House Minority Leader Responds to Governor’s Press Conference

Today, House Minority Leader Representative Harry Ott released the following statement about Governor Sanford’s announcement:

“I am shocked and disappointed as I’m sure every other South Carolinian is at this time and quite frankly I’m having a difficult time digesting what has developed. As a Christian, I will be praying for Mark Sanford, Jenny and their family and I truly, truly hope that they ask God to be with them through this difficult time in their lives. No one that walks this earth is without sin and we all fall short at times. “

“However, I do believe that his decision to engage in an extramarital affair coupled with the fact that I believe he deliberately misled his staff and the people of South Carolina over an extended period of time must come with serious consequences. Too many times of late, elected officials have let down the people that have placed great trust in their judgment. South Carolinians deserve better, we as a society deserve better.”

“Mark Sanford will be faced with many difficult decisions in the days ahead. I hope that his decisions will be what is in the best interest of his family and the people of South Carolina. We must pick up the pieces and move forward as a state.”

“I ask that all South Carolinians pray for the Sanford family. Also, let us rally together, as South Carolinians always do, to come out of these troubling times for a brighter tomorrow.”

House Adjourns Sine Die

May 21, the South Carolina House of Representatives adjourned Sine Die for the 2009 legislative year a full two weeks earlier than originally scheduled.

“The House had many legislative victories this year, successfully passing: Increasing the General Reserve Fund, Port Bill, Payday Lending, Voter ID, TRAC, Small Business Red Tape Reduction, Protecting Secret Ballot, Ultrasound Bill, Point of Sale, and others,” said House Speaker Bobby Harrell. “However, this year’s difficult budget situation and shorter session hampered our efforts to finalize some of those accomplishments into law. Next session, we’ll pick up right where we left off and finish the good work we started.”

With South Carolina still feeling the affects of the ongoing national recession, this year’s budget cuts – coupled with $1.4 billion in mid-year cuts – forced lawmakers to make tough decisions on where to prioritize state resources. The Republican led General Assembly made the difficult decision to cut government spending instead of raising taxes to address this shortfall in revenue.

Harrell commented, “Republicans in both the House and Senate held strong by resisting all efforts to raise taxes and instead cut government spending in order to pass a balanced budget. The last thing our economy needs right now is a crippling tax increase. Previous recessions have showed us that preserving our past tax cuts, focusing on job creation and cutting spending leads to a faster and bigger recovery for our state’s economy.”

In order to pass a balanced budget without raising taxes, lawmakers cut government waste wherever it could. The deep cuts to agencies’ budgets forced government to use the money it did have more efficiently.

“A silver lining to state budget cuts is that government must learn to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars,” Speaker Harrell said. “If these budget cuts help agencies save money by eliminating government waste and finding new ways to operate more effectively, those changes need to become permanent fixtures in that agency’s operations.”

The House also had to re-evaluate its priorities and find new ways to save money. By adjourning early and taking 5 additional furlough weeks, the House saved taxpayers over $400,000. This – combined with a hiring freeze, staff furloughs and salary cuts, printing cost reductions, utilization of Internet services, and many other cost saving measures – in total, greatly reduced operating costs and saved taxpayers well over $1 million.

“For example,” Harrell continued. “By dramatically reducing printing and technology costs, the House cut the cost of roll call voting in half. Increasing accountability is good government, and providing that increase in accountability at a much lower cost is a major victory for taxpayers.”

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.”

Senate panel gives key endorsement to public school choice legislation

COLUMBIA – The Senate Education Committee today unanimously approved and sent to the full Senate a bill aimed at increasing the number and variety of choices available to students and their families.

The committee approved the bill on a 13-0 vote. Co-sponsored by Republicans Wes Hayes and John Courson and Democrats Gerald Malloy and John Scott, it would establish public school choice committees in the state’s local school districts and require that they create new instructional choices at the elementary, middle and high school levels within two years.

Each district’s public school choice committee would adopt a proposal for at least one cross-district choice within three years and present that proposal to its local school board. Implementation would be at the discretion of local school boards.

