Staff reports
COLUMBIA--After a short break, the battle over the "Kitchen Sink" bill heats up again today as the S.C. Supreme Court hears arguments on the case of Sloan v. Wilkins.
The Kitchen Sink bill, known officially as the Life Sciences Act, was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation last session.
Originally designed to provide research opportunities and economic development in biotechnology and related fields, the bill became laden with a variety of loosely connected amendments.
Among the measures added were an international convention center in Myrtle Beach, new residency criteria for LIFE scholarships, a culinary program at Trident Tech and four-year degrees at the University of South Carolina at Sumter.
Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed the measure, saying it violated the "single title" clause of the state constitution, which stipulates that every act or resolution that carries the weight of law must relate to only one subject.
The General Assembly overrode the veto.
In April, Edward Sloan Jr., a Greenville businessman and self-proclaimed government watchdog, took up the governor's baton and sued the state over the bill.
As Speaker of the House, David Wilkins, R-Greenville, has been named as a defendant in the case. The Life Sciences Act originated in the House.
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