Governor Ignores Three-Fourths of Budget in Lashing Senate

Gov. Nikki Haley's press conference earlier this week was strong on style and a bit short on substance.

Senator Stalls Child Custody Bill

A state senator is holding up a bill that supporters say would make major changes in the way child custody cases are handled in South Carolina.

S.C. Legislators Say 'No Agenda' on Trip to Turkey

Although South Carolina has a relatively small Turkish population and no major trade with Turkey,  eight S.C. senators apparently thought  it was important enough to go on a 10-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Middle Eastern country last year.

Boeing Thanks S.C. Congressmen for Supporting Company’s Biggest Subsidizer

The Boeing Co. is feeling the love for South Carolina’s congressional delegation – most of the delegation members anyway.

‘Angel’ Incentives Would Duplicate 3 State Programs

A bill that has moved another step closer to passing would have the state subsidize early-stage venture capital investing on top of three existing programs that do more or less the same thing.

Phantom of the Legislative Session

The journal for the S.C. Senate shows the legislative body meeting on both May 10 and May 11 of this year. But the reality is that not a single senator was on hand in the Senate chamber either day.

Expanded Incentives Bill Bogs Down Over Service Providers

An amended S.C. House bill would extend a taxpayer-backed incentive to companies that use professional employer organizations.

Lancaster Citizen Reporter Queries Senator on State’s Growing Budget

Mary Atkinson of Lancaster recently posed questions regarding the state growing budget to state Sen. Greg Gregory, R-Lancaster.

House Panel Drops Ethics Case against Governor after House Changes Its Rules

The S.C. House last week danced a conspicuous ethics two-step, in what one State House watchdog describes as exactly the kind of bull pucky that makes taxpayers cynical about politicians and government.

Greenville Citizen Reporter: Committee Chairmen Agree to Record Votes

Fourteen of 20 of the chairmen of key S.C. legislative committees have agreed to record votes taken at the committee and subcommittee levels, according to an Upstate transparency advocate.

House Axes Budget and Control Board in New Restructuring Plan

The S.C. House passed a counterproposal Wednesday to a Senate plan for restructuring state government, going much further than the House’s original blueprint and outstripping the Senate in some areas.

Panel Strips Economic Development from Firefighting Bill

As first written, the bill would have directed 7 percent of the revenue from state taxes on insurance premiums to the Forestry Commission for firefighting and “forestry industry economic enhancement.”

Bill Would Add Forester to State Economic Development Board

The S.C. Forestry Commission is supporting a bill to put its director on an obscure state board with vast control over South Carolina’s economy. The board is named the S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development.

46 State Symbols … and Counting?

A joint resolution to ban the addition of new state symbols is languishing in committee.

Senator Proposes Putting Himself on SCRA Board

One of the state’s most powerful lawmakers has authored a bill that would put himself on the board of trustees and executive committee of a little-understood, state-controlled technology and real estate company.

Capital Reserve Fund or Legislative Slush Fund?

S.C. Sen. Shane Massey has proposed a resolution  that would limit spending from the state's capital reserve fund.

The Difference Between Incentives and Private Investment – Disclosure

Imagine being an investment broker without the information necessary to keep clients apprised of how their assets are performing: no price-to-earnings data, no quarterly profit statements, no tax liability numbers. Doesn’t sound like a very promising career path as a financial adviser, does it?

Boeing Greased Its Landing in South Carolina

Even before Boeing announced plans to build in South Carolina, the aerospace company showed it knew how to play the political game.

Politics Threatens to Derail Restructuring

Causal and keen observers alike might have heard rumblings about expanding government bureaucracy, along with concerns about protecting the state’s credit rating. The facts, however, do not confirm alarms about those matters.

SCRA Spins Its Economic Impact

The S.C. Research Authority, a state-created and state-controlled technology and real estate company, left out the bad news in recently announcing its latest economic impact results.

Economic Development in Higher Ed Funding Proposals

At face value it sounds like it might be a good idea to a lot of people, and an eminently fair proposal at that: Allocate public funding to state colleges and universities based on how well they do their jobs.

S.C. High Court to Hear Disability Case Affected by State Budget Cuts

The S.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear a case involving a disabled Lancaster woman who contends in court papers that the state broke the law when it reduced her in-home care services because of budget cuts.

Tax Breaks for Wealthy ‘Angel’ Investors Set for Senate Hearing

New examples of investment capital available to startup South Carolina companies call into question an argument for state government to get more involved in the venture capital business.

Senators Keep Magistrates on Short Leash in 'Holdover' Status

Dozens of S.C. magistrates are still on their bench even though their four-year terms have expired - some years ago.

Legislature’s Watchdog Agency Lives on Bare-Bones Diet

Landmark legislation, which became law earlier this year, codified the creation of an inspector general’s office with broad powers in the executive branch of state government. But what about the General Assembly’s inspector general, the Legislative Audit Council?

Padding the Legislative Session?

If S.C. Rep. Seth Whipper has his way, the 124-member House would start meeting every Monday when the General Assembly is in session.

House Committee Gives Nod to Fresh on the Campus Bill

Fresh on the Campus bill gets favorable committee report.

