Property rights threatened by new eminent domain bill for private companies
EMINENT DOMAIN FOR PIPELINE COMPANIES? A recently filed bill (S.1100) would give private petroleum pipeline companies the power to condemn state residents’ property through eminent domain. It would also classify these companies as public utilities and subject the construction and expansion of pipelines to state approval. . How it would work Eminent domain is a […]
Road-naming bills: Political favors for politicians
Last September, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Commission voted to rename the “John N. Hardee Expressway” in Columbia to the “Columbia Airport Expressway” following Hardee’s guilty plea to a federal evidence-tampering charge and subsequent arrest in a prostitution sting. This is not the first time a South Carolina politician has faced criminal charges after having […]
Lawmakers double down on Second Amendment attacks
MULTIPLE BILLS ATTACK SOUTH CAROLINIANS’ RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS A growing number of bills filed by lawmakers would erode South Carolinians’ Second Amendment rights. In recent weeks, five bills were introduced that push for gun confiscation powers, banning certain firearms, and severely limiting their access – all of which would violate the rights […]
Lawmakers attempt to divert gas-tax dollars to pay local transportation officials
Three recently filed bills would pay certain local transportation officials (appointed by lawmakers) out of their counties’ local share of gas-tax revenue. H.4819 would pay each member of the Union County Transportation Committee (CTC) $75 for each meeting attended, for up to ten meetings. S.994 would pay each member of the Lee County CTC $100 […]
Bills to watch in 2020: Part two
It’s a new year in the Palmetto State, and that means South Carolina’s legislative session is about to begin – on January 14 to be exact. While it’s impossible to predict every desired policy change on lawmakers’ agenda, the primary takeaways from the 250-plus bills prefiled for this year include more spending of taxpayer dollars, […]
What do state agencies want to spend in 2020?
The most important bill passed in each legislative session is the state budget. Every year, state agencies spend more and more taxpayer dollars on a variety of things – sometimes actual core functions of government, but too often on pork, pet projects, and non-essential items like tourism, marketing and politically driven economic development. Worse, the […]
Bills to watch in 2020: Part one
It’s nearly the end of the year and South Carolina’s legislative session is rapidly approaching! The first day of session begins on January 14, 2020. Since 2019 was the first half of the two-year session, bills that did not pass this year could still become law next year. Lawmakers filed nearly 2,500 bills and resolutions […]
Education “reforms” focused on workforce rather than education
Addressing public education was a top issue during the 2019 legislative session, and will remain a priority when the General Assembly reconvenes next year. Earlier this year the House passed an education omnibus bill, while the Senate Education Committee has been working on a companion bill that is still moving through the subcommittee process. Lawmakers […]
How not to sell a state asset: An update on Santee Cooper
This past session, lawmakers finally took action on Santee Cooper – without actually taking action. Instead of authorizing a sale of the troubled state-owned utility, they passed a resolution (H.4287) to explore three different options – to sell, to outsource the internal management to a third party, and to keep-but-reform. In theory, lawmakers will review […]
Project Road Repair
Getting answers on your roads, tracking answers across the state It’s year three of the gas tax hike, and most of the $615.2 million of gas tax revenues they’ve collected so far has not been spent. In fact, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is saying that it might be ten years before your roads are fixed. However, the DOT commissioners don’t […]
