COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — In his second State of the State address Wednesday evening, Gov. Mark Sanford said South Carolina needs better education, better economic opportunities and better quality of life.
The speech highlighted the same five basic themes that were discussed in last year's version: government accountability, economy and the need for wealth creation, government structure, education and quality of life.
The overarching theme that affects all of those issues is government restructuring, Sanford said. Restructuring will affect how well the state attracts industry and how education is provided in South Carolina, he said.
"My hope is that we make an impact on people's attitudes, in and outside of government, and that this leads to an environment more conducive to changing a whole lot of things necessary to raising income levels in South Carolina," Sanford said.
His plans to make government more streamlined and efficient got a major boost last week when Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, introduced restructuring legislation.
Sanford on Wednesday also introduced a new proposal making it mandatory for most inmates to participate in education programs.
About 63 percent of the state's 24,000 inmates don't have a high school education or equivalency, he said. Currently, inmates don't have to receive an education behind bars, but Sanford said under the new policy inmates won't get privileges if they refuse.
"Despite these budget times, I think it's worth committing $2.5 million to this program because I think it's crazy to continue to send folks out of a criminal justice system with no better educational leg to stand on and expect good things to happen," he said.
More reforms are needed in education, Sanford said.
Public school funding has increased more than 130 percent in the past 30 years, yet the state's college entrance exam scores rank near the bottom, he said. Data from the Commission on Higher Education also shows that the state ranks last in the nation in graduation rates, he said.
State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum said she was disappointed the governor's speech focused on the negative views of education. "It demoralizes our educators," she said. South Carolina has made unprecedented gains in education and was ranked first in the nation in improved college entrance exam scores, she said.
Democrats said they were concerned about what Sanford omitted, like the need for base student cost increases to improve education.
Sanford highlighted reforms made during his first year in office, including changes to the Department of Motor Vehicles and campaign finance reform.
Last session, Sanford signed a bill moving DMV from the Public Safety Department to a stand-alone agency that answers to his office. Under new law, drivers can get tag renewal stickers and registrations from county treasurers' offices or private entities that could charge a service fee above than the standard $24 for the transaction.
Drivers' license expiration dates have been extended from five to 10 years for most people. The agency also can contract with public and private entities to administer driving tests.
Sanford pointed to a DMV employee as an example of how the structure of government matters.
"Maurine Boyles and her peers were there for the last 10 years. They're there now. Same people in place, but because of the different structure, a decidedly different result, And people who were before spending an hour or two hours in the DMV line can instead spend that time with their family. They can spend it at work. They can spend it at play," Sanford said.
The governor also signed legislation last session requiring political parties to disclose soft money contributions, making political action committees unable to transfer money for state campaigns among themselves and giving lobbyists more restrictions on donations.
The governor called on legislators to tighten up a law passed last year that lowered the legal blood-alcohol level to 0.08 percent. He said it's been difficult for police to administer the new law, which could lead to legal problems.
He also asked lawmakers to change the state's minibottle law. South Carolina is the only state that requires bars to use the 1.7-ounce bottles of liquor.