Ex-Im Bank: Boeing, the Legislature and Corporate Welfare

The S.C. General Assembly has thrown its support behind a federal agency that free market advocates decry as a corporate welfare shop for politically connected mega-corporations.

School Skippers Given Second Chance under House Bill

A freshman S.C. House member is proposing a law that would give high school and younger students who routinely play hooky another shot at passing classes they might otherwise fail because of excessive absenteeism.

House Pension Bill Protects Current Lawmakers

A House bill would allow current lawmakers to continue receiving their state pensions while remaining in office.

Governor, Former Lt. Governor Cases Highlight House Ethics Secrecy

A judge’s recent dismissal of an ethics lawsuit against Gov. Nikki Haley serves as yet another example of secrecy surrounding ethics matters in the S.C. House. So does the case of former Lt. Gov. Ken Ard, who pleaded guilty to seven campaign finance violations and resigned earlier this month.

House Version of FY13 Budget Calls for $1 Billion-Plus Increase

The Nerve’s review of a budget document produced by the Office of State Budget, known as the “summary control document,” shows that compared to the ratified state budget for this fiscal year, which started July 1, the recently passed House version of the fiscal year 2013 budget would increase total authorized spending by more than $1 billion.

Takings Bill Panned by Associations, Citizens

The bill caught the attention of the Rehabilitation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Buildings Act, caught the attention of the South Carolina Bankers Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas, the South Carolina Association of Realtors, and the Municipal Association of South Carolina, along with citizens.

Takings Bills Worry Property Rights Supporters

Property rights advocates upset with takings bills.

HPV Vaccine Bill Could Provoke Controversy

An S.C. House bill to have the state provide optional vaccinations to middle school girls against a sexually transmitted disease known as the HPV virus could prove to be controversial.

Senate Clerk Still Mum on Budget Details

S.C. Senate Clerk Jeffrey Gossett apparently is in no mood to publicly discuss his chamber’s proposed $12 million-plus budget for next fiscal year.

Republicans Back Away from School Flexibility Bill

Bill to allow school districts to move up start of school year by one week runs into strong opposition - from legislator who claims to be pro-school choice.

Solyndra in South Carolina?

A Senate Finance subcommittee enhanced the House version of a bill that would offer millions in tax credits to the solar industry.

Bill to Make Insurance Director Elected Post Gets Favorable Report

Bill to make insurance director elected post gets favorable report from a Senate subcommittee. 

Commerce Ads: Big Bang for Agency’s Budget?

South Carolina’s state-driven economic development efforts have received glowing reviews lately from some national trade publications. But is there something more to the accolades than just positive recognition?

Resolutions: Wasting Away Again in Legislative-ville

If South Carolina taxpayers think that the state Legislature uses its time and money merely to address important issues, they might be surprised.

Unlike Ard Pleading, Wheels of Justice Move Slowly in S.C.

S.C. Judicial Department records reviewed last year by The Nerve show that in fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30, none of the state’s 16 judicial circuits met the department’s benchmark of moving criminal cases through the circuit court system.

Board of Regents Bills Languish

The bills were introduced in the House in January 2011, the beginning of the current two-year legislative session, and sent to the chamber’s Education and Public Works Committee.

Governor, House Part Ways on Tax Reform

A potential overhaul of the state tax code this year has fallen into a parting of ways between Gov. Nikki Haley and the S.C. House, with Palmetto State taxpayers stuck in the middle as the potential losers.

Advocates for Stronger FOIA Law Rally at State House

Proponents of bill to strengthen state's FOIA law rally at State House.

Bill to Give Arts Commission Steady Funding Gets Favorable Report

Senate subcommittee gives favorable report on bill that would give steady funding to S.C. Arts Commission.

Legislation Looks to Take “Palmettovore” Program to Schools

Legislation would let school districts join program that puts S.C. produce and goods in schools.

Bill Would Loosen Lawmakers’ Control Over Veterans’ Offices

County legislative delegations could give up their long-held power over the hiring and firing of county veterans’ affairs officers under a recently introduced S.C. House bill.

Obscure New Agency Would Grow Under Restructuring Bill

A little-known state economic development agency created two years ago but not yet in operation would grow even more under the S.C. Senate’s version of a bill creating a Department of Administration.

Citizen Organizes Rally to Push for FOIA Bill

Citizen to hold rally in support of bill that would strengthen state's FOIA law.

Lobbying by State Agencies Continues Despite State Ban

Sixteen state agencies and institutions collectively have spent at least $320,000 since June lobbying the S.C. General Assembly, despite a state budget proviso banning those agencies from using general funds for that purpose, a review by The Nerve has found.

Grassroots' Organizations Call on State Leaders for 'Real Reform'

Grassroots activists takes lawmakers and the governor to task over Department of Administration bill.

Senate Passes DOT Transparency Bill

A bill to require the S.C. Department of Transportation to create and maintain an online database of all expenditures by the agency is halfway through the General Assembly.

DOT Restructuring: Real Change, Or Just a Facade?

As separate bills aimed at restructuring the state Department of Transportation progress through the S.C. General Assembly, some legislators and outside groups are concerned the proposals would only lead to more politicized funding of transportation projects.

