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King Day. A King Day at the Dome celebration in Columbia took on a new focus — on Dr. Martin Luther King’s words and legacy — instead of what had been routine, focus on the Confederate flag. Now that it’s off the Statehouse grounds, maybe we can honor his vision more often.
Democratic debate. The Sunday debate in Charleston got a lot of national attention as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders clashed in what was seen as their most contentious — and some would say most illuminating — meeting yet.
Graham. A tip of the hat to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on records about why a Midlands dam failed. Let’s get to the bottom of it. More.
Ethics Commission. Good work by the State Ethics Commission to say campaign contributions can’t be used for club memberships. More.
In the middle
Haley. As Gov. Nikki Haley heads toward the twilight of her gubernatorial career, the now-establishment governor seems to be getting her priorities more in line with the rest of South Carolina — investing in roads and K-12 education. Her moderating calls for less divisiveness are refreshing, but people seem to be wearing a little thin on emotional reactions during major speeches.
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Pitts. We understand how GOP Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Laurens, might be frustrated for measures introduced to control the gun culture, but responding with a blatantly unconstitutional measure to restrict the freedom of the press is, at a minimum, childish.
Closing fee bill. A controversial bill that would retroactively kill consumer lawsuits against closing fees charged by some car dealers passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now in line for floor debate. More. Statehouse Report broke news about the bill last week.
Number: $80,000,000
That’s the amount of money it would cost state lawmakers to give a 5 percent pay raise, proposed by two state senators, to state employees. They say wages haven’t kept pace with increasing costs in recent years. “This year, as $1.2 billion in additional revenue is projected in our state, it is time to fairly compensate our state employees for meeting the challenge of doing more with less,” said state Sen. John Courson, R-Richland. More.
Quote: Hey, guys, I wasn’t serious
“Would I vote for that vote to pass to actually enforce this? No, because that’s what Hitler and Stalin, who some people have accused me of being, actually did.”
— State Rep. Mike Pitts, the Laurens Republican saying he wouldn’t vote for a law to require registration of journalists that he proposed earlier this week. He said he filed the bill to spark debate on gun rights. That, however, appeared to backfire as the state’s media got in a big huff over free press rights (First Amendment), not a discussion of gun rights (Second Amendment). More.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!