The Times and Democrat - House Democratic Caucus reelects Ott minority leader

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday reelected S.C. House Dist. 93 Rep. Harry Ott, D-St. Matthews, as minority leader.

In an interview Wednesday evening, Ott said tightening the accountability of insurance companies as part of fairer Worker’s Compensation legislation and the reintroduction of a cigarette tax to offset rising health car costs will top his agenda as the reelected S.C. House minority leader.

“I’m very hopeful that we can accomplish several things,” Ott said, noting that getting Worker’s Compensation legislation passed is No. 1 on his agenda. “I think it’s important that we deal with this issue. It’s certainly an issue that small businesses throughout the state are dealing with. We have to be very careful of the way we address it.”

Ott said he doesn’t want legislation that is made “on the backs of injured workers.”

“I want to take that off the table and not deal with injured workers” but rather deal with fraud and abuse within the system, he said. “I want to take a close look at the accountability of insurance companies and make sure they are not making unreasonable profits off of the system.”

Health care reform is next on his agenda.

“I hope that we will deal with health care. We’ve got a real problem, not only in South Carolina, but throughout the country with the rising cost of health care. I plan to reintroduce a cigarette tax again this year, and I’m hopeful that it will pass,” Ott said. “We would use the income from the cigarette tax to create a workers’ insurance program, where employees and employers in the state can share in the cost of providing health care benefits to insured citizens in the state.”

He said it is incumbent upon the state to “make sure all children have some form of health care to get off to a healthy start and form good habits to have good health on into life.”

Ott said individuals have to be made to see the financial benefits of staying healthy by realizing “how important it is to make good decisions and buy into their health care so that they want to stay healthy.”

He said improving job opportunities in the state will also create enhanced financial benefits for working South Carolinians.

“I want to ... find ways that when you work in the state you can have a pay check that improves your quality of life,” Ott said. “Right now, a lot of people are in a position where their pay checks aren’t keeping up with the cost of living. Their quality of life is stationary.”

“Finally, I hope we will be able to address the transportation needs in the state. I think every county in the state is screaming for more money,” he said, noting that money is needed to pave or resurface roads

Ott said he will work to have the “best return on investment through the Department of Transportation.”

“But having said that, I’m not ready to make that a cabinet agency,” he added. “But I think we just need to take a look at how we could find some resources to put i(into the SCDOT) to have the opportunity to do more across the state.”

Ott said he looks forward to his returning role as House minority leader.

“I think it’s important that we as Democrats represent working South Carolinians again. My plans are to lead from the center like I’ve always done, working with Republicans at every opportunity. We are elected to serve the people, and when we can work together, it’s in the people’s interest.”

Newly elected Rep. Patsy Knight, D-Summerville, was chosen by the South Carolina House Democratic Caucus as its treasurer for the two-year, 2007-08 session.

Other caucus officers elected or re-elected Wednesday are:

Rep. Joe Neal, assistant minority leader.

Rep. Cathy Harvin, deputy minority leader.

Rep. Chris Hart, secretary.

Rep. Walt McLeod, parliamentarian.

Rep. Carl Anderson, chaplain.

The House held an organizational session this week. The legislative session will officially begin Jan. 9.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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