Thumbs up
Domestic violence. It took awhile, but hats off to the General Assembly for moving forward with a bill that will toughen criminal penalties and more to fight South Carolina’s abysmally high rate of domestic violence. It’s a great first step, but there’s still more to do. More.
Ford. It’s good former Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, got a decent sentence — probation and a $69,000 fine — for using campaign cash to pay for personal expenses. We’re not sure that he should have gone to jail after all of his public service, but we hope authorities keep him on the straight and narrow to ensure he pays the money. More.
Pleicones. Congratulations to state Supreme Court Justice Costa Pleicones, who was elected to be the state’s first new chief justice in 15 years. He’ll start next year after the retirement of Chief Justice Jean Toal.
In the middle
Extra money. It’s good news the state has $400 million more in tax revenue money to spend. Let’s spend it on roads — but not also use the one-time money as an excuse to NOT fix the road funding problem with a serious, long-term tax policy change, as outlined in Bill Davis’s news analysis today.
Thumbs down
Abortion ban. Boo, hiss to the Senate for backing a 20-week abortion ban. It’s bad policy and a bad deal for women’s reproductive health, as the ACLU’s Victoria Middleton writes today in a My Turn column.
Wilson. Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney had the common sense to cancel a speaking engagement to an anti-gay group, the Palmetto Family Council, after complaints that the appearance looked too cozy. But that hasn’t stopped Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is set to speak to the group. General, we appreciate your beliefs, but we don’t think it is right for the state’s attorney general to back any organization that actively promotes discrimination. More.
Davis. We understand why Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, is raising Cain about proposed hikes in taxes for better roads. But we hope he’ll stop soon and let senators vote. Otherwise, he’ll prove just how out of touch he is with most South Carolinians, who are more than willing to pay a little bit more if they can stop all of the potholes that ruin tires and wheel alignment.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!