Power Trip: The Legislature’s Double Standards on FOIA, Ethics and Spending

In South Carolina, there is one set of rules for state legislators, and another set of rules for everybody else – even state and local elected officials.

S.C. Legislature Uses Secrecy Law to Thwart Records Requests by Grassroots Groups

Grassroots groups pushing for more accountability and transparency in state government are running into a wall of secrecy in the S.C. General Assembly in trying to obtain legislative communications involving a controversial bill.

Lawmakers Look to Another Law in Bid to Curb Copper Theft

Lawmakers look to pass more legislation in an attempt to thwart the theft and illegal sale of copper and other nonferrous metals.

Research University Presidents Silent on Board of Regents for S.C.

No, the college CEO triumvirate passed on that one and instead left it to … state Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt to address it?

Still No Sunshine on S.C. House, Senate Spending

The S.C. House and Senate continue to bypass the normal budgetary process when it comes to adopting annual budgets for the two chambers.

Senator Introduces Bill to Cap Tuition Hikes

The ceiling would be a combination of the percentage increases in the state’s population and the consumer price index in the previous calendar year, or population plus inflation.

Resolution Would Allow Private Funds to Go Toward Civil War Trails

Resolution seeks to allow nonprofit to mark South Carolina Civil War sites.

South Carolina’s $1.5 Billion Piggy Bank

The Nerve’s review of a 656-page document produced by the Office of State Budget, formally known as the “detailed base budget” and dubbed “the brick,” found that 99 state agencies, divisions and separate funds started this fiscal year on July 1 with a collective $1.498 billion surplus in “other” funds.

Bill Could Give Arts Commission Secure Source of Funding

A House bill would provide the S.C. Arts Commission with a set percentage of state admission tax revenues, rather than have the commission’s funding held to what some see as the vagaries of politics.

Restructuring Could Face Filibuster in Senate

Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, told The Nerve on Monday that he and some other senators plan to help Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, lead a filibuster against the bill in an effort to defeat it in their chamber.

S.C. House Bill Proposes Major Child Custody Law Changes

South Carolina’s child custody law would see its biggest overhaul in decades under a bill that has sailed through the S.C. House.

The Search for a Joint Open Session on the Budget

The fruitless quest for a joint legislative open session on the budget.

More Lawmakers Supporting Independence for Legislative Ethics

A third bill has been introduced to put the kibosh on ethics self-policing in the S.C. General Assembly, and the effort is now bipartisan.

Provisos: Legislators’ Earmarks – and Why They Love Them

Lots of politicians rail against federal earmarks in Congress, but the S.C. General Assembly has its own version of earmarks and many of them represent the very same kind of special-interest, pork-barrel spending.

Hundreds of Thousands Spent Annually Wining and Dining S.C. Lawmakers

An investigation by The Nerve found that several hundred thousand dollars likely will be spent before June wining and dining state lawmakers. A plethora of private organizations and public agencies host the events in an effort to get legislators’ ears – and ultimately, their votes – for the groups’ pet issues.

Senate Bill Seeks to Make Top Insurance Post an Elected Position

A Grand Strand legislator wants the state’s director of insurance to be an elected position, rather than one appointed by the governor.

House Bill Could Give Accused Criminals Multiple Breaks

Offenders charged with certain crimes could have their records wiped clean multiple times under a bill introduced this month by a state House member who is a criminal defense attorney.

Secret Budget Process Continues in S.C. General Assembly

The S.C. House and Senate typically release their respective chamber budgets months after most other state agencies do so, allowing lawmakers to quietly increase their own budgets with little public scrutiny.

Legislature Flouts Law Requiring Joint Public Hearings on Budget

It looks like the S.C. General Assembly’s two appropriations committees once again are flouting a provision of state law requiring the panels to hold joint public hearings on the state budget.

Changes and Evaluation Likely Coming to Lt. Governor’s Office

A proposal that has passed the S.C. House would change the election and responsibilities of the state’s lieutenant governor at the same time lawmakers are questioning the effectiveness of a state office that has faced much controversy in recent years.

Haley: We're Going to Fight Back on Voter ID

Gov. Nikki Haley says South Carolina is going to "fight back on Voter ID."

Lawmakers Seek to Regulate Yet Another Profession

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, has filed a bill that would create a music therapy board, place the board under the oversight of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and prohibit the practice of music therapy without a license.

S.C. House Stands Alone in Shadow of Ethics Secrecy

Members of the S.C. House are the only state or local elected officials in South Carolina who remain wrapped in a cloak of ethics secrecy as this year’s legislative session begins.

Boeing Not a ‘Public Body,’ Federal Judge Rules

Despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed incentives from South Carolina, aerospace giant Boeing is not a public body under the state’s whistleblower law, a federal judge has ruled.

Cost of Haley’s Special Session Bid Unclear; Right Remains Intact

The S.C. Supreme Court ruled in early June that Gov. Nikki Haley lacked the authority to call legislators back into session while they were on a break between the regular session and an already scheduled special session, saying her order violated the separation of powers. Today, more than six months after the Supreme Court nixed Haley’s bid to get legislators to return, it’s still not clear what the effort cost South Carolina taxpayers.

