Ex-DOT Commissioner Hardee Was Dealmaker for Program that Collected State Money, Funded Political Campaigns
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Ex-state transportation commissioner John Hardee negotiated $1.57 million in payments since 2014 from government agencies and nonprofits for public service announcements through a billboard-industry trade group, though much of the revenues were not used to produce billboards, records reviewed by The Nerve show.
- Hits: 109
Treasurer Curtis Loftis kicks off National 529 Day observance with $529 College Savings Grants
- By SC Treasurer Curtis Loftis
COLUMBIA, S.C. – State Treasurer Curtis Loftis announced that South Carolina’s Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan would once again celebrate National 529 College Savings Day (May 29) with its PalmettoBaby Grant Program.
The annual program, which is in its seventh year, promotes the importance of families saving for college and provides a privately-funded $529 grant to each baby born in South Carolina on May 29 to put toward a Future Scholar account.
- Hits: 736
Beaufort Federation of Republican Men Resolution # 2019-07
- By Beaufort Federation of Republican Men
Resolution Urging the South Carolina Senate and House to vote in favor of Senate Bill 112 and House Bill 3125 Calling for a Convention of States
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Federation is to promote, support and defend conservative Republican governance at the local, state and national levels; and
WHEREAS, the Founding Fathers gave us two (2) viable methods for amending the Constitution of the United States with the second being vested in the people in Article V of the U.S. Constitution; and
- Hits: 753
Gov. Henry McMaster Announces Next Director of the S.C. Department of Social Services
- By SC Governor's Office
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today nominated Michael Leach to be the next director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS). Leach, a trained mental health clinician, has over 10 years of experience in Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and has most recently served as the Deputy Commissioner for Child Programs at the agency.
To watch video of the governor’s announcement, click here.
- Hits: 887
House, Senate Chambers Sitting on Huge Reserves While Seeking More Tax Dollars
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
The S.C. House and Senate know how to take care of each other – with taxpayer money.
As The Nerve reported in September, the 124-member House carried over $25 million in general funds in its chamber budget for this fiscal year, which started July 1 – nearly $2.9 million more than its total $22.2 million budget for last fiscal year.
The 46-member Senate had $6.1 million in reserves as of July 1, which represented 43 percent of its $14.3 million chamber budget for 2017-18.
- Hits: 783
What's Happening at the Statehouse this Week
- By SC Policy Council
This week, a handful of important bills are getting their first committee hearing, while other bills that have passed the committee process will be deliberated on the floor.
Tonight, there will be a public hearing for the Senate’s version of the education omnibus bill, which would create a new committee to monitor students from K-12, and beyond. The Senate bill also amends teacher pay, the Read to Succeed program, and school district consolidation, among other things. The hearing will be held at 6pm tonight at the McCormick Middle School gym (agenda here).
- Hits: 955
Senators Continue Tradition of Keeping Magistrates on Short Leashes
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
In South Carolina, state senators largely control the selection of more than 300 county magistrates, who handle thousands of relatively minor criminal and civil cases annually.
That power is amplified when magistrates finish their terms without being reappointed, a period known as “holdover” status in which they can serve indefinitely – and potentially feel more pressure to please their local senators.
- Hits: 1114
Gov. Henry McMaster, Co-Chairmen of Santee Cooper Study Committee Release Report on Initial Offers to Purchase Santee Cooper
- By SC Governor's Office
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today, Governor Henry McMaster joined Senator Paul Campbell and Representative Murrell Smith in releasing to the public the report on the bids submitted by parties interested in purchasing Santee Cooper or managing the publicly held utility. Campbell and Smith serve as Co-Chairmen of the Public Service Authority Evaluation and Recommendation Committee, of which the governor is a member.
- Hits: 979
SC Senate District 6 Debate, Tonight
- By Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina: All three Republican Senate 6 Candidates will have their first debatesince the Special Election began to replace Representative and now U.S. Congressman William Timmons.
- Hits: 1170
Legislators and Activist Support Dwight Loftis for SC State Senate District 6
- By Endorsement
Voters in a small portion of Greenville County have a big decision to make on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
From Berea on the west to Taylors on the east and from Travelers Rest in the north to near Haywood Mall, Republicans in state Senate District 6 will fill a vacancy in a special election primary.
We enthusiastically endorse veteran state House member Dwight Loftis.
- Hits: 1207
SC Senate District 6 Debate
- By Greenville County Republican Party
I hope you are having a great beginning to 2019! We have been busy over the last few weeks finalizing the details for our Senate 6 Debate. Some of you may not live in District 6, but the issues that are discussed will be informative for all. I hope you will be able to take an hour out of your busy schedules to come hear from our candidates.
- Hits: 1169
Gov. Henry McMaster Takes Steps to Assist Local Governments with Mosquito Abatement
- By SC Governor's Office
Governor Requests $4 Million from Unclaimed Property Account to Help Local Governments
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Governor Henry McMaster today sent a letter to S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis requesting the transfer of $4 million from the Unclaimed Property Account to the S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) to help with mosquito abatement services in areas affected by Hurricane Florence.
- Hits: 1581
It's Time South Carolinians Throw The Voting Machines Out
- By Evan Mulch
- Hits: 2982
Data warehouses threaten S.C. citizens’ privacy rights
- By Ashley Landess
The state of South Carolina has a lot of information about you and your family – including your children. That much you know, but new laws on the books – and in the works – push data collection to a level that not only threatens privacy rights but also opens the door for dangerous regulations based on personal information.
The Legislature has, in stages, created a sort of “information central,” passing laws that create two data warehouses to pull in information from agencies for health care and social services, education and workforce.
- Hits: 2271
