Legislative Digest: The week's Statehouse news

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State budget: The House approved the state's $5.3 billion spending plan early Friday after a marathon debate and a barrage of amendments. The budget, which was approved 80-35, now moves on to the Senate. Legislators worked through Thursday on a flurry of proposals to raise the state's tax on cigarettes, stir up cash from a low-level nuclear waste dump and siphon money from a land conservation fund. In the end, Republicans said they shored up enough money to cover Medicaid, which Democrats earlier in the week had argued was underfunded, and increased spending on education — all without raising taxes. Democrats scolded House members for relying on funds that may not materialize. Proposals to increase the seven-cents-a-pack cigarette tax to as much as 93 cents would have offered ways to pay for a variety of programs, including Medicaid, property tax relief, state employee health care and education. None were approved.

Sanford budget: Gov. Mark Sanford sent a letter to House leaders, asking them to avoid using one-time money and funds that may not materialize for core government functions and to restore cuts made in the base budgets of agencies. Sanford sent the letter Tuesday to Speaker David Wilkins and Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell as the House worked on the state's $5.3 billion spending plan. The budget writers headed off a deficit by finding $398 million to balance the budget, including $90 million the Revenue Department estimates it can collect in overdue taxes, $56.7 million from selling surplus property and shuttering vehicle fleet maintenance operations and $40 million raided from the Second Injury Fund, which would be shut down.

Government restructuring: Despite two weeks of lobbying by Gov. Mark Sanford and his supporters, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday decided to return a state government restructuring bill back to a subcommittee for more work. That action came after the full committee voted 11-7 on an amendment to leave the secretary of state as an elected office.

Economic development: A bill that would allow the state to borrow up to $500 million for college research and economic development projects is on its way to the governor's desk. Under the bill, tourism projects would qualify for more economic development money and a venture capital fund would be created to spur growth in new companies. It gives colleges more flexibility to condemn and buy land, give bonuses and do other things to reduce reliance on state funding. The bill also expands the University of South Carolina's Sumter campus to a four-year program and creates a four-year culinary arts program at Charleston's Trident Technical College.

School funding: A bill that would give schools more control over how they spend state dollars passed an education subcommittee Thursday. The bill consolidates dozens of spending sources into six categories. School districts can shift the money between categories, rather than having the state dictate what funds are used for programs. The bill also allows schools to carry unspent money over to the next year's budget. The bill now goes to the full Education Committee. The House has passed a similar bill.

Film incentives: South Carolina has provided a scenic backdrop to some major Hollywood films over the years — "The Big Chill," "Forrest Gump," "The Patriot." But the number of movies filmed in South Carolina has been dropping off, and no complete feature films were shot in the state in 2003, film officials say.

Internet crime: A Senate subcommittee on Wednesday approved a bill that would make it illegal to entice or stalk children on the Internet. The bill now moves to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. Currently, the state has no criminal prohibition on adults for stalking, luring or enticing children for the purpose of abduction or sexual assault. Under the bill, the maximum penalties for all obscenity offenses involving minors would be increased and the multicounty limitation placed on the state grand jury for investigating obscenity offenses would be removed.

Thurmond monument: The Senate gave key approval Thursday to adding the name of the biracial daughter of former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond to the list of his children on a Statehouse monument. The Senate gave second reading to the bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, that adds the name of Essie Mae Washington-Williams to the monument honoring Thurmond. Washington-Williams came forward last year and announced she is the daughter of the late senator.

Hotel sprinklers: Senators considering a bill that would require sprinkler systems in hotels have asked that the bill be rewritten after two Charleston senators raised concerns about its impact on historic Charleston lodgings. Sen. Verne Smith, R-Greer, proposed the bill following a Jan. 25 fire at a Greenville Comfort Inn that killed six people and injured 12. The hotel, built in the 1980s, was not required to be equipped with sprinklers. Fire officials say some lives could have been saved if the building had sprinklers. Smith's legislation had called for all hotels to be equipped with sprinklers by July 1, 2007. Concerns about the bill's impact on motel and hotel owners led to a compromise this week, but that proposal died this week when several senators in a Labor, Commerce and Industry subcommittee raised concerns about the bill's financial impact on hotels. The committee told staff members to draft a new proposal.

Lawmakers' business: Once the refuge of gentlemen lawyers, the Legislature has become the domain of business leaders. More than half of the 170 state lawmakers come from the business world — 68 in the House and 26 in the Senate. That compares with 36 members of the bar in the General Assembly — 23 in the House and 13 in the Senate.

Combat deaths: South Carolina military service members killed in combat would be honored by the flags atop the Statehouse flying at half staff on the day of their funeral, under a bill that's headed to the Senate floor.

Overdue taxes: People who owe taxes and don't pay on time face an extra 20 percent penalty paid to the Revenue Department under a bill that cleared the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. The bill calls for the surcharge after a tax payment is 120 days overdue. The Finance Committee changed that to say the extra money is owed 120 days after appeals are exhausted.