My column in the Aiken Standard

Last week, Governor Sanford vetoed all of Part I of the state budget (funding for state agencies); all of Part III (appropriated federal stimulus dollars); and 47 separate line item vetoes of Part II (budget provisos for state agencies including a proviso accepting all available federal stimulus dollars). One day later, the General Assembly considered whether to override or to sustain each of these vetoes. I voted to sustain many of the governor’s vetoes including his vetoes of Parts I and III. Contrary to an e-mail to local teachers from a Columbia based education group, I voted to override the veto of the proviso accepting the available federal stimulus dollars. I thought long and hard and talked to lots of folks in our district before casting my votes. Here are the reasons for my voting the way that I did: Read more

State House Update – Week of May 18-24, 2009

The House met this week for the last week of the legislative year of 2009. The House will return on June 16 for one day to address any pending vetoes and other legislative matters. Read more

State House Update – Week of May 11 – 17, 2009

The House returned from furlough this week to focus on the last two weeks leading up to the May 21 end of session deadline. On Tuesday, just after entering into session, the House was faced with voting immediately on whether to concur with the Senate budget with House Ways and Means changes in it BEFORE House consideration. In the past, a conference committee with members from both the House and the Senate met to work out differences between the two budget versions. This year, a conference committee did not meet. Instead, House Ways and Means Chairman Cooper and Senate Finance Chair Leatherman met over the weekend before we returned to work out differences in the budget. Upon returning at noon on Tuesday, we were given a summary of the budget at 1:55 p.m. and then we had to vote on it at 4:15 p.m. Some of us wanted 24 hours to review the budget but a motion to do that failed. Therefore, a vote was conducted and the budget passed. Read more

There’s still time for changes in this year’s Legislature

During the 2008 elections, “change” and “reform” were two of the most used words by those running for political office. Despite the rhetoric of the 2008 campaigns, the chance for meaningful change and reform in 2009 is slipping away in the South Carolina General Assembly as the end of the legislative session is fast approaching this month. Nevertheless, there is still time for the Legislature to make substantial strides toward improving our state government and the quality of life for all of us in South Carolina. Some areas of change that I have been working on this session with other members are as follows: Read more

State House Update – Week of April 27 – May 1

The House met this week before taking another one week furlough the week of May 4. The primary focus this week was trying to get bills out of committee and passed on the Floor to meet the “crossover deadline.” Under the legislative rules, any House legislation that needs Senate approval too has to be out of the House before May 1 – commonly called the “crossover deadline”. Unfortunately, many good bills did not make the deadline and are held up in committee or on the Floor. In many cases, this is disappointing that much needed reform legislation will probably not pass this year. Nevertheless, this is the first year of a two year session so many of these bills will hopefully be ready to come out early in the 2010 session. Read more