House passes 'clean' industry incentives bill

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House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville said Thursday's version of the Life Sciences Act deals only with the initial legislation designed to grant financial incentives to biotechnology firms. If passed by the Senate, he said, it will at least ensure the incentives remain even if Sanford sues and ties up the other bill in court.

"The whole purpose is to raise the comfort level of this economic development prospect," Wilkins said. "This is a huge opportunity for the Upstate."

The first Life Sciences Act provides financial incentives for drug companies that invest in South Carolina and create a $50 million venture capital fund to help startup companies. It also will provide hundreds of millions of dollars for "research infrastructure" needs in the state's colleges, primarily at the South Carolina's three research universities: Clemson, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Sanford objected to several tacked-on measures that include making the University of South Carolina's branch campus in Sumter a four-year school, new criteria for LIFE scholarship recipients and creating a committee to study the idea of starting a law school at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Lawmakers also added a last-minute provision to pay $7 million toward a Myrtle Beach convention center.

The Legislature overrode the governor's veto two weeks ago, prompting Sanford to announce he was considering suing the General Assembly over the bill's constitutionality. Sanford argued that the bill's multiple subjects are prohibited by the state Constitution. Lawmakers disagreed and complained he was using the issue to gain political points with voters.

Sanford postponed a decision on the lawsuit Wednesday night after the meeting with lawmakers.

Will Folks, a Sanford spokesman, said the governor supports the clean version of the Life Sciences bill and urged the Senate to pass it.

"A clean Life Sciences bill passed into law would enable Bob Faith and his team at the Department of Commerce to move forward with their economic development efforts free of any concern over the constitutionality of the weighted-down version of that bill," he said.

Folks said Sanford has not ruled out taking the issue to court but still hoped for some legislative remedy. He said the governor held several "productive" meetings with lawmakers Thursday.

While some lawmakers still simmered over Sanford's threats, others said they hoped their relationship with the governor could improve.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, a Charleston Republican, said lawmakers should stop complaining about the governor.

"I think some folks need to get some thicker skins around here," he said. "He's got his legislative priorities and other people have others. Some of the criticism against him I don't think is well founded."

House Majority Leader Rick Quinn, a Columbia Republican, said he thinks the meeting will have a positive result.

"I think it's going to improve communications," he said. "That's been a major problem. There's not been an interaction on a personal level between the governor and the General Assembly. And that's something all the governors I've worked with have enjoyed. Disagreeing is one thing. But this not even talking to each other is another."

Some Senate leaders said they saw the Legislature's relationship as "strained" with Sanford.

"It just appears to me he is running against the Legislature," said Sen. Verne Smith, a Greer Republican who chairs the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. "I haven't heard any words of respect on the General Assembly."

Martin, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, said "there are some strains."

"Particularly with those who have opposition," he said. "They feel that this issue is being brought in a way that will give them heartburn and unnecessarily force them to respond to something that is clearly constitutional. I think it's being perceived more as a political pursuit than as a legitimate court case."

Sen. Harvey Peeler, a Gaffney Republican who chairs the Senate Medical Affairs Committee, also described the relationship with Sanford as "strained."

"It will take the wisdom of Solomon on this one," he said.

Sen. David Hawkins, a Spartanburg Republican, said Sanford's talk of a lawsuit has caused "a great deal of mistrust out there."

"The governor needs to be straight forward with us and work with us. The lawsuit is a terrible idea. The taxpayers are the ones who lose in a war between the General Assembly and the governor."

Sen. Robert Ford, a Charleston Democrat, said Sanford should have invited Democrats to talk as well. But he said he wasn't upset to see any dispute between the GOP governor and Republican lawmakers.

"I like a good Republican fight," he said smiling.

Ford said he thinks the problem is not fixable since it stems from the governor's lack of holding a state legislative office.

"The problem is he's never paid his dues," he said.

McConnell and Wilkins said they are both willing to look at legislative solutions to the practice of "bobtailing," the joining of separate and unrelated bills.

Wilkins said the practice on the House side is infrequent and was born of frustration years ago when a senator held up any House bill. House members figured out that by adding a House bill to a Senate bill, the legislation could get through. He said no such bills have originated in the House this year.

McConnell said the practice will continue as long as the rules allow lawmakers to get away with it.

"I'm glad he's raised the issue," he said. "I hope when the Legislature reorganizes next year, he'll still be on the issue. Because I think it will help us to have a chance to tighten down the rules."

McConnell said he doesn't think Sanford's lawsuit threat has impacted the governor's legislative wishes, since the Senate "torpedoed" his restructuring plan before the fight over the Life Sciences Act erupted.

"He's trying," he said. "I think if the bill is meritorious they shouldn't hold it up because they are mad at him."