By STEPHANIE TRACY
Anderson Independent-Mail
January 19, 2006

Local lawmakers said they heard few surprises in Republican Gov. Mark Sanford’s fourth State of the State speech Wednesday night.

"I think there’s some good ideas in there," said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont. "I think he’s heard some of the things we’re interested in that he thinks will be good things for the state, and he’s using the bully pulpit of the governor to promote them."

The bulk of the governor’s election-year speech dealt with ways to improve the state’s business climate and provide tax relief to residents. Gov. Sanford also called for worker’s compensation reform, controlling government growth, improving funding for early childhood education and making higher education affordable.

Rep. Cooper said the General Assembly had already "bent over backwards to try to make a good business climate in South Carolina."

"Some of the packages he talked about, it’s been tough because we’re losing the textile industry and we know that’s just going to continue to decline," Rep. Cooper said. "We’ve got to change gears literally to get different types of jobs and I think we’ve done that in the past few years."

Rep. Cooper cited the creation of an endowed chairs program and state funding for projects like Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research as examples of progress toward a knowledge-based economy.

But skyrocketing tuition rates at the state’s major research universities drew fire from the governor Wednesday night as he called for tuition caps.

Rep. Ronny Townsend, R-Anderson, chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee, said tuition caps might not be the answer.

"Those who can make the entrance exams need to be able to get in and afford to stay," he said. "Whether tuition caps is the real answer to some of this, we’re looking at some legislation and some issues around that particular problem."

Sen. Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, said he would like to see tuition caps in light of slowing education lottery revenues. He also said the successful merger of the state’s two pharmacy schools proved that some consolidation is possible.

Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla, said he would like to see more attention paid to "where we’re putting those higher-education dollars."

"I’d like to see some commission, like a base closure type of commission, that could address the needs of various communities and make sure we’re getting the most out of those dollars."

Stephanie Tracy can be reached at (864) 260-1256 or by e-mail tracysk@IndependentMail.com.

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