| Legislature Wrapping Up Fast |
| (Columbia) - There are just two days left
for the legislature to finish the peoples business, a little bit of
time to get a lot done. "They'll be a lot of tumult, they'll be a lot of moving left and right, but I don't think too much is going to get done unless there's general consensus," says Sumter Senator Phil Leventis. He says a lack of consensus is why some big issues are still out there. He points to bills like the one dealing with mini-bottles. There continues to be big debate over who can sell liquor in big bottles. Leventis says, “Mini-bottles, that's a tough one. It has to be done right cause it'll probably be our pattern for the next 20 or 30 years, if history tells us anything.” On the other side of the State House, Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter says House members have picked their priorities. “I have every confidence that the major legislation that we want to pass we'll get it done, no trouble by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.” She points to a bill dealing with the state retirement system, which has passed both the House and Senate. But in different versions, this is also the case with the Criminal Domestic Violence bill. “The Senate has amended it. Those amendments that they added did not really change much flavor of the bill. So we fully expect to get to that legislation tomorrow (Wednesday), pass it or concur tomorrow with the Senate amendments,” says Cobb-Hunter. The Legislature has to adjourn by Thursday at 5:00 p.m. They can return on June 14th and 15th to deal with possible governor vetoes and elections of vacate seats. |