- Timmons Expresses Support for DEI’s Doppelganger for Hiring Practices in Washington
- Should the US Rethink Its Mid-East Policies?
- Is Another Child Tax Credit Expansion Really the Best Way To Help Families?
- The Two-State Solution for Israel is No Solution at All
- A New Fiscal Commission Must Heed the Lesson of '97
- Biden's Corporate Tax Hike: Populism Versus Economic Literacy
- The Evils of Socialism
- Why is Greenville County Council Pickpocketing Us Again?
- The Morgan and Timmons Firey Faceoff in SC’s 4th Congressional District Race
- Advertising Rates and Specifications
- Danger: The Proposed South Carolina "Health Czar" Legislation will be Hazardous to Your FREEDOM!
- The Tucker Carlson Interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Belgrade, NATO Expansion, Color Revolutions
- Insights into the Russian View of Russian History
- Is US Rep. William Timmons Bloating His Voting Record with Out-of-State Proxies?
Gas-Tax-Hike Piggy Bank Keeps Growing Fatter
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Through March, a special fund created with the state gas-tax-hike law had a cash balance of nearly $824 million and racked up more than $26 million in investment earnings on surpluses since July 2017, records show.
The $823.8 million surplus in the “Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund” as of March 31 represented nearly 46% of the $1.79 billion in total collected revenues under the 2017 law, The Nerve found in a review of recently released S.C. Department of Transportation and state comptroller general records.
- Hits: 1307
Senators Pushing Plenty of Pork Pprojects Through Taxpayer-Funded Earmarks
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
S.C. senators want to spend nearly $108 million next fiscal year on dozens of pet projects by funneling the money through state agencies that typically didn’t request the public dollars.
More than half of the $107.9 million in labeled earmarks for fiscal year 2022, which starts July 1, would be spent collectively on a new Greenville convention center, renovations to the Columbia Convention Center and Sumter Opera House, and unspecified infrastructure projects in Spartanburg, according to an earmark list released under a new Senate rule requiring public disclosure.
The Nerve for years has reported about Senate and House earmarks – and the lack of transparency and public input on the spending requests.
- Hits: 2175
Stanton Healthcare Applauds Idaho Governor, Brad Little, for Signing 'Heartbeat Bill'
- By Stanton Healthcare
This law would outlaw abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
BOISE, Idaho -- Stanton Healthcare, based in Boise, has life-affirming Clinics in Idaho and affiliates across America and internationally. Stanton provides compassionate and professional women's healthcare along with holistic services to clients experiencing an unexpected pregnancy.
Stanton's medical staff, team and clients all testified before the Idaho Legislature in support of the Heartbeat legislation.
- Hits: 1351
SCDOT Denies Most Pothole-Damage Claims by Motorists
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Over the past three years, the S.C. Department of Transportation denied a total of nearly 2,300 pothole-damage claims filed by motorists statewide – more than half of all such requests received during the period, The Nerve found in a review of agency records.
Motorists collectively sought more than $4.8 million in 4,325 pothole-damage claims received by DOT from 2018 through last year, with listed settlements totaling $802,609, or 16.5% of the overall requested total, according to the records, obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.
- Hits: 1664
Lawmakers Pushing for More Power in Home Counties
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
State lawmakers are continuing to push bills that would increase legislative delegations’ powers over local K-12 schools and other public agencies in their home counties.
Today, for example, the House Education and Public Works Committee, chaired by Rep. Rita Allison, R-Spartanburg, is scheduled to consider a Senate bill that would allow a legislative delegation – made up of senators and House members in a county – to control the appointment of an interim local school board if a popularly elected board is dissolved following an approved “state-of-education emergency.”
- Hits: 1284
Santee Cooper, Ports Authority Board Members Paid Thousands for Part-time Gig
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Unlike panels overseeing other state agencies, the governing boards of the state-created Ports Authority and utility Santee Cooper are paid thousands of dollars annually for their part-time jobs, records show.
Most members of the Ports Authority Board of Directors made $11,700 last year, while members of the Santee Cooper Board of Directors received $10,384.20 in compensation and another $2,000 in a category labeled “travel, insurance and meeting reimbursement,” according to their annual income-disclosure reports, known as statements of economic interests (SEIs), filed with the State Ethics Commission.
- Hits: 1461
Senators Keep Tight Control Over County Magistrates
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
If there’s one power that S.C. senators likely will never relinquish – at least willingly – it’s their control over the selection of the state’s more than 300 county magistrates.
Magistrates, who handle traffic tickets and other relatively minor criminal and civil cases, know how much authority senators can exercise even after their judicial terms expire. Under a loophole in state law known as “holdover status,” magistrates can continue to serve indefinitely past their official terms – and feel more pressure to cater to their local senators.