“Today nearly 60,000 students are participating in some sort of optional instructional choice offered by a South Carolina public school,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “Our goal is to make those kinds of choices available to every child in the state – and to let parents drive the creation of instructional programs within schools that are fully accountable to the public and fully accessible to kids.”

The state’s public school choice programs currently include single-gender initiatives, middle college/early college, Montessori Education, evening high school, language immersion, academic academies, arts integration and international baccalaureate programs. South Carolina is the nation’s leader in single-gender education with nearly 220 schools offering that instructional option. More than 30 public schools currently offer Montessori instruction, with at least five more schools scheduled to begin next fall.

Shortly after taking office two years ago, Rex created an Office of Public School Choice within his agency. That office is staffed by experts who help schools develop single-gender classes, Montessori programs and charter schools.

Before it approved the public school choice bill today, the Education Committee sent back to subcommittee a bill that would subsidize private school tuitions with public funds, effectively killing the legislation for this session of the General Assembly. Similar bills have been rejected by legislators every year since 2004.

“At a time when our entire nation is focusing on transforming public education, it’s disappointing that here in South Carolina we continue to be distracted by this idea of taking public money and sending it to private schools,” Rex said. “This bill would have created two school systems: one that’s fully accountable to the public for academic performance and financial performance, and one that’s not. One school system that’s fully accessible to every student, and one that can pick and choose which students it wants to accept.

“It’s the quality of our public schools that ultimately will determine our state’s overall quality of life. I don’t know of a single company that was considering a move to South Carolina and asked the question, ‘How good are your private schools?’ ”

Hearing Cancelled

Rep. Denny Neilson, Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging, has asked that I notify you of the cancelation of the public hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2009.

This action is being taken because of conflicts with the House and Senate calendars and pending legislative business as the state budget is being debated and finalized.

This meeting will NOT be rescheduled as the General Assembly is set to adjourn the week of May 21, 2009. However, anyone wishing to submit written testimony can do so prior to the close of business on May 13, 2009. (The original deadline to submit electronic copies of testimony for the hearing was May 12, 2009 and that deadline has been extended 24 hours.)

All written testimony will be included in a report to be prepared for the members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging.

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.

Responsible Fathers Registry – Helps Children in Foster Care

Rep. Joan Brady (R) Richland District 78 - The SC House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday, April 02, 2009 establishing a registry for notification to fathers in the event of pending adoption proceedings or termination of parental rights. The Registry gives “putative” fathers, those who are thought to be the father, a way to protect their parental rights.

“The registry will potentially shorten the time children remain in our foster care system. It also provides a mechanism for those fathers who actually do want to be found,” said Rep. Brady

If a man who is not otherwise involved in the child’s life wants to receive notice of a legal proceeding such as an adoption or termination of parental rights, he would provide his name and address to the registry along with the name of the mother and child. The registry is confidential and only for notification in TPR and adoption proceedings.

The bill, H.3011 now goes to the SC Senate for consideration

Fellow South Carolinians,

While Governor Sanford refuses to accept federal stimulus funds from President Obama's Recovery Act that can be used to save teaching jobs and build new schools, South Carolina's unemployment rate has risen to the 2nd highest in the nation at 10.5%.
Stand up for South Carolina's schools today. Sign the petition to make "high quality education" our standard for public education instead of "minimally adequate education."
Sign the petition right now at www.GoodbyeMinimallyAdequate.com

Thank you,
Senator John Matthews
Representative James Smith
Representative Bakari Sellers
Representative Anton Gunn

House Republicans Give in to Democratic Pressure over Cuts to Local Government

GOP indicates their intention to reduce cuts after Democratic resistance

Columbia, SC – In an effort to kill legislation proposed by House Republicans that would cut funding to local governments by $122 million in this year’s budget, Democrats in the House blasted the proposal for nearly four hours on Thursday.

Democrats took a stand against the Republican proposal t hat would force local governments to either raise property taxes or cut basic services in communities across South Carolina. Dozens of House Democrats spoke out against the tax hike proposal on the house floor, proposing amendments exempting all 46 counties from being subject to the cuts.

“House Democrats refuse to force local governments to raise taxes on their citizens simply because Republicans cannot provide solutions for the problems they created”, said Rep. James Smith (D-Columbia). “These cuts would cripple local governments to the point that they could no longer operate and provide basic services like fire, police, and EMS”.

