STATEHOUSE REPORT | ISSUE 21.40 | OCT. 7, 2022
BIG STORY: Cunningham, McMaster trade barbs in governor’s race
NEWS BRIEFS: S.C. to get $70 million to research sustainable farming
LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: A powerful, cruel monster
COMMENTARY, Brack: More should be charged with sedition
SPOTLIGHT: South Carolina Hospital Association
ANOTHER VIEW, Williams: What to expect in South Carolina’s coming Nov. 8 election
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Triumvirate
Cunningham, McMaster trade barbs in governor’s race
By Chelsea Grinstead | Joe Cunningham, the Democratic candidate for governor of South Carolina, held a chicken named Henrietta at a Thursday press conference in which he challenged incumbent GOP Gov. Henry McMcaster to more than one debate.
“While it may be funny to see a grown man holding a chicken, I feel compelled to call out the cowardice when I see it,” Cunningham said at a North Charleston press conference. “And I see it in Colombia. Politicians must be held accountable. And career politicians like McMaster have done everything they can to stay in power.”
McMaster and Cunningham of Charleston currently have one debate set for 7 p.m. Oct. 26 on SCETV and South Carolina Public Radio.
Cunningham said McMaster has a poor track record of holding open forums with the public and is insulated from constituent feedback on the impact of current social issues.
“Have you ever wondered why an overwhelming majority of us agree that our veterans should have access to marijuana to treat their PTSD or that women should have the freedom to control their own bodies, yet career politicians like our governor stand in the minority and say no to both?” Mcmaster asked. “It’s because they’re not held accountable.”
McMaster’s campaign said Thursday that Cunningham’s criticism was a “total joke.”
“Joe Cunningham must have forgotten that in this very year he repeatedly refused to debate his trailblazing primary opponent until the Friday before the election,” said Michelle Backus, a spokesman for the McMaster campaign. “The last refuge of a desperate, failing, unserious candidate is hypocrisy and name calling, and Joe is on the run.”
Also Thursday, the S.C. Republican Party called on Cunningham to be more transparent in which industries and organizations he is affiliated with in reference to his income, reported ABC 4 News.
“He’s nearly tripled his income, by the way, since he was elected to Congress, but he won’t tell us who he works for,” said S.C. Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick. “We don’t know who’s paying him. Nobody knows, and he won’t say.”
Cunningham addressed the issue at the press conference, “We’ve released that and we’ve put it out in the press as to the type of work that I’ve been doing. Folks know I’m an attorney by trade, and they know the kind of law I’ve been practicing — construction law, some personal injury [law] and things like that.”
But the GOP said the records raised more questions than they answered.
Cunningham later responded in a statement: “I currently have no advocacy or consulting clients and I have not been paid by any marijuana or sports betting companies. I realize the governor is used to doing the bidding of the special interests who fund his campaign, but since I’ve never taken a dime from PACs or special interests, I’m beholden to no one but the people of this state.”
Chelsea Grinstead is a reporter with the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
S.C. to get $70 million to research sustainable farming
Staff reports | A $70 million federal grant to researchers at Clemson University and S.C. State University seeks to develop climate-friendly farming techniques. They’ll partner with 27 other entities over the next five years to help farms.
“I think what we’re talking about today, when we look back on it, we will see this as an inflection point in South Carolina’s agricultural history,” said S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who helped to secure the grant said it would help the state’s small farmers: “This is the kind of program that will assist them in making a living.”
In other headlines:
Summary: Ian rocked S.C. and rolled away. A look at the giant storm a few days after its landfall in South Carolina. Bottom line: the Lowcountry dodged a bullet 33 years and a week after Hugo. The Grand Strand didn’t. Also in the news: A damage assessment is underway for Pawleys Island. A look at what’s next in hurricane season. Ian was the fifth-strongest hurricane to make landfall.
Biden pardons thousands convicted on federal marijuana possession charges. President Joe Biden on Thursday pardoned thousands of people convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law. Biden also is urging governors to take similar steps related to state marijuana possession charges. Biden’s move is a fundamental change in the nation’s response to a drug that has been at the center of a clash between culture and policing for more than a half-century, The New York Times writes. Federal pardons, which will go to about 6,500 people, don’t apply to those who were convicted of selling or distributing marijuana. The administration also said it would review whether marijuana should be in the same legal category as drugs like LSD or heroin.
Scott ramps up political operations. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s top aide is leaving his staff to start a political consulting firm — a move some say will guide his political activities in the future. Meanwhile, the senator talked about issues this week at The Citadel.
FBI warns of suspected fraud during Hurricane Ian. The FBI Columbia field office has warned that potential scammers may be on the rise amid Hurricane Ian. According to the FBI, scammers take advantage of those affected by natural disasters, posing as relief organizations or contractors offering repair services.
