A look at what went down Wednesday at the State House:

LAWMAKERS FREE PHONE COMPANIES FROM REGULATIONS

Telephone companies no longer will need the approval of state utility regulators to offer bundled service under legislation approved Wednesday by the General Assembly.

The House agreed with the Senate on the bill that would deregulate some service packages offered by BellSouth and other telephone companies.

The Public Service Commission currently regulates telephone companies’ bundled packages, which combine features such as call waiting or Internet access with basic service.

The bill also would allow telephone companies in rural areas to set prices without regulation as long as two wireless phone companies are offering service in the same area.

Supporters have said the bill will result in more choices for customers while opponents argue the bill goes too far in clearing phone companies from state oversight.

The bill becomes law with the governor’s signature.

SENATE PASSES BILL ON POLICE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

A bill that cleared the Senate on Tuesday would clarify rules for investigating traffic accidents involving police.

The House bill would require investigations of crashes, not only when a police car is directly involved but also when it is indirectly involved. The investigation would be handled by a law enforcement agency other than one involved in the crash.

The legislation also sets rules for how investigations should be conducted. For example, accident investigators would be required to identify possible witnesses that may not have been involved in the wreck.

The legislation stems from a investigation by Forest Acres police in May 2003 after a fleeing suspect struck a car and killed a woman.

HOTEL FIRE SPRINKLER NOTIFICATION BILL DIES IN COMMITTEE

A bill that would have made hotels without fire sprinklers post signs about it failed in the Legislature.

It was a last-ditch attempt at passing legislation spawned by a Greenville hotel fire in January that killed six people and injured 12. A measure that required all hotels to put in sprinklers died in April.

Hotel owners would have had to post signs saying state law doesn’t require them to have sprinklers. Hotels that did not comply could have faced fines of $2,000 per day.

Rep. Kenny Bingham, R-Lexington, chaired the House subcommittee that examined the sign bill. He thought it too harsh for hotel owners.

“All I could see is a $2,000-a-day penalty, which is an incredible fine,” Bingham said.

LAWMAKERS AGREE ON 60 HOURS OF TRAINING FOR BRAIDERS

Individuals who make money by braiding hair would be required to undergo 60 hours of training under a bill approved by lawmakers Wednesday.

Hair braiders have argued the service, which is popular in tourist areas, should not require licensing. But the state Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department’s cosmetology board insisted the practice requires a license.

The cosmetology board originally demanded 1,500 hours of training for braiders, then offered a compromise of 350 hours, even though the agency currently does not have provide training.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, first opposed the bill, saying the training and $25 registration fee would hurt braiders, many of whom are minority women. But Cobb-Hunter withdrew her objections Wednesday after she said she was contacted by braiders who preferred the 60 hours training to the other proposed requirements.

Along with the hair braiding amendment, the bill also establishes requirements for cardiovascular invasive specialists and for pharmacies.

The bill will become law if signed by the governor.

LAWMAKERS DESIGNATE ‘OPEN GOVERNMENT WEEK’

The General Assembly has designated Sept. 19-25 as Open Government Week in South Carolina. The House and Senate last week approved a concurrent resolution to “acknowledge the importance of open government in South Carolina, (and) to recognize the role played by the Freedom of Information Act.”

The resolution records the sense of both houses but does not carry the force of law. The S.C. Press Association, of which The State newspaper is a member, sponsors and promotes Open Government Week.

From Staff and Wire Reports