolina.

Governor Reverses His Decision on Stimulus

Decision benefits SC citizens who will have to repay funds either way

(Columbia, SC) – Contrary to the Governor’s attempt yesterday to ignore the stimulus deadline and possibly lose funds meant for South Carolina, today Governor Mark Sanford reversed his decision and announced his intent to certify all stimulus funds slated for our state.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about the Governor’s decision:

“We are pleased to see that Governor Sanford has reversed his decision to ignore hard deadlines and instead decided to certify funds that could have potentially been lost to other states but still repaid by South Carolinians. I fully expect the funds will be used to restore cuts made to education, health care and law enforcement as originally intended and as the law clearly states it must be.”

Speaker Harrell Comments on Governor’s Attempt to Ignore Stimulus Deadline

(Columbia, SC) – In a press conference held earlier today, Governor Mark Sanford expressed his intent to ignore the April 3rd deadline to draw down a portion of stimulus money for South Carolina. Speaker Harrell made the following statement on the Governor’s decision to disregard the facts of this deadline:

“The Congressional Research Service, members of Congress, our state’s own Attorney General, the language of the law itself and even the President have made it clear that April 3rd is the hard deadline for the Governor to accept or reject South Carolina’s stimulus funds for education, healthcare and law enforcement. After April 3rd, the Governor will have shirked his responsibility to the taxpayers of our state, and according to the law, money originally meant for our state will be sent to other states, and South Carolinians will still be required to repay this money.

“We adamantly opposed this so-called stimulus bill when it was proposed. However, we realize – as do most of our state’s citizens – that because this plan became law South Carolinians will have to repay this money whether we accept it or not. That is why it is so difficult to understand the Governor’s rationale for requesting millions in energy efficiency money while rejecting money for teachers and law enforcement officers.

“The Governor’s press conference raised many concerns about his actions on the stimulus funds, but the most disturbing comment came on the subject of jobs and unemployment. Given our state’s current 11% unemployment rate, the second worst unemployment rate in the country, the Governor was asked what his job creation plan was. Unfortunately, the Governor had no answer to the question.

“We are at the 11th hour of this debate. It’s time for the nonsense to stop and for the Governor to request the funds our citizens will have to pay back anyway.”

Harrell Comments on Recent DNC Political Attack Ad

House Speaker Bobby Harrell commented on the recent political attack ad launched by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The commercial is in response to criticisms that Republican leaders have had for much of the wasteful and irresponsible spending included in the stimulus bill passed by Congress without a single Republican vote in the House.

Speaker Harrell commented:

“I did not give the DNC permission to use my picture, and I am requesting that they remove my picture from their political attack commercial immediately. Just weeks ago, the South Carolina Democratic Party was sending out press releases condemning me and other South Carolina Republican leaders for our criticisms of the irresponsible spending included in the so-called stimulus bill passed by Congress. These inconsistent actions should show the public the steps Democrats are willing to take in order to protect their pork projects included in this spending package.

“I believe that all of the stimulus spending except the infrastructure money is a terrible mistake, and I fully supported South Carolina’s entire Republican Congressional Delegation in their decision to vote against this so-called stimulus bill. I agree that if Washington would allow it, eliminating debt would be a good use of these funds, but if they will not, we should not send our taxpayers' money to other states and cause our taxpayers, and more importantly our children and grandchildren, to pay the bill for other states.”

Fowler: Republican’s Voter ID Bill Unnecessary

Carol Fowler, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, issued the following statement Friday in response to the S.C. House’s passage on Thursday of a bill that would require voters to present government-issued photo IDs in order to vote.

“Once again, South Carolina’s Republican House members have chosen to solve a problem that doesn’t exist instead of doing the important work they were sent to do. Rather than find ways to solve this state’s economic difficulties, they spent their time this week looking for ways to keep folks from voting.

“They were unable to produce any examples of people impersonating voters, but they have passed an expensive requirement that everyone produce a government- issued photo ID at the polls. There has been no case of voter fraud that would have been prevented by this law, but Republican House members spent hours on it anyway.

“Republican House Speaker Bobby Harrell knows the math and is familiar with the odds of voter suppression. He knows that a high percentage of the elderly voters who lack driver’s licenses vote Democratic. For every needless obstacle his party erects, eligible voters will be turned away from exercising their most fundamental right as citizens.

“South Carolina Democrats will continue to fight this issue in the S.C. Senate and wherever else our voices can be heard.”

House Passes Voter ID Bill

Today, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill that will help prevent fraud and secure our state’s election process by incorporating the use of picture identification in voting. Modeled after a Voter ID bill passed by the Indiana Legislature, this bill (H. 3418) is a key element of the SC Secure Election Act, a major agenda item for the House Republican Caucus.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, lead sponsor of the legislation, said, “The Heart of democracy is the right to vote. If we do not protect that voting right from fraud and abuse, we are not protecting the ideals of democracy.”

Other states have also instituted Voter ID provisions. In Indiana, the requirement to show a picture ID when voting was challenged and the case went all the way to our nation’s highest court. Last year, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Indiana’s law was Constitutional and did not place an undue burden on the voter.

“To say that requiring a picture ID to vote creates an undue burden is absurd,” said Speaker Harrell. “A picture ID is required to do just about anything in our society, except to vote.”

