| A productive session There's more to the South Carolina General Assembly than the annual budget-veto fights with the governor. Put aside the drubbing lawmakers gave Gov. Mark Sanford in overriding nearly all his 140 or so spending vetoes, and you find it was still a productive legislative session. Even Sanford agrees with that. In the 2005 session that wrapped up Thursday, legislators acted to improve the job outlook and profit climate for small businesses - and, according to the state's Small Business Chamber of Commerce, they succeeded. "This is a banner year for small businesses," exulted SBCC president Frank Knapp Jr. The focus was on small business because that's the sector of the economy that provides the most jobs, 70 percent or more. Yet it was taxed heavier than larger businesses - 7 percent compared to 5 percent. So lawmakers lightened the small business tax by 2 percent, evening the burden. The expectation is that the lower tax rate will encourage more hiring by small businesses, thus lowering the state's unemployment rate, one of the highest in the nation. Even so, the state's improving economy, brightening the outlook for more government revenues, made the tax cut affordable. Another break for small businesses came in the final hours - a measure that expands tax breaks for hiring more workers. The Jobs Creation Act now offers tax credits to firms that hire 10 workers; the new bill will start the tax credit for hiring two people. Legislation that will be helpful to businesses of all sizes curbs frivolous lawsuits and limits damages that victims of medical mistakes may be awarded in malpractice lawsuits. Other laudable legislation passed and signed, or expected to be signed, by the governor includes stiffer punishment and fines for persons convicted of criminal domestic violence. This reform is long overdue - advocates for abused women and children have been pushing for it for years. The freedom-of-information law got a boost with a measure that mandates the state medical board to reveal to the public formal complaints filed against physicians. And environmentalists should be pleased that the state is being given grand jury power to investigate environmental crimes. These crimes can be extraordinarily difficult and expensive for local district attorneys to prosecute. Finally, lawmakers looked like they'd miss the deadline for writing legislation to allow restaurants and bars to free-pour alcoholic drinks. That would have been a huge disappointment to the hospitality industry, as well as a slap in the face to voters who last year approved amending the state constitution to get rid of minibottles and allow free-pour. Fortunately, House and Senate negotiators agreed on new rules just in the nick of time - and South Carolina will soon be allowing bartenders to mix drinks to suit their clientele, as in other states. We'll drink to that.
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