Smith concluded that these were the most irresponsible cuts he’s seen proposed in his twelve years in the House.

Press reports indicate that the Democratic opposition to this bill had forced Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper (R-Anderson) to reconsider the magnitude of the cuts. He told the Greenville News on Friday that he thinks it is a strong possibility that the committee could reduce the cuts from $122 million to $50 million.

“We’re pleased with the reduction in the cuts, but it’s not enough. We won’t stay quiet while our colleagues across the aisle attempt to pass the buck of responsibility”, said Democratic Leader Harry Ott (D-St. Matthews), who also serves on the Ways and Means Committee.

House Democrats will continue to fight for jobs, public education, and healthcare during budget week slated to begin Monday morning.

Rural Communities Suffer Most Under House Budget Proposal

In a surprising move the South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee decided that the best method for emerging from an economic recession is to raise property taxes, force layoffs, and reduce services necessary for everyday taxpayers and economic development. This crisis will occur if the House chooses to continue down the path set when Ways and Means balanced the state budget by slashing the Local Government Fund. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the House Leadership has decided that rural communities should once again pay the largest price for the state’s continued budgetary mismanagement.

The Local Government Fund is best looked at as the first property tax relief granted to the taxpayers of South Carolina. If funded according to the statutory formula, local governments are sent 4.5% of the last fiscal year’s State General Fund. This provides all counties with a predictable flow of income other than property taxes. Next year, for instance, we know the Local Government Fund will diminish because of the reduction in this year’s General Fund.

This money does not come to counties for nothing. Counties are statutorily required to comply with numerous mandates on behalf of state government. Some of these mandates include the housing of the judicial system, paying for magistrates, and providing office space and supplies for state agencies located in the county. All of these are state functions (indeed the authority over all rests in Columbia) but are funded by county tax dollars.

Clearly, the greatest suffering as a result of the ongoing recession is in rural communities. Many counties are experiencing double digit unemployment, companies laying off employees, and diminishing tax bases. Three years ago, the General Assembly sentenced the rural citizens of this state to second class citizenry as a result of imposing a millage cap caste system. The millage cap states that local governments may not increase the millage more than the consumer price index plus population growth in the county. In communities with lower population, this means that citizens will never enjoy the services available in more rapidly growing communities, even if they are willing to pay for it. With the proposed local government fund cut, the House leadership decided that turning their backs on the rural taxpayers of this state is not enough. They feel that our citizens do not deserve basic services, such as law enforcement, EMS services, and infrastructure maintenance. They want your property tax dollars to increase and go toward funding state functions while cutting those services that local taxpayers want and deserve.

Reeling from the millage cap and the recession Abbeville County, for instance, eliminated an ambulance station and turned it into a “quick response vehicle” station. This means that a truck with equipment and drugs is dispatched and works to stabilize the patient until a transporting ambulance can arrive on the scene. Abbeville has also instituted a one week unpaid furlough, cut four positions from the payroll, and reduced three other positions from full to part-time. The proposed action of the Ways and Means committee means another $660,000 cut from their budget, a cut that will put taxpayer lives at risk.

My constituents in Saluda County will lose $485,110 as a result of this cut. This is the equivalent of 9.88 mils. The millage limitation this year for Saluda County will likely be 3.9, which means, assuming county council raises taxes to the maximum extent allowed, we could make up $191,427. The remaining $293,683 will need to be stricken from an already lean budget utilizing either a reduction in force, furloughs, elimination of services or a combination of all three.

The result of cutting the Local Government Fund is apparent. Local governments are limited by a millage cap created in 2006 when the General Assembly, awash in cash, implemented a sales tax for school property tax replacement. At the same time they decided to emasculate local government fiscal authority by limiting millage increases to CPI plus population growth. Clearly, as a result of this measure, all local governments will be forced to increase millage to the maximum allowed under the limiting statute. In wealthy, populous communities, perhaps like those in the House leadership, taxpayers will see the taxes on the homes and cars skyrocket with some service loss. However in rural communities, already battered as a result of the General Assembly’s millage cap, this action will result in higher taxes, the slashing of local services, and most likely layoffs and furloughs in rural local governments. It is my hope House members who represent constituencies like mine will not once again succumb to the House leadership, but instead will save our taxpayers from the ruthless pillaging these actions represent.