House Introduces Tort Reform Legislation

Today, the House introduced a tort reform bill (H. 3489) that builds on the successes of previous year’s comprehensive tort reform legislation. House Speaker Bobby Harrell made the following statement about the bill:

“The House has continuously fought for these types of reform efforts for a reason, because they produce positive results for our state and for our business climate. When rates were growing by double digit figures each year, the General Assembly passed workers’ compensation reform and rates dropped for the first time in years. This is reform for a reason, and that reason is to make South Carolina a more competitive state and a better place to do business.

“Our state’s future hinges on the strength of our economy and its ability to grow. This bill helps strengthen our economic climate by significantly adding to the comprehensive tort reform legislation we passed a few years ago. During these difficult times, the General Assembly needs to focus on ways we can better secure our economic future. This lawsuit abuse reform bill takes further steps in improving our business climate and making our state more competitive. Eliminating bureaucratic red tape, putting a lid on frivolous lawsuits and enacting pro-business job enabling reforms are steps we need to take in order to make South Carolina a great place for businesses to grow and expand.”

State House Targets “Red Tape” Business Regulations

Small Businesses given opportunity to have their voice heard

In following through on a major agenda item for the year, the House moved forward with efforts to create a Small Business “Red Tape” Reduction Bill.

“We want to make South Carolina a great place to do business,” House Speaker Bobby Harrell said. “While the Department of Commerce is our state’s chief job creating engine, the Legislature can take steps to improve our state’s business climate. Government should help – not hurt – economic progress by making it easier for Commerce to recruit jobs and help our businesses grow.”

The bill will originate in the House Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI) Committee and will be shaped by testimony identifying regulations and bureaucracy hampering small businesses.

LCI Committee Chairman Bill Sandifer (R – Oconee & Pickens) commented, “Even with our successful past efforts to cut back and eliminate unneeded bureaucracy, government regulations have a bad habit of creeping back up. It is incredibly difficult to operate and grow a small business when too much of your time and efforts are spent dealing with overreaching and unnecessary government mandates. With 95% of all businesses in our state representing small businesses, we need to target and eliminate the red tape that is putting a stranglehold on their growth. That is why I am directing the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee to begin work on a bill to enact common sense business regulation reforms.”

Small business owners, small business organizations, the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee, the Department of Commerce and others will all be involved in formulating these reforms in government regulations. Their testimony will serve as the basis for the committee’s direction and targeting of red tape regulations.

“With an issue like this, it’s always best to go to the source,” said Chip Huggins (R – Lexington), Chairman of the Business and Commerce Subcommittee. “We may write the laws, but the people who deal with these regulations hands-on in the day-to-day operations of their businesses truly know what works and what doesn’t. We want to give those small businesses that are driving our economy exactly what they need to grow and prosper. If we are to make a real positive impact in improving our economy, their voice needs to be heard and must be the guiding force of this legislation.”

Speaker Harrell added, “This blank-slate approach to targeting and eliminating unneeded red tape in business is exactly what we need. I encourage small businesses to use this opportunity to take an active role in shaping our state’s business climate. To truly help small businesses grow and create the jobs our citizens desperately need, we need a collaborative bill written with the direction of small businesses.”

Search Committee to Find New President & CEO for S.C. State Ports Authority

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about the search for a new President and CEO for the State Ports Authority:

“Last week Bill Stern was selected to serve as chair of a search committee to find a new president and CEO for the State Ports Authority. My confidence in Bill Stern was confirmed today when I saw the quality of the people he has named to serve on the search committee.

“He selected a group of top leaders in business, industry and government with impeccable credentials to serve, including two former Ambassadors, Bob Royall and David Wilkins, who is also a former Speaker of the House. The high caliber of the people serving on the search committee underscores the importance of the search.

“Our port system is a tremendously valuable resource for economic development. It is the heart beat of commerce in South Carolina and our state’s gateway to the global marketplace. That’s why finding the right person to lead the Ports Authority is so very important.

“Bill Stern is a great choice to chair the search effort. I am confident he and his committee will find the best qualified person in the nation to fill this important job.”

House Introduces Spending Limit & Reserve Fund Bills

Raising reserve fund and limiting spending will stabilize future budgets

Today, the South Carolina House of Representatives introduced two major bills that will help stabilize future budgets and better insulate our state during times of recession. “Our current economic climate highlights the need for these measures. It’s the responsible thing to do,” said House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

Speaker Harrell continued, “The House has consistently pushed for more restraint when it comes to spending – passing spending limit bills 5 times in the past decade. Passing these two measures will eliminate the ‘peak & valley’ approach to spending that governments are prone to and will help secure future budgets during times of economic crisis.”

The Spending Limit Bill (H. 3397) will cap what legislators are allowed to spend in each year’s budget at a growth rate of population plus inflation. The Reserve Fund Bill (H. 3395 & H. 3396) will expand the state’s General Reserve Account from 3% of the total budget to 5% of our state’s total budget.

“The Office of State Budget reports that spending as grown 2.8% annually since Republicans have been writing the budget,” said House Ways & Means Chairman Dan Cooper. “While this growth is sustainable and below proposed growth rates, implementing a spending limit will make the year-to-year growth more consistent with our long-term growth. Holding the line on spending and expanding our reserves will loosen the stranglehold economic recessions have on our state’s budget.”

Both bills were referred to the House Ways & Means Committee.