217 replies to this topic

[krazeeboi]

It appears as though Bauer-R (lt. gov.) and Rex-D (sup. of ed.) squeaked out wins.

[vicupstate]

vicupstate, on Nov 8 2006, 07:15 AM, said:

In State House of Representative races:

Dems pick up a seat in Dorchester and two in Charleston.

GOP picks up one in Lancaster.

Very close race in Cherokee will go to a recount, but Dem holds slim lead.

Another very close race in Richland gave the incumbent GOP a small pluralitry lead.

If the recount leaders hold, the Dems pick up 2.

Just an update now that all the votes are certified.  

GOP picked up Lancaster seat, once held by former Gov. Hodges.

Dems picked up one each in Charleston and Dorchester.  Net change +1 for Dems.

GOP failed to pick up seat in Cherokee County (two were contested).  Dems failed to pick up the seat of controversial Charleston Rep. Wallace Scarbrough (by 40 votes).  Dems failed to pick up open seat in Florence/Sumter counties that had some promise for them as well.

[Spartan]

I never thought that I would see this day... but actual change for the better may happen in SC next year. According to the Post & Courier, Sen. Pro Tem Glen McConnel is actually sponsoring a bill that would reorganize the statewide offices under the executive branch in the Governor's Cabinet.

"Governors [would] nominate with Senate approval the state education superintendent, treasurer, comptroller general, secretary of state, adjutant general and agriculture commissioner. All of those positions are currently elected."

Bills would remake agencies

The fact that this is coming from McConnel gives me hope that something might acutally be accomplished, because we all know that when he wants something to happen, it tends to happen.

The only office that was not included that should have been is the DOT. The article mentions that the governor has been pushing for this as well.

Next year should be an interesting year for SC politics.

[krazeeboi]

I read the same thing, but from another source (I think it was the Greenville News). In that article, it actually said that there seemed to be some support among legislators about the DOT's overhaul. We'll see what McConnell manages to make happen.

[Spartan]

Thats good to hear! 2007 could be very promising.... now if we could jsut get them to do something about those annexation laws we'd be in business!

[krazeeboi]

There are some bills that are currently held up in the senate judiciary. I posted some info about that in the annexation thread.

[Spartan]

I've read articles in various SC papers that said these were 'dead' bills.

[vicupstate]

Spartan, on Dec 3 2006, 12:12 PM, said:

I never thought that I would see this day... but actual change for the better may happen in SC next year. According to the Post & Courier, Sen. Pro Tem Glen McConnel is actually sponsoring a bill that would reorganize the statewide offices under the executive branch in the Governor's Cabinet.

"Governors [would] nominate with Senate approval the state education superintendent, treasurer, comptroller general, secretary of state, adjutant general and agriculture commissioner. All of those positions are currently elected."

Bills would remake agencies

The fact that this is coming from McConnel gives me hope that something might acutally be accomplished, because we all know that when he wants something to happen, it tends to happen.

The only office that was not included that should have been is the DOT. The article mentions that the governor has been pushing for this as well.

Next year should be an interesting year for SC politics.

I don;t want to bust your bubble, but he did the same thing last year, or something pretty similiar.  I was surprised then myself.  You certainly want McConnell in your corner, but the legislature hates Sanford, this is a very long way from being a done deal.

And you are right, those annexation bills never get out of committee.

[Spartan]

Hmm... well this is the first that I've heard of either one So if nothing else, we will be able to keep everyone updated on its progress here.

[krazeeboi]

Spartan, on Dec 5 2006, 09:11 AM, said:

I've read articles in various SC papers that said these were 'dead' bills.

Bummer. Maybe I'll do some emailing and see what I come up with.

It seems like the Senate judiciary can really be a bill's graveyard.

[Skyliner]

"First in the South" Democratic Presidential debate for 2008 election could happen in 5 months right here in South Carolina.  Read more.  Columbia can't have all of them now - that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the state.  But we're not in control of things in politics.

[Spartan]

It was fun to be at Carolina during the last debate they held there. Fun times

[vicupstate]

Sanford for President?  