By T. Hardee Horne, Chairman of Saluda County Council and a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Association of Counties

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.”

SC Dems Oppose Photo ID Bill

S.C. House Republicans took a step backward with today’s passage of a bill which requires citizens to present a state-issued photo ID before they can vote, said Carol Fowler, chair of the S.C. Democratic Party.

The bill would primarily affect those who don’t have a driver’s license because they’re too poor to own a car or too old to drive one. House Republicans provided no reason to justify the measure, and no means to pay for it. The bill now moves to the S.C. Senate.

“South Carolinians stood for hours in lines last fall to exercise their right to vote. Now State House Republicans who so often decry needless government bureaucracy are creating yet another waiting line for voters and another expense for taxpayers,” Fowler said.

“Republicans saw the massive turnout at the polls last November, and they’re running scared,” Fowler said. “This is their attempt to impose a new burden on voters, draining citizens’ time and running up the costs of elections.”

“Democrats will continue to fight this injustice in the Senate,” she said. “We will push for a sensible plan that drops the House’s new bureaucratic hurdle to voting, and will allow citizens to vote early – without excuse. Our goal is to make voting easier and less costly both for citizens and taxpayers.”

Around the country, Republicans have been introducing photo ID bills, which they justify by raising the specter of voter fraud. Yet, in S.C. House hearings on the bill, election officials and even Republican supporters of the bill said they were not aware of any instances of the kind of voter fraud that the photo ID restriction would supposedly prevent.

Photo identification requirements have become the most common way to suppress votes based on “imprecise and inflated claims of ‘voter fraud,’” according to a 2007 report by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. “Such photo ID laws are effective only in preventing individuals from impersonating other voters at the polls — an occurrence more rare than getting struck by lightning,” the study says.

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 Democrats Oppose Raising Taxes on Local Government

COLUMBIA – House Democrats joined with the South Carolina Association of Counties on Wednesday to oppose the crippling 42% budget cut to local governments proposed and passed by Republicans in the Ways & Means committee last week. These measures would essentially force local and county governments to either cut basic services for their communities who are already dealing with the massive drawbacks in last year’s budget, or raise taxes.

“This proposal is unacceptable and fiscally irresponsible”, said Rep. Cathy Harvin (D-Clarendon). “We cannot expect local governments to fix the problems that were created right here in Columbia”. Harvin added, “House Democrats will not vote for this budget if these cuts do not disappear.

The proposed cuts force local governments to carry the financial burden of the budget crisis without giving them an alternative solution to create revenue. With Act 388 prohibiting local governments from raising property taxes, the only remaining options lie in the dramatic downscaling of basic services, pay cuts, and layoffs.

Several Democratic members of the House and Senate voiced their opposition to the massive cuts at the press conference, stating that the drastic impact it would have on employees, county officials, and basic services were too catastrophic to ignore.

“We will not stand idly by while the Republicans attempt to bamboozle and hoodwink county and local governments”, said Rep. Wendell Gilliard, a former City Councilman in Charleston. “I’ve seen it done before, and I will not let it happen again."

Pro-Life Bills Pass SC House

The South Carolina House of Representatives gave second reading yesterday to not one, but two strong pro-life bills.

The legislation changing the reflection period before an abortion from the current one hour to the national standard 24 hours passed by a vote of 83-28. That after a full afternoon of debate and a series of failed amendments.

Then, the House immediately took up the Born Alive Infant Protection Act and passed it 105-5. The BIAPA requires medical assistance for a child born as the result of a botched abortion. The federal version of the legislation passed several years ago after nurses reported newborns being allowed to die after surviving attempted abortions.

House Passes Payday Lending Bill

The South Carolina House of Representatives passed a Payday Lending bill (H. 3301) today that puts regulations in place to help safeguard consumers utilizing this lending service. With over 70 co-sponsors on the bill, the legislation passed the House with strong bipartisan support.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell who is the lead sponsor on the legislation said, “While there are some people who wanted to see us ban this industry or regulate it out of existence, clearly there is a demand from consumers for this particular service.”