Signs Point to Legislature Ignoring Law on Budget

South Carolina law requires the governor to submit a recommended state budget to the General Assembly within five days of the legislative session starting, and Gov. Nikki Haley says she will do so. But will the Legislature also follow the law regarding how the budget is to be prepared?

S.C. State Gets an ‘Incomplete’ on Budget Request

South Carolina State, already under scrutiny for alleged financial mismanagement related to millions of dollars earmarked for the James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center, appears to have dropped the ball by incorrectly filling out a request for $36 million to renovate a pair of structures.

End of the Road for I-95 Corridor Authority?

A legislative showdown is brewing over an S.C. Senate bill that would create another state agency whose purported goal is to improve economic conditions in historically poor, rural counties along Interstate 95.

Lawmakers Move to Stop School Bond Bills

Several S.C. school districts that are seeking the General Assembly’s approval to allow them to sell taxpayer-backed bonds for daily operations likely will face an even tougher fight when lawmakers return to Columbia next week.

Effort Grows to End Legislative Fox Guarding Ethics Henhouse

Legislation to end the practice of state lawmakers policing themselves in ethics matters is now pending in both chambers of the S.C. General Assembly.

Senator Proposes Pension Changes for Lawmakers

S.C. Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston pre-filed a bill (S. 1038) that would close the defined-benefit retirement program for the 170-member General Assembly after this year and move lawmakers into a defined-contribution plan mirroring the state Optional Retirement Program, which is like a 401k plan.

Pearson: No Quid Pro Quo with Georgia

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, asks Gov. Nikki Haley's chief of staff Tim Pearson if there was a quid pro quo arrangement between South Carolina and Georgia regarding the Savannah and Jasper ports.

Restructuring: Lots of Talk, Little Action

“Restructuring” might have been the buzzword of this year’s legislative session, but in the end, there was a whole lot of talk – and even an emergency S.C. Supreme Court ruling – with no concrete results.

Haley Staffer Faces Senate Panel on DHEC Permit Issue

Tim Pearson, chief of staff for Gov. Nikki Haley, is questioned by members of a Senate panel Dec. 8 regarding a water quality permit for the dredging of the Savannah River.

Court System Raking in Fees, Accumulating Millions in Reserves

The S.C. Judicial Depatment over the years has been able to build up millions in reserves with fees imposed on those who use the state court system, The Nerve found in a review of state records.

Legislators Exempt Themselves from Sunshine Law They Created

The state's open-records law for more than 30 years has shielded the S.C. General Assembly from releasing documents showing what it does behind the scenes.

Restructuring: Lots of Talk, Little Action

State’s Top Court Asked to Remove Legislators from Aviation Authority

The S.C. Supreme Court has been asked to determine whether a 2007 law that appointed two state legislators to the Charleston County Aviation Authority, which owns Charleston International Airport, violates the state constitution.

State’s Top Court Asked to Remove Legislators from Aviation Authority

The S.C. Supreme Court has been asked to determine whether a 2007 law that appointed two state legislators to the Charleston County Aviation Authority, which owns Charleston International Airport, violates the state constitution.

Court System Raking in Fees, Accumulating Millions in Reserves

Millions Misspent Last Year on Unemployment Claims, Suit Claims

Millions Misspent Last Fiscal Year on Unemployment Claims, Suit Contends

The state Department of Employment and Workforce misspent about $87 million in federal unemployment funds last fiscal year, mainly by paying out claims to people who were not eligible, a lawsuit against the agency contends.

Legislators: Law on Budget Process has been Ignored

Legislature Again Ignores Budget Law

State Agencies Cry Poverty While Amassing Large Surpluses

South Carolina’s 33 public colleges and universities collectively amassed nearly $900 million in “unrestricted” assets – generally surplus money that can be spent on anything – as of June 30, according to year-end financial statements reviewed by The Nerve.

Haley Passing on Zero-Base Budgeting?

$270M Taxpayer-Funded Gift to Boeing Properly Spent, Commerce Chief Says

Aerospace giant Boeing properly spent $270 million in S.C. taxpayer-backed bond proceeds given to the Chicago-based company for its North Charleston assembly plant, state Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt said in a letter obtained Thursday by The Nerve.

Be It Resolved: Politicians Love Their Names on Highways

Lawmaker State Plane Travel: Frequent Frivolous Miles

The Nerve’s review of Aeronautics Commission flight logs and manifests, or passenger lists, shows that from Jan. 1, 2010, through the end of last month, legislators collectively have approved at least 29 state plane trips for themselves, staff members or others to destinations in and outside South Carolina.

The Boeing Incentives Deal: More Secrecy, Lack of Accountability

The Boeing Co. isn't required by the state to verify that the $270 million in taxpayer-backed bonds it received for its North Charleston plant was properly spent.

Ballentine on How to Improve State Government

Midlands Lawmakers Still Milking Subsistence Cow

A review by The Nerve of state House and Senate expense records, obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, found that from the start of last year through August of this year, 23 Richland or Lexington County legislators living within 25 miles of the State House have received subsistence payments equal to or greater than payments to lawmakers who live farther away.