The Washington Times thinks it is a good idea.....


A Sanford Candidacy (for President)

[krazeeboi]

That isn't the first time I've heard that.

[whitehourseview]

vicupstate, on Dec 21 2006, 06:38 PM, said:

Sanford for President?  

The Washington Times thinks it is a good idea.....
A Sanford Candidacy (for President)

It's an odd commentary, written by one of Sanford's former staff members. Flattering, I'm sure, to the Governor, but there are some behind the scenes things going on there and let's just leave it at that.

Sanford has just been reelected. The writer is proposing he spend the first two years of his last term, with some heavy items on the agenda, slogging through New Hampshire and Iowa, raising money all over the land, hitting up the interview circuit.

Realistically, if anyone wants to be a party's nominee for President, he had to have started making waves about it on his own six months ago, he hasn't done that, and the major fundraisers are all about tied up between Romney, McCain and Guiliani.

It's a nice sentiment, though a really odd one coming from a former Sanford staffer who should know his boss's priorities and the landscape of a Presidential campaign.

[Spartan]

This is definitely not the first time this has been brought up. There is a website dedicated to that.

Sanford would be a great candidate for the Republican Party, because he is one of the few true republicans out there. He holds true to the things republicans should, and he actually cares about the people. He would be the ideal candidate to clean up our budgetary problems.

However- I personally wouldn't want to see him run until 2012. He would have 2 additional yeard of experience, and 2 years time off to work on fundraising efforts that wouldn't distract him from his current work. I also have selfish reasons... I want to see him continue to push the notion of progress in this state, and more importantly, I don't want Andre Bauer to get promoted.

[krazeeboi]

That article really showed how much of a fiscal conservative Sanford is. I don't agree with everything he vetoes as far as the annual budget is concerned, but he is to be commended for tightening the pursestrings. Hopefully the surpluses will be spent wisely.

Here's a pre-filed bill in the House that I ran across:

Quote

H. 3153 -- Rep. McLeod: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 57-3-45 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE MASS TRANSIT ADVISORY COUNCIL AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTIONS AND TO AMEND SECTION 12-28-2725, RELATING TO THE PORTION OF THE MOTOR FUELS USER FEE USED FOR MASS TRANSIT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT REVENUE EQUAL TO TWO CENTS A GALLON OF THE TOTAL USER FEE ON GASOLINE MUST BE USED FOR MASS TRANSIT.

I also thought this Senate pre-filed bill was interesting:

Quote

S. 173  -- Senator Leventis: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING CHAPTER 46 TO TITLE 44 ENACTING THE "BIOTECHNOLOGY ACT OF 2008" SO AS TO AUTHORIZE STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THIS STATE, AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM AN INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD TO CONDUCT SUCH RESEARCH, TO PROHIBIT PURCHASING OR SELLING PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYOS FOR HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH, AND TO PROHIBIT HUMAN CLONING AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO LICENSE INSTITUTIONS CONDUCTING STEM CELL RESEARCH, TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THE REVIEW AND REGULATION OF SUCH RESEARCH, TO PROVIDE THAT AN EMPLOYEE OF AN INSTITUTION MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT SUCH RESEARCH OR RELATED ACTIVITIES IF IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE EMPLOYEE'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, TO REQUIRE INFORMED CONSENT FOR DISPOSITION OF PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYOS FOR PATIENTS BEING TREATED FOR INFERTILITY, AND TO REQUIRE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED ON UMBILICAL AND PLACENTA DONATIONS.

This one is no surprise:

Quote

Senator McConnell: A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 11, TITLE 60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ARCHIVES ACT, SO AS TO ADD ARTICLE 3 CREATING THE SOUTH CAROLINA CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL ADVISORY BOARD.

[Spartan]

That mass transit issue is fantastic. I hope that one gets passed. We need a more secure funding source for our transit systems.

[krazeeboi]

It is. I'm also rather excited by the Biotechnology Acts of 2008 and the stem cell research it involves (apparently adult stem cell research).

[krazeeboi]

A refresher op-ed piece that explains why government restructuring is such an important issue.