Panel opts to keep health agency intact

COLUMBIA - A Senate subcommittee decided against breaking up the state's health and environment agency as it passed massive government restructuring legislation.

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The subcommittee held five public hearings and three subcommittee hearings on the nearly 2,000 pages of legislation before it approved the bill Tuesday morning.

The legislation was sent that afternoon to the full Judiciary Committee, a sign of the importance of the legislation and the desire to get the bill passed by the General Assembly this session.

Under the bill, voters would decide whether to change the state Constitution and eliminate elections for the education superintendent, secretary of state, agriculture commissioner, adjutant general and comptroller general.

The bill also would shift or eliminate some state agencies.

One plan previously discussed would have put the Department of Health and Environmental Control's health division under a new Department of Health Services, which would include the Mental Health and the Disabilities and Special Needs departments.

The DHEC board last week voted against restructuring the department.

The subcommittee approved an amendment Tuesday that requires DHEC to coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services and report annually to the General Assembly on that effort.

No action was taken in full committee Tuesday, as some lawmakers questioned the need now for a major government overhaul.

"What's broken about the current system?" asked Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston.

Government needs to be reformed because the state is "stuck in neutral," said Sen. Chauncey "Greg" Gregory, R-Lancaster.

"You read in the newspaper every day all the statistics about job losses, how our children stack up to children in other states and other countries. We've got flat revenue in our state, which we've had for three or four years. We've got no job growth," Mr. Gregory said. "So we do need change."

In lean economic times, the legislation gives the public a chance to have a say in making government more efficient, said Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, the committee chairman.

--From the Wednesday, February 18, 2004 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle