Thumbs up
Alimony reform. We applaud efforts by citizens and legislators to reform the state’s old-timey alimony laws, despite reasonable arguments of some critics. More.
Clinton. South Carolina’s overwhelming 3-1 vote for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary on Saturday presaged a Southern sweep on Super Tuesday for the former secretary of state.
S.C. Chamber. The business organization continues to use its considerable influence to try to force state senators to stop filibustering a measure that would boost spending on transportation infrastructure and restructure transportation agencies.
Flood help. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday that it will send $157 million to South Carolina to cover remaining needs lingering from the October floods. The aid, 62 percent of which will go to state agencies, will be distributed at the local level.
In the middle
New Senate road plan. Last week, Statehouse Report offered a news story that suggested the Senate would “kick the can” of transportation reform down the road until next year. We were kind of right — a new road funding plan calls for spending $400 million of recurring general tax dollars, instead of raising a gas tax like the vast majority of people want. Such a strategy hurts the state’s tax structure overall because it takes away funds that could be used for other priorities. But the Senate Republicans, which steamrolled over Democrats when the plan first came out Wednesday, didn’t walk away from structural reform in this new proposal because it suggests allowing a governor to appoint the state Transportation Board and limits the authority of the State Infrastructure Bank board. Ho-hum change, if it even happens.
Thumbs down
House budget writers. A huge thumbs down to House members who did not include $2.9 million in funding of a good plan by Gov. Nikki Haley to increase the number of prosecutors in state offices who work on domestic violence cases. It’s, umm, a slap in the face. More.
Gun bill. Big raspberries to the S.C. House for passing a bill that would prevent the state from enforcing federal gun laws that went into effect this year. More.
Horne. We’re disappointed that S.C. Rep. Jenny Horne, R-Summerville, is backing Donald Trump for president — a move that seems politically motivated to jumpstart her campaign for Congress against GOP U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, who said he wouldn’t back Trump. From their records and history, it seems like he would, but she wouldn’t.
Trump. Memo to The Donald: Get away from anything related to the KKK. Apologize, for goodness sake.
Number: $12 million
That’s the amount of a 2014 state loan to S.C. State University that the state House Ways and Means Committee wants to forgive so the loan doesn’t put the school’s accreditation and financial future at risk. The debt forgiveness is part of the 2016-17 budget package approved by the committee last week. More.
Quote: Sounds good, but means something different
“Bless your heart.”
— March 1 response on Twitter by Gov. Nikki Haley to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, who tweeted earlier, “The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley.” His tweet was inspired by a tweet from his campaign, which blasted Haley for calling for Trump’s tax returns to be public, while dismissing a similar issue four years earlier involving Mitt Romney. In recent days, Haley, who is supporting Sen. Marco Rubio, has criticized Trump. Read more.
Crush on France
“L’éditeur Andrew Brack prévoit d’ailleurs qu’elle va écraser Bernie.”
— Statehouse Report editor and publisher Andy Brack on Saturday in French newspaper Le Figaro on the Clinton-Sanders race. Roughly translated: “The editor Andrew Brack also said she ‘will crush Bernie.’” [NOTE: Brack admits the comment sounds much more intelligent in French than in English.]
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!