Thumbs up
Spearman. Hats off to new state Superintendent Molly Spearman for pushing for increased base student funding for public schools. She’s right that lawmakers can’t come up with $600 million a year that they should fund, but going at it over five years makes a lot of common sense to make up shortfalls from recent years. More.
Better open records. Let’s give kudos to the S.C. House for advancing legislation to strengthen the state’s open meetings laws. More.
Summer. Thumbs up for Newberry reporter Sue Summer who is fighting to keep the diary of the wife of singer James Brown public. More.
Solar power. A Colleton County solar farm produced 5 percent more energy over the last year than expected. How about them photons? More.
State parks. The number of visitors to state parks rose 11 percent over the last year to 7.7 million people. More.
Thumbs down
Nepotism. We don’t often agree with Gov. Nikki Haley but she’s right to be outraged by the legislative nepotism of lawmakers voting in the husband of a sitting representative for an administrative court judgeship. More.
Goodstein. Thumbs down to state Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein on a ruling to give breakaway Episcopalians some $500 million and the use of the name and icons of the Episcopal Church. Thank goodness the national church is appealing. More.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!