COLUMBIA--While state government was overshadowed this week with all the hoopla surrounding the Democratic primary, the state Legislature kept on with debates about such heady matters as whether police officers can stop drivers whose only offense is a failure to wear a seat belt or how far apart municipalities must be to coexist. State law currently says five miles.
In the House, two bills proposed by state Rep. John Graham Altman III, R-Charleston, were taken up -- one patriotic in nature, the other practical.
On Tuesday, Altman's bill requiring a criminal record check within seven days for any "direct caregiver" in a nursing home or care facility passed third reading. Co-sponsored by state Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson, and state Rep. McLain Toole, R-Columbia, the bill had its first reading in the Senate and now sits in the Committee on Medical Affairs.
"There are some regulations out there, but they have yet to be uniformly enforced or uniformly administered," Altman said. "This bill would strengthen them."
On Wednesday, Altman introduced a bill that seeks to make Dec. 15 "Bill of Rights" Day in South Carolina. Dec. 15th is the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. "I know some people may think this is silly, setting a day like this aside, but it's important," Altman said. "And I think a whole lot of other people think it's important too."
'RAMBO' IN THE HOUSE
House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Columbia, received a standing ovation Tuesday, his first day back after completing Army basic combat training. Smith, 36, a member of the National Guard, spent eight years in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, eventually making the rank of captain.
After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the legislator did an about-face and resigned his commission, opting instead to pursue a commission in the infantry.
"It was a radical change, from head of household and state representative to basically a maggot," Smith joked, referring to how lowly "boots" are treated in the military.
Turning serious, he added, "When I saw the terrible events of Sept. 11, I did a lot of soul searching and decided that if I was going to be called up, I could best serve by leading soldiers."
Smith has completed his first phase of training. Next he heads to officer candidate school, scheduled to begin in March, then to infantry officer training school. Upon completion, he will hold the rank of second lieutenant. He joins other members of the House and Senate who are in the Reserves, ready to serve if needed.
Said Speaker of the House David Wilkins, R-Greenville: "James will be available to teach cadence calls to anyone who wants to learn. Congratulations, James, I guess you're our Rambo."
TAKES SEAT IN SENATE
The Senate welcomed a new colleague Thursday. Voters recently elected Kershaw County Democrat state Rep. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Don Holland, D-Camden.
Holland died in October of a heart-related ailment. He was 75.
Sheheen, who had served less than one term in the House, will face another campaign in November as Holland's term expires.
On Thursday, state Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, informed his fellow senators: "I told Sen. Sheheen to take his coat off and stay awhile."
THE FARM REPORT
State Sen. Bob Waldrep, R-Anderson, took the floor Thursday to extol the virtues of the South Carolina farmer. Anderson, chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, told senators:
-- The average American spends about 10.6 percent of disposable income on food, the lowest rate in the world.
-- The average American earns enough income in just 36 days to pay for his food consumption all year. By comparison it takes the average American 117 days to earn enough money to pay annual taxes.
"Which I guess proves the government is hungrier than we are," Waldrep said.
THIS LAND IS OUR LAND
This week also saw the first annual Conservation Lobby Day. More than 150 people crowded the Statehouse lobby Thursday, each with a passion for the environment. They represented 15 different conservation groups, from the National Audubon Society to the Sierra Club to the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.
The groups were there to show support for ideas such as the Conservation Land Bank and for protection of isolated wetlands and green space. They also were there to show their opposition to House Bill 3555, known as the "Hog Bill."
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Will Witherspoon, R-Conway, is in the Senate now. If passed, it would prevent counties from creating ordinances dealing with poultry or livestock stricter than those set by the state. The state currently has rules about how close hog farms can be to homes and businesses.
To conservationists this spells trouble with a capital "P," as in peeuww!
"This hog bill takes away a community's ability to protect its citizens," said Christie Renken, legislative director for the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.
Most of the people flooding the lobby Thursday were professional lobbyists trained and paid to fight for an issue. But in the middle of the mayhem stood a small group of children holding handmade signs with statements such as "Stop Sprawl" and "Protect Isolated Wetlands."
The plucky conservationists were a group of home-schooled children from the midlands. Susan Corbett, who works with the children, brought them to the Statehouse as a part of a civics lesson.
"We just thought this would be a good way to teach them about the legislative process and to let them express their feelings," she said. "It beats sitting in algebra class."