- Hits: 1361
Arizona, Georgia Double-Team on Woke Sports
- By Tony Perkins - Family Research Council
It'll be months before Major League Baseball knows how much its decision to move Atlanta's All-Star Game cost them financially. Fortunately, Americans won't have to wait nearly that long to understand how much it hurt the MLB politically. Thanks to Governor Doug Ducey (R-Ariz.), they already know. If the goal of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and his liberal pals was to scare other states into submission, Arizona's new law makes it quite clear: he's already failed.
- Hits: 1350
Senator: Lawmakers Left Out of Loop on Leatherman’s $550M Bond Proposal
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Claiming that many lawmakers had little or no notice of a $550 million taxpayer-backed bond plan for projects at the Port of Charleston, a senator has proposed expanding the Ports Authority governing board to include the heads of the state Commerce and Transportation departments.
Besides making Commerce secretary Bobby Hitt and DOT secretary Christy Hall voting members of the current nine-member Ports Authority Board of Directors, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Sandy Senn, R-Charleston, would allow the two agency heads to attend closed board sessions.
- Hits: 1926
McMaster Receives Gifts Totaling Tens of Thousands of Dollars
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Over the past four years as South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster received a total of more than $87,000 in gifts, The Nerve found in a review of his annual income-disclosure reports.
Of the $87,695 in freebies, $24,679, or 28%, came from the Washington, D.C.-based Republican Governors Association (RGA), mainly for flights, hotel accommodations and meals, according to McMaster’ annual statements of economic interests (SEIs) filed with the State Ethics Commission.
- Hits: 2184
Pothole Palooza: SCDOT Claims it Patches Hundreds of Thousands of Holes
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
In its latest annual report, the S.C. Department of Transportation claimed it patched about 679,300 potholes statewide during fiscal year 2020.
Based on those numbers, an average of 14,767 potholes were filled from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, in each of the state’s 46 counties, though the annual report, provided by DOT head Christy Hall in January to state Senate president Harvey Peeler and House speaker Jay Lucas, didn’t provide any county breakdowns.
The Nerve previously has pointed out that DOT’s patched-pothole numbers are merely estimates.
- Hits: 1261
This genius bill GUARANTEES Federal Gov. Can’t Infringe on 2nd Amendment Rights
- By Glenn Beck
South Carolina State Senator Tom Corbin joins Glenn Beck to discuss his state’s “Unorganized Militia” bill, which smartly uses legislation to GUARANTEE the federal government cannot infringe on citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights there. The Biden administration may have gun control in their sights, but with this legislation, South Carolinians SHOULD remain untouched. Listen to this clip to find out how it works and to find out how YOU can encourage similar steps in your own local community.
- Hits: 2327
Millions More Proposed by S.C. House for ‘Tourism Marketing’
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
Nearly $30 million in tax dollars could flow next fiscal year through the state tourism agency to regional tourism organizations for “tourism marketing” – with reduced or no private grant matches in contrast to larger matches required in prior years.
The S.C. House version of the state budget for fiscal year 2022 calls for $14 million in recurring general funds – the amount that has been appropriated annually in recent years – plus another $15 million in non-recurring, state surplus funds for “Destination Specific Tourism Marketing” (DSTM) grants awarded by the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT).
- Hits: 1782
RINO Hunt March Meeting - March 30th at 6:30 p.m.
- By Press Release
Recently our lawmakers failed the best chance to restore our right to keep and bear arms without a government permission slip. Even worse; they are calling it a victory!
Updates on Constitutional Carry will be on the agenda.
The State budget is on the agenda in Columbia. While sitting on billions of unused revenues, our lawmakers refuse to cut the budget and give back the surplus.
- Hits: 1266
Alabama Passes Day of Tears Resolution
- By Christian Newswire
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama Senate passed House Joint Resolution 24, recognizing January 22 as the Day of Tears. Sponsored by Representative Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant), this resolution calls for private citizens in Alabama to lower their flags on January 22, in honor and remembrance of the over 61 million innocents who have lost their lives to abortion.
The Senate joins the House, who passed the resolution on February 11th.
- Hits: 1351
State Spending Continues to Swell Amid Pandemic
- By Rick Brundrett - The Nerve
When the full S.C. House meets next week to debate the fiscal 2022 state budget, it will consider a plan that’s at least $1 billion bigger than the budget in effect when the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Carolina.
And that doesn’t include billions more in recently awarded federal Covid-relief funding for the Palmetto State, much it for K-12 schools.
Approved last week, the House Ways and Means Committee’s state budget version for the fiscal year that begins July 1 totals $31.1 billion, including state, federal and “other” funds, according to a budget record known as the summary control document (SCD).
- Hits: 1499
- Taxpayer Tab for Leatherman Terminal Projects Could Grow Much Bigger
- Lawmakers Seek to Regain Control Over Who Heads County VA Offices
- Secrecy Still Order of the Day in S.C. Court System
- Arkansas Passes First State Ban on Abortion Recognizing it as a Crime Against Humanity and Accepting Every Unwanted Child
- House Targets Budget Law for Repeal; Other Old Laws Remain Untouched