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Friday, Mar 17, 2006
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Posted on Fri, Mar. 17, 2006

Flag-lowering bill gets Senate nod

“They could pick Popeye over our best-qualified candidate and win.”

Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, complaining that while a senator represents more people than a House representative, their votes remain equal in the judicial selection process.

NEXT WEEK AT THE STATE HOUSE

For a complete list of legislative meetings, go to http://www.scstatehouse.net/ and click on the “Meetings” link.

IN THE HOUSE: Convenes at noon Tuesday, 10 a.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday

IN THE SENATE: Convenes at noon Tuesday, 2 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. Thursday

THE DAILY BUZZ

The Buzz is nothing if not sensitive to the agony of others.

So when it appeared there were a lot more frowns and general grumpiness in the House on Thursday, our empathy antennae came out.

Sure, lawmakers had a long day Wednesday, when the eminent domain debate pushed dinnertime out of the early bird special frame. But, something told us, that wasn’t it.

Then Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, cleared it up: It’s filing time.

Ah, yes. Nothing concerns lawmakers quite so much like the two-week nightmare of campaign filing season. The unknown misery — is someone going to file against me? Should I send out a press release announcing my re-election campaign, or just hope that the folks back home just forget until filing ends March 30?

Even Rep. Jim McGee, R-Florence, had the long face, and he’s not even running again.

“I’m just trying lend support to all these other sad sacks.”

SCHMOOZING

Where and from whom state lawmakers will be able to get free food and drinks Tuesday:

• Evening reception: 6 p.m., barbecue, National Guard Armory, hosted by S.C. Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals, Circuit court judges, family court judges and Masters-In-Equity of S.C.

• Evening reception: 8 p.m., Columbia Museum of Art, hosted by Florence County Economic Development Partnership.

MORE ON THE WEB

What you can find online at thestate.com.

• YGA Today, midday news from inside the State House, is updated several times each legislative day.

• Our searchable list of state employee salaries for workers earning more than $50,000 a year has been updated.

A QUICK SPIN AROUND THE STATE HOUSE

The Senate gave key approval to a bill that broadens the governor’s ability to lower State House flags to half-staff.

Gov. Mark Sanford was criticized in October for not lowering flags after the death of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. He said state law doesn’t give him that authority and pushed for legislation.

The House approved the bill last month. It writes into law that the governor may order flags be lowered upon the occurrence of an “extraordinary event resulting in death or upon the death of a person of extraordinary stature.”

Sanford said he intends to use his new authority on the day he signs the bill to lower flags in honor of Parks.

S.C. STATE DOLLARS

S.C. State University would join three other institutions in getting lottery money to boost professor quality under a House bill gaining support.

Rep. John Scott, D-Richland, and Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, are preparing a measure that would take $5 million annually in lottery proceeds for at least eight years to create endowed professorships at the Orangeburg university.

The state already spends $30 million a year in lottery profits for endowed chairs at the three research universities — USC, Clemson and MUSC.

The money would be directed to help the historically black college attract and keep scientists and engineers, and boost economic development.

HOSPITAL BILLS

People who don’t have health insurance would pay the same price for hospital care that insured patients do under legislation introduced in the Senate.

Sens. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, and Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, said people without insurance need that help.

Other legislation is in the works trying to make insurance more affordable and move people out of the ranks of the uninsured.

For instance, a House bill would increase the state’s cigarette tax to 39 cents a pack to raise $112 million to expand health coverage for children and subsidize premiums for lower-income workers.

NO CHICKEN LIMITS

A bill making it harder for local governments to limit new chicken and turkey farms was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The proposed law now goes to the full Senate. It is intended to protect South Carolina’s multimillion dollar poultry industry from county regulations. But poultry farms produce powerful odors and can pollute creeks with animal waste. Opponents say local governments need authority to regulate the farms because they can affect surrounding areas.

In other news:

• The name of the county in which a vehicle is registered and a notation that property taxes are paid would be placed on state license plates under a bill introduced in the House.

• House members gave final approval this morning to bills limiting governments’ ability to obtain private property for public purposes. The issue shifts to the state Senate.

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