Thumbs up
Third time’s a charm. State lawmakers elected Court of Appeals Chief Judge John Few to the S.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday during judicial elections that saw the vast majority of sitting judges reelected if their term was ending. More.
Emanuel AME. Congratulations to Mother Emanuel AME Church for being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. More.
“Stand Up Sunday.” Across the state, churches held a special event to stand up to gun violence. Keep up the pressure. More.
Carolina Panthers. Win the Super Bowl. Just win it.
Thumbs down
Pitts. S.C. Rep Mike Pitts, the Laurens Republican who gained reporter scorn with a bill to create a journalist registry, is up to introducing another frivolous bill — this one dealing with an effort to make public colleges and universities in the state become private schools. More.
Lowe. Thumbs down to S.C. Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence, for introducing a measure that would allow teachers and school professionals to carry guns as “school protection officers.” More guns in schools? Nope. Bad idea. More.
Senate. Reports indicate that work on a roads bill is not picking up traction in the state Senate. But Bubbas want roads fixed. Get ‘er done.
Number: 25 (times)
According to a new study in the American Journal of Medicine, the gun homicide rate in the United States was more than 25 times higher than in other high-income countries. Overall, the homicide rate is seven times higher. More.
Quote: A surefire way to lose
“Please don’t pit K-12 against (higher education).”
— USC President Harris Pastides in a plea this week for state lawmakers to focus on education as a continuum of education that starts at pre-K and can end in graduate school. The university system is asking for $96 million in additional funding this year. More.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!