Wave of spoof shooter calls hit state schools. State and local officials are warning anyone who makes hoax emergency calls to schools about active shooters would be prosecuted. A wave of spoof calls occurred all over the state Wednesday in more than a dozen school districts. Calls impacted districts from Charleston, Beaufort and Horry counties to Richland, Newberry, Chester, Lancaster, Greenwood and Greenville counties, officials said.
IRS extends taxpayer deadline in S.C. The Internal Revenue Service announced that South Carolina residents and businesses now have until Feb. 15 to file their taxes. The extension comes as a response to Hurricane Ian.
PANDEMIC: Less than 4,000 new cases reported. The state is reporting 3,991 new cases of COVID-19 and six new deaths over the past week.
OPINION: Ellis endorsed for state superintendent. Read the Charleston City Paper’s editorial endorsement of Democratic candidate Lisa Ellis to be state superintendent.
A powerful, cruel monster
Cartoonist Robert Ariail often interprets things a little differently, but always has an interesting take on what’s going on in South Carolina. Love the cartoon? Hate it? What do you think: feedback@statehousereport.com.
More should be charged with sedition
By Andy Brack | Sedition ranks right up there with treason as a heinous crime applicable to anybody who actively plans to overthrow our government. More than 20 months after anti-patriots stormed the U.S. Capitol, only a handful of dangerous organizers have been charged with seditionist conspiracy. In my book, more need to face the tough crime of sedition.
While treason is the actual crime of attacking the authority of the government, such as mauling, injuring and killing police officers who protected the Capitol on January 6, sedition is a different flavor of rebellion. It consists of overt conduct, such as speech or organizing, to overthrow a government. While not punishable by death, it’s long been a federal crime to foment rebellion against the federal government, which exists to organize, protect and implement the enviable tenets of our representative democracy.
MAGA America seems to believe the U.S. Constitution authorizes the protection of liberty through the overthrow of government. But they must have missed the civics class discussion of the second paragraph of the U.S. Constitution – the part that says all men are created equal. It discusses how the power of government stems from the will of the people – all of the people, not a small band of authoritarian conspirators. It says when all of the people, which suggests a reasonable process of elections, decide they want to alter or abolish a government, they can do so – but by instituting a new government to “effect safety and happiness.” This is not to be done through a violent overthrow of order by trying to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.
The Constitution’s plain language is being misused by small cadres of militant haters who wrap themselves in the flag. The Constitution doesn’t give a green light to revolution like the Jan. 6 thugs wanted. It suggests a peaceful process to change government to make it more representative.
And that’s why more of the hundreds who stormed the Capitol need to be held accountable for their seditious – and in some cases treasonous – behavior. Washington needs to send a clear message that any individuals or groups that want to color outside the lines and take matters into their own hands should be treated as unfaithful Americans.
It’s disappointing the U.S. Justice Department hasn’t prosecuted more for sedition, particularly in light of the bone-chilling House hearings about what happened on and before the insurrection. It’s disappointing that Democrats, who control both chambers of Congress, aren’t insisting on more charges. And it’s totally befuddling why Republicans as a party continue to enable seditious behavior by essentially sitting on their hands. It’s hard to imagine that former presidents like Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford would cotton to the coddling of anti-patriots that goes on today. It’s obvious that current Republican Party leaders are afraid of former President Donald Trump, who will go down as instigator-in-chief of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Quite frankly, the party’s collective hollowness may be a weakness that eventually will lead to downfall unless Republicans embrace real democracy and shun the shiny thingamajigs of MAGA America.
Retired University of South Carolina historian Dan Carter, whose new book on white nationalism will come out soon, noted the plain language of sedition statutes should apply to more people involved in the Capitol attack. And they should apply to Trump, who watched for two hours “before finally issuing a tepid call for his followers to withdraw,” Carter told Statehouse Report. “If any other citizen watched an assault on someone (in this case, the government of the United States) and did nothing for two hours, they would be subject to criminal sanction.”
But too many in Washington likely will do little to confront Trump for his misbehaviors. They’ll use his name in campaign ads. They’ll pray for his support. And in doing so, they’ll keep damaging the fabric of our country. Our Founding Fathers were made of sterner stuff and wouldn’t put up with such spinelessness. You shouldn’t either.
Now, more than ever, make your voice heard Nov. 9, one month from now.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
South Carolina Hospital Association
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Statehouse Report to you at no cost. This week’s spotlighted underwriter is the South Carolina Hospital Association, the Palmetto State’s foremost advocate on healthcare issues affecting South Carolinians. The mission of SCHA is to support its members in addressing the healthcare needs of South Carolina through advocacy, education, networking and regulatory assistance.
Founded in 1921, the South Carolina Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Columbia, SCHA works with its members to improve access, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all South Carolinians. The state’s hospitals and health care systems employ more than 