The bill places a $600 cap on the amount lenders can loan to one individual at a time. Currently, there is no limit on the amount someone may be loaned and individuals can obtain multiple loans at the same time by simply going to different payday loan offices. Creating a statewide loan database will ensure that individuals only hold one loan at a time, no matter how many payday loan offices they may visit.

“Regulating the practice and enacting consumer safeguards is the right thing to do,” Speaker Harrell continued. “These loans are meant to be short-term financial solutions for unforeseen expenses; capping the loan amount and creating a statewide database to ensure that someone can only have one loan at a time will help prevent individuals from falling into a bottomless cycle of debt.”

The bill also moves to outlaw the predatory practice of unlicensed internet payday loans in South Carolina and establishes an extended payment plan for individuals who are unable to meet their loan.

SCAJ responds to introduction of "tort reform" legislation (H. 3489) in the S.C. House

COLUMBIA, SC - South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) Executive Director Mike Hemlepp released the following statement on S.C. House Bill 3489, which was introduced today (Tues., Feb. 10, 2009) in the S.C. House of Representatives:

"Speaker Bobby Harrell has worked tirelessly to correct our state's current economic difficulties and we all respect him for his service. However, this proposed legislation will not produce positive results for our state's business climate. In fact, it will do the opposite.

"Thousands of families in South Carolina are on the verge of losing their jobs, their homes and their way of life. In many cases, it is only the protection of the law that prevents them from losing everything. When innocent people fall victim to code violations, bad judgment and deceptive trade practices, the law provides a safety net at a time when they are most vulnerable.

"This proposed legislation would strip away fundamental rights from citizens in order to protect special interest groups from accountability for their misdeeds. These special interest groups pretend to care about small business when, in fact, this bill is simply a ruse to satisfy the greed of Wall Street millionaires with virtually no ties to our communities.

"SCAJ urges a bipartisan effort to protect our system of civil justice by opposing this unwise legislation."

House Democratic Caucus Hires New Executive Director

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina House Democratic Caucus is proud to announce the hiring of Tyler Jones as Executive Director. Tyler is currently a resident of Charleston and a native of New Bern, North Carolina. He served as the Lowcountry Field Director for John Edwards’ Presidential campaign, political director for Linda Ketner’s 2008 successful congressional primary, and most recently managed Rep. Leon Stavrinakis’ successful re-election bid for sta te house.

Democratic Minority Leader Harry Ott called Jones “one of the most respected political minds in the state.” Rep. Ott stated “we are thrilled to have him on the team. We look forward to working with Tyler as we move our agenda forward and increasing our numbers in the House of Representatives.”

“I’m extremely humbled by the opportunity to serve the Democratic Caucus and the people of South Carolina”, said Jones. “We have no time to waste and I will work vigorously from day one in order to obtain a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.”

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.”

Representatives Sellers & Pitts Propose Bill to Keep Children Healthy

Representatives Bakari Sellers and Ted Pitts introduced a bill in the House that would set standards for beverages, snacks and school lunches in an effort to fight the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that the percentage of overweight children ages 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, while the number of adolescents aged 12-19 who are overweight has more than tripled. Children who are overweight and obese face a host of health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, and an increased risk of diabetes. In fact, type two diabetes, formally known as adult onset diabetes, has become increasingly prevalent among children.

"America is facing an obesity epidemic that we must attack from all sides -- providing healthier foods in schools is a crucial first step," said Sellers. "If we don't act now, this epidemic will have a profound impact on the future of America’s health care.”

The bill introduced by Sellers and Pitts, H.3297, outlines fat, calorie, and sugar content standards that snacks, food and beverages must meet in order to be sold in schools. It further provides that elementary schools may offer only full meals for student consumption; snacks and beverages may not be offered in vending machines in elementary schools. The snacks and beverages offered in middle and high schools will be required to conform to the same nutritional standards provided in the bill.

Organizations like the School Nutrition Association of S.C., the S.C. Farm Bureau, and the S.C. Beverage Association have been instrumental in working together with Representatives Sellers and Pitts to draft this legislation.