Staff reports | S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and Democratic opponent Joe Cunningham of Charleston will debate 7 p.m. Oct. 26 on SCETV and South Carolina Public Radio.
McMaster, who is running for his second full term, is familiar to voters since his first statewide debate in 1986, followed by debates through the years as he ran for attorney general, lieutenant governor and governor. If McMaster, 75, wins in November, he would become the state’s second-longest-serving governor by the end of the term since he completed a term originally won by former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.
For Cunningham, a former one-term congressman, the race is his first as a statewide candidate. The debate will be a chance for many voters to see him for the first time. He’s called for four debates, prompting a Thursday Twitter comment, “1 down, 3 more to go. I’m ready when you are, Governor.”
SCETV’s Gavin Jackson, host of “This Week in South Carolina” will moderate the one-hour debate. He will be joined by Andy Shain of The Post and Courier, which is also a host.
In other headlines:
One-third of S.C. residents with loans get help. President Joe Biden announced Wednesday a plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for millions across the country. Individuals who make less than $125,000 per year will have $10,000 in loans forgiven, while those who received a Pell grant can receive up to $20,000. The order also extends the payment pause until early 2023. According to S.C. news reports, about 30% of S.C. residents with federal student loans will have their debts canceled permanently under the plan, which garnered praise and criticism.
State employees to get parental leave. McMaster on Thursday signed a new law that will give six weeks of paid parental leave starting in October to state employees in South Carolina after they give birth to or adopt a child.
New law allows nonprofits to provide free glasses to children. Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a new bill that will allow more organizations to provide free glasses to children. The law allows mobile optometry clinics to visit Title 1 schools and offer free screening, eye exams, fitting and providing students with glasses, with parental consent. McMaster held the signing at an elementary school in North Charleston.
DHEC reports 10,052 new COVID-19 cases. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 10,052 cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths across the state. S.C. news reports the state continues to decline in the recorded number of cases.
Monkeypox testing problems similar to Covid failures. An infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina and others have voiced concerns over the current method of testing monkeypox. Experts say that similar problems during the early Covid-19 pandemic are showing up again. For Covid-related news, state health officials reported no significant increase for students since the start of the new school year.
S.C. unemployment rate unchanged. The state’s unemployment rate for July was unchanged and remains at 3.2%.
S.C. gas prices now average $3.42 per gallon. The prices dropped another 4.6 cents over the last week.
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