Our weekly Top Five feature offers big stories or views from the past week with policy and legislative implications.
- House panel looks at roads, DOT governance, The Post and Courier, April 7, 2016
With people clamoring for more funding to fix pocked roads, House members are looking at proposals outlined in a $400 million Senate-passed highway bill. Meanwhile the state DOT director says the agency and legislature can work together on funding issues, but dealing with governance is critical.
- Legislative audit says road, bridges are in real bad shape, Columbia Regional Business Journal, April 6, 2016
A study by the Legislative Audit Council says the condition of roads and bridges across the state are as critics say–they’re getting worse and worse and more money is needed to fix them. Other links: Post and Courier; Greenville News
- Study says poor S.C. residents underrepresented in courts, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, April 6, 2016
An examination of 27 magistrate and municipal courts, known as “summary” courts, reveals inadequate legal representation for poor defendants.
- One year later: Stories highlight what’s happened since Walter Scott’s murder, The Post and Courier, April 2-6, 2016
The Post and Courier offered six stories that looked at what’s happened in North Charleston since last year’s chilling, national news about how a police officer shot and killed an unarmed man. Among the stories: A look at the beleaguered community; how traffic stops have been cut in half; the family’s reaction a year later; how North Charleston police are faring; the pending court case; and a look at fluctuating statistics. To find the story package, scroll down when you click the link.
- New report calls for bold investment in child care, Economic Policy Institute, April 6, 2016
The report says that “ambitious” investment by the public sector in child care would help children succeed, save money for families and help child care workers earn a decent living. Even better: It could boost Gross Domestic Product by $210 billion.
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