Dozens of S.C. Pensioners Earning Six Figures

As S.C. lawmakers grapple with how to close a recently projected $17 billion gap in the state pension system, 169 state retirees or their beneficiaries earn more than $100,000 annually in retirement benefits, while more than 3,500 individuals in the system receive at least $50,000 yearly, a review by The Nerve has found.

Agencies Bank Millions in General Fund Surpluses

While many state agencies have publicly cried poverty over the past several years, at least 16 agencies started fiscal 2011-12 with a general fund surplus of more than $1 million, The Nerve found in a review of a state financial report.

Petroleum Officials Tell Legislators Gas Cap Would Harm S.C.

High Court Rejects ‘Power-of-One’ Practice

In a 4-1 vote, the state’s top court said the General Assembly violated the S.C. Constitution last year when it overrode former Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of a bill (H. 4431) involving the Fairfield County School Board.

Powerful Legislator Travels through Revolving Door

Senators Davis and Leatherman debate incentives

On April 20, 2011, Senator Tom Davis introduced legislation requiring taxpayer-funded economic incentives to be disclosed to the public. Senator Hugh Leatherman described what he thought would be the consequences of such a law.

Show Me the Money: Finance Officials Differ on State Budget

Legislature Still Polices Itself in Ethics Cases

Local Bills Again Under Scrutiny

Increased Focus on Whether S.C. Needs a Lt. Governor

Cobb-Hunter Discusses How She Got Involved in Politics

Bill Strengthening Ethics Act Becomes Law

Recently enacted legislation strengthens South Carolina’s ethics law and gives the entity that enforces it, the State Ethics Commission, more power to do so.

But the Palmetto State still has a long way to go on ethics transparency and accountability when it comes to lawmakers themselves.

Commerce: Amazon Exemption Won’t Cost State Tax Revenue

The state sales tax exemption granted to Internet retail giant Amazon will not result in any loss of tax revenue to South Carolina, if you ask the S.C. Department of Commerce.

Popular Elections in Dillon Schools on Hold

'Angel' Incentives Halfway Through Legislature

Economic development incentives – think Amazon.com in the Midlands – and transparency related to such tax breaks – or lack thereof – were major issues in this year’s legislative session.

But amid much attention on those matters, a pricey proposed subsidy for a high-risk, high-dollar type of speculative investing made it halfway through the General Assembly with little notice.

Most State-Level Politicians Guided by Principle

Legislature Passes Higher Ed Transparency Bill

Veto on Sprawling Capital Reserve Fund Overridden

Huge Reserves Untapped in Special Ed Funding Controversy

Embattled Ex-Judge Not Done Hearing Foreclosure Cases

'Army Wives' Incentives Rerun in the Works

House Proposes to Boost its Budget by $2.3 Million

A year after the Senate received a $5 million overall budget increase for its 46-member chamber – as first reported last year by The Nerve – the 124-member House is seeking a nearly $2.3 million hike for itself, which was quietly slipped in a state budget amendment on the last day for regular business this legislative session.

Legislator Pushes for Hearings on Gasoline Price Cap

If S.C. Sen. Dick Elliott has his way, not only will gasoline prices be capped across South Carolina, but executives from large oil companies will have to face questioning from legislators and other Palmetto State residents.

Cobb-Hunter explains Amazon vote

Budget Shell Games: State Records Contradict Each Other

After Nerve Story, Higher Ed Transparency Bill Revived

A bill requiring South Carolina’s state-supported colleges and universities to report their spending online has risen from the dead and looks like it might pass today – the last day of this year’s regular legislative session.

Viers: Voter ID Makes Sense

Bill Seeks Disclosure of Amazon-Like “Promises”

Lawmakers Mulling Rural Development Proposals

State’s Top Court Accepts Sales Tax Exemption Case

Davis: Time to Look at 'Other Funds'

Davis: Legislative Arrogance a Problem

Senator Eyes Budget Cuts, Tax Refunds

S.C. Sen. Tom Davis wants to cut next year’s proposed state budget by at least $149 million and have that money refunded to South Carolina taxpayers. The senator’s proposed cuts and rebates could be twice that amount, or closer to $300 million, based on calculations he attributes to Senate Finance Committee staff.

Who Broke a Promise on the Amazon Deal?

South Carolinians, especially in the Midlands, have heard a lot about Amazon.com closing the window on a distribution center project in Cayce last week because the state supposedly failed to deliver on a promised sales tax collection exemption.

S.C. Senators to Introduce Whistleblower Bill

Senate Panel: Spend More on Capitol Security

In possible shades of a proposed “Capitol Police Force” redux, the S.C. Senate’s budget-writing committee wants to spend $900,000 next fiscal year to bolster security at the State House complex with an additional 12 full-time officers.

'Other' Funds Transparency Bills Slows

Top Project Carries Hefty Taxpayer Tab

Infrastructure Bank Draws Fire As Political Arm

The director of South Carolina’s leading environmental group says a controversial road-building project in Charleston serves as a poster child for how the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank suffers from legislative cronyism.

And, in a perhaps surprising twist, the self-described father of the Infrastructure Bank acknowledges that it is influenced by politics.

The Amazon.com Saga: Heading to Court?

