Posted on Fri, Jan. 26, 2007

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Capitol connection

There are 56 days left in the 117th General Assembly

Quote of the day

“God’s giving us time to get our act together.”

--- Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Georgetown, discussing the Legislature’s need to move swiftly in order to enact homeowners’ insurance reforms before the legislative year ends and a new hurricane season begins

Campaign Trail

• Dean to visit S.C.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean will be in Columbia on Monday for a luncheon to help kick off state Democrats’ preparations for the 2008 presidential primary.

Dean, former governor of Vermont and a 2004 presidential candidate, also will attend a reception in Charleston. Tickets to each event are $250, and half the proceeds will benefit the state party’s primary plans.

For tickets or more information, go to www.democrats.org/page/s/southcarolina.

Also Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will speak at a Rotary Club meeting in Aiken.

HUNTER OFFICIALLY ENTERS RACE

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, best known for his advocacy of the military, launched a long-shot bid for the presidency Thursday in Spartanburg.

The 14-term Republican from California, who has made no secret of his White House aspirations, set up a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month.

He initially announced his intentions in October, becoming the first GOP candidate to declare, then began making stops in early primary and caucus states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

ONLINE

For up-to-the-minute political and government news, click on S.C. Politics Today at thestate.com.

Capitol Connection

• Tuition program losing millions

New state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel said Thursday that South Carolina should close its college-tuition prepayment program.

With college tuitions growing faster than returns on stock and bond investments, the program is $41 million in the red, a figure that could increase.

Ravenel, who presented his office’s spending request to a House budget subcommittee, said the state should switch to a federal savings program that allows tax-free earnings on interest and offers no state guarantees.

“We don’t have a choice, as far as I’m concerned,” said Rep. Herb Kirsh, D-York.

COASTAL INSURANCE AT ISSUE IN BILLS

Catastrophic homeowners’ insurance costs are exploding along the coast, a growing threat that could affect the rest of the state, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Georgetown, introduced three bills to reform insurance practices on the coast, where he said one carrier has dropped 16,000 policy owners and other companies might follow suit if a hurricane hits this year.

The issue is wind damage, and several senators said insurance companies now are seeking to limit their exposure to future liability, despite record profits from long-term premium payments by S.C. homeowners.

SENATE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GANG BILL

Senators are confident a new comprehensive reform package of the state’s criminal justice system will get the financial backing needed to become an effective tool for law enforcement.

Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, who headed a task force to draft the anti-crime measures, said Thursday that House members have assured him there is enough support.

The package, which outlines stiffer penalties for gang activity, also allows for DNA collection and gives the state grand jury the authority to investigate gangs.

Lawmakers this week revamped the DNA portion of the legislation to make collection of samples applicable only to those arrests that carry at least a five-year sentence upon conviction, such as felonies. The change mollifies civil-liberties concerns.