House Bill Tightens Ethics, Lobbying Rules

The S.C. House passed a bill last week to tighten state ethics and lobbying rules, including a provision to close a loophole that has allowed some good-old-boy back scratching to continue in the Palmetto State.

Rep. Tom Young, R-Aiken, is lead sponsor of the bill, H. 3183.

Bill, Court Case Puts Builders, Insurers at Odds

Battle lines have been drawn in the S.C. General Assembly pitting property insurance companies against property owners and builders in a high-stakes standoff over who gets hit in the pocketbook as a result of damage from faulty workmanship.

Panel Approves $30M in 'Other' Fund Hikes

Nothing for Certain with Administration Agency

A skeptic might say to supporters of a proposed Department of Administration that it would not necessarily lead to savings and efficiencies in state government – and in fact could end up costing taxpayers more money.

A cynic might tell the advocates to be careful what you wish for – you just might get it.

Fantasy Land: When a Reduction isn't a Reduction

Political Turbulence Over Aviation Center?

Pay Cap Proposed for School Officials

Retirement Tab Increases For S.C. Taxpayers

For the entirety of the previous decade a train wreck rolled toward South Carolina’s unemployment insurance system; and as it did, a few voices in the wilderness warned of impending disaster.

Their warnings, however, were ignored – and the train wrecked.

Bill Would Give Retroactive Tax Exemptions

A state senator is raising questions about a bill to grant retroactive tax exemptions, and whether the S.C. Department of Revenue is adhering to the General Assembly’s intent behind the incentives.

The origins of the questions trace back to 2008. But the issue is current with the retroactive tax breaks bill, which is pending on the Senate’s calendar for a third and final reading in the chamber.

Senate Passes Roll Call Voting Bill

For advocates of roll call voting by members of the General Assembly, it’s been a long time coming.

The S.C. Senate passed a stand-alone roll call voting bill on Thursday. The bill is almost identical to roll call voting legislation the House passed in January, all but ensuring that a law requiring legislators to vote on the record is imminent.

House Members Fined $6,000 for Late Filings

Roll Call Voting Bill Clears Hurdle in Senate

A stand-alone roll call voting bill has cleared a major hurdle in the S.C. Senate, but the legislation still faces a formidable road to become law.

Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens and the Senate’s leading advocate of roll call voting, sponsored an amendment to the bill to make it a stand-alone measure and ushered the amendment to a vote in the chamber on Tuesday.

Ways and Means Budget: More General Fund Growth

New Incentives Offered for Corporate HQs

Medicaid Rates Exceed Some Private Plans

An important but largely understated truth lurks in an ongoing debate about enormous challenges facing South Carolina’s Medicaid program. It’s the kind of thing taxpayers, and anyone paying for health insurance, might find interesting – to say the least.

The truth is, in some large areas of health care, the taxpayer-funded Medicaid program pays service providers better than private insurance companies do.

Nonprofit Group Seeks State Health Benefits

Proviso Aims to Quiet Ethics Agency

Support Emerges for Ban on PACs in Legislature

Legislators Warm to Solar Tax Incentives

Masters Sounds Concerns on SCRA in E-Mail

Outgoing S.C. Research Authority Chairman Bill Masters continues to sound a steady drumbeat of concern regarding the state-created agency.

Monday, he sent out an e-mail questioning the direction of the agency, touching on a number of different issues, including the veracity of data provided by SCRA top management to board trustees, high management salaries, SCRA’s accounting practices and whether it funds jobs that go to other states.

Senate Panel Rejects Haley Roll Call Plea

Over the past three years, Nikki Haley has fought to ban anonymous voting in the S.C. General Assembly – first as a House member and now as governor.

Late Tuesday afternoon, she spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee – an unusual move for a governor – pleading once again for one of her signature causes. And once again, to her disappointment, a group of senators shot her down.

Roll Call Voting Law Hung Up in Senate's Rules

If a law requiring roll call voting by members of the General Assembly were up to the people of South Carolina, it probably would be a done deal by now.

Such a statute likely would please a grassroots movement for greater accountability and transparency in legislators’ voting that has spread across the Palmetto State like a brush fire since 2008.

General Assembly Not Hurting for Money

The S.C. Senate and House collectively had nearly $19 million in their general fund accounts as of Jan. 20 – enough to easily meet their operating budgets for the remaining five months of this fiscal year with millions left over, state financial records show.

In fact, the Senate started the fiscal year on July 1 with $2.3 million more in its general fund than what was appropriated for the entire year, and the House had a $2.8 million cushion, according to The Nerve’s review of cash status reports from the S.C. Comptroller General’s Office.

Legislators Back Breaks For 'Angel' Investors

Several South Carolina lawmakers are supporting legislation to provide state income tax credits to incentivize a high-dollar, high-risk form of venture capital known as “angel” investing.

Pay Cuts Proposed for Legislators, Agency Heads

State agency heads and lawmakers would experience a 25 percent pay drop this year and for the next two fiscal years under a pair of House bills.

Cutting the pay of the 16 members of Gov. Nikki Haley’s Cabinet, assuming nominees who are confirmed earn as much as their predecessors, would save state taxpayers $1.5 million over the three fiscal years, a review by The Nerve found.

Officials Vague on Agency Merger Savings

Although S.C. lawmakers have introduced a slew of bills to consolidate state agencies, no one seems to know exactly how much those moves would save taxpayers.

In fact, the Office of State Budget, which prepares fiscal impact statements on bills, punted on trying to determine the savings of making the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services a part of the Department of Corrections (H. 3267), and putting the Department of Public Safety under the State Law Enforcement Division (H. 3268).

Legislative Site Again Allows For Recording

The capability to record Internet live streaming of the S.C. House and Senate when the chambers are in session apparently is back, at least temporarily.

Senator Proposes Huge Increase in Court Funding

South Carolina’s court system likely would receive at least $70 million more annually in state tax dollars – nearly tripling its current general fund appropriation – if a proposal by a lawyer-lawmaker becomes law.

Legislative Site Gains Features, Loses Recording

A funny thing happened on the way to the S.C. General Assembly’s website getting redesigned between the end of the 2010 legislative session and the beginning of this year’s session earlier this month.

Two significant additions were made to the site, scstatehouse.gov, in the off-session. The upgrades provide greater transparency to the Legislature’s business and make the site more user friendly.

Strengthening Charter Schools a GOP Priority

S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell says improving education is a key priority for the S.C. GOP House Caucus during a Jan. 6 press conference.

Strengthening the charter school act so parents have more choices is one of the first things the House will put on the table this session.

Feds Reject Higher Medicaid Pharmacy Rates

In a story that might have contributed to a smackdown of a key state legislator, South Carolina apparently is not going to pay the highest rates in the nation for Medicaid prescription drugs.

House Might Follow Senate on Ethics Rules

The S.C. House might follow the state Senate’s lead and change its operating rules to require that ethics cases involving House members be publicly disclosed if probable cause of a violation is found.

Big Change: Senate Passes Ethics Reform

On Tuesday, in a victory for transparency and accountability, the S.C. Senate changed its operating rules to significantly strengthen the chamber’s roll call voting requirements.

Roll Call Voting Up to Senate - Again

Written by: Erick Ward

                    Citizen Reporter

House Disclosure Statements Reveal Big Incomes

S.C. Rep. Greg Delleney earned nearly $478,000 in legal fees in 2009 representing injured workers before the state Workers’ Compensation Commission, income disclosure records show.

Bills Target Legislature's Lopsided Power

Gov. Mark Sanford has pushed to restructure state government for the duration of his administration. But such efforts began long before Sanford took office, and it looks like they will continue well after he leaves office.

At least three restructuring bills have been prefiled for a new legislative session set to begin next week, and one of the measures has bipartisan support.

Voters’ Rights Bills Introduced

Court Case Tests ‘Power of One’

The Legislature's single-vote practice of overturning vetoes on local legislation is being challenged in the S.C. Supreme Court.

Boeing Seeks Early Christmas Gift From S.C.

Politicians and Flags Go Hand in Hand

Legislature Generous to Itself, Staff

Millions at Stake in Retirees' Suit

Medical Supply Industry Targeted

Lt. Gov Bauer Paid From Two Taxpayer Pots

Besides his salary as lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer has been paid thousands more is his role as the Senate president.

Norman Calls for Open Meeting to Pick Speaker

SCRA Board OKs Pay Hike, Not Transparency

Summit Generates Much Reaction, Little Agreement

Probe Reveals $3 Billion Gap in 'Other' Funds

Shut Down the State House?

Judge Rejects Group's Charter School Appeal

Some Bills More Than Meet The Eye

Session Had Special-Interest, Weird Bills

Should S.C. Cut Legislative Session Length?

Law Creates Special License For Originators

School Yard Bullies in S.C. General Assembly

House, Senate Secrecy Kills Openness Bill

Failed Budget Bet Puts State In Fiscal Vise

Sanford: Pyrotechnic Bill Usurps Executive Power

Senator to Push Next Year for New State Agency

Senate to Take Up Remaining Budget Vetoes

Nonprofits Cheer Defeat of Economic Incentives Bill

How the S.C. Senate Gave Itself a $4 Million Raise

More Than 50 Budget Vetoes Upheld by House

Lawmakers Uphold Hydrogen Funding Veto

Lawmakers Back Breaks for Insurance Group

Ten State Agencies Could Receive Budget Hikes

Legislature Budgets Money S.C. Doesn't Have

Political Tit-for-Tat Puts Crime Bill in Jeopardy

Sanford Vetoes: Voice of Reason or Showboating?

Miley Study Touts Boeing Incentives

Roll-Call Voting Bill Fizzles in Senate

Would Sanford Veto Local Retail Subsidies?

Firms’ Decisions Show Incentives Not Necessary

Got A Problem? Create A State Agency

House, Senate Ethics Panels Avoid Sunlight

Crime Victims Are Forgotten by Legislature

Digging Out of $98 Million Hole

Legislators Waste Time Debating Heritage Animals

USC Trustees Fail to Pony Up for Moore School Challenge

It’s ‘Me First’ for Legislators Come Budget Time

Saving Children or Fleecing Taxpayers?

Act 388 Creates 'Perfect Storm' in Dorchester

SCRA: Key Player in Proposed State Agency

Next Year’s Budget: Still Growing and Growing

A Look at S.C.’s Top 10 Agency Heads by Salary

Going Rogue: DHEC Fights Cabinet Status

Senators Seek Alternatives to Roll-Call Voting

Senate Passes Bills in Phantom Session

S.C. Senate: Charity Starts at Home

Assuming the budget passed Thursday by the full Senate mirrors an earlier version approved by the Senate Finance Committee, it would be the 46-member chamber’s largest-ratified budget in at least the past 12 years, according to a review by The Nerve of ratified state budgets since fiscal year 1998, the most recent data available

House Panel Undercuts Input on Sembler Bill

S.C. Colleges Continue to Resist Transparency

SCRA: Innovation Centers Unfunded Mandate

Amid Recession, State Agencies Adding Staff

Pols in Ads: The People's Work or Self-Promotion?

Lawmakers Turning Their Backs on Roll-Call Voting

More Government Hands in S.C. Economy

A 15-member committee controlled by the Legislature would dole out taxpayer money to promote economic development in 17 counties in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee under a state Senate bill.

House Budget Worsens State’s Funding Cliff

Boundary Funding: Good Idea, Bad Timing

Income Tax Credits -- Like 'Crack' to Republicans

Half-Billion Dollar Gap in State Budget

Is S.C. Poised to Enter New Incentives Waters?

EngenuitySC Reaps Public Funds, Shows Little Return

Hydrogen Still Sacred Despite Core Cuts

Airline Subsidies: Unfriendly Skies for Taxpayers

Sembler Giveaway: School Money to be Siphoned

McConnell Seeks End Around on Patriots Point

Dorchester Judge Under Fire on Foreclosure Case

Davis: Sembler Attorneys Tried to Hire Me

Lawmakers Look to Push Bass Pro Bill Again

Budget Provisos and Pass-Throughs – A Primer

Sembler Opponents: South Carolina Not for Sale

Officials Continue Playing Hydrogen Shell Game

Commerce Eyes Control of Research Program

The initial version of the 50-page "Economic Development Competitiveness Act" bill, introduced in January by S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell, gave the Commerce secretary control over one-third, or $10 million, of the annual $30 million in lottery money earmarked for the S.C. Centers of Economic Excellence, also known as the endowed professor chairs program.

Legislators Push For Retail Incentives

Boeing to Get Another Taxpayer-Funded Gift

Lawmakers’ Misdeeds Often Escape Scrutiny

Stimulus and S.C. Teacher Jobs - Checking the Facts

Law Lets Senators Keep Magistrates in Limbo

Legislative Role in Judicial Screening Questioned

Public Charter Schools Struggle to Stay Afloat

Incentives Finalized in Boeing Sweetheart Deal

Taxpayers Pony Up for State Museum

Job Development Credits: Taxpayer-Funded Payouts

Sembler Incentives Focus of Council Meeting

The State's Secret $7 Billion Budget

SCPC, Sembler Officials to Speak in Beaufort

New Carolina: Lots of Talk, Few Results

BEA Chief: Sembler Likely to Shift, Not Boost, Sales

Heritage Study Adds to Waste

Lottery Helps Legislature, Colleges Fleece Students

Despite Cuts, Colleges Continue Lobbying

Sembler Tax Break Slows; Maybank Focus Grows

Top SCRA Execs See Salaries Spike

Tuition Program Forced to Cut Grants to S.C. Students

Report: ESC Failed to Avert Disaster

Anatomy of an Incentives Deal

Boeing Numbers Game: Studies Don't Match Up

S.C.’s Unemployment Train Wreck

Failed Companies: Money Down the Drain

Secrecy Shrouds Boeing and Other Deals

No. That’s often the favorite word of state and local government officials when asked to reveal details of taxpayer-funded incentives given to businesses.

Boeing’s 'A' Team: Turned to Power Brokers

Boeing relied on some Palmetto State powerbrokers to negotiate for a state incentives package valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

New Boeing Jobs: Hype and Hope

Boeing workers share their views on one of the biggest-announced industrial projects in state history.

The Okatie-Boeing Connection

Panel Approves Another $100 Million for Boeing

A legislative panel this morning gave another $100 million taxpayer-funded gift to the Boeing Co., bringing the total state bond package for a new assembly plant in North Charleston to at least $270 million.

Okatie Developer No Stranger to Controversy

Many South Carolinians may not recognize the name of the man associated with the controversial Okatie Crossings development project, but don’t underestimate his influence – or ability to generate controversy.

Part 3: The Truth on Senate Claims About Boeing

Many of the claims by Senate leaders about the Boeing incentives deal were misleading.

Boeing Bond Deal: A $400 Million Taxpayer Tab

For the next 15 years, South Carolina taxpayers will be paying back nearly $400 million in bonds, including interest, for the new Boeing assembly plant in North Charleston.

Part 2: The Boeing Deal: Big Bill To Taxpayers

What S.C. lawmakers didn’t reveal in October 2009 when they rushed through an economic incentives package for Boeing was that it will cost state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars – and possibly several hundred million – more than what was said in the official record.

Part 1: Inside the Boeing Deal

An incentives package for the Boeing plant in North Charleston was done largely behind closed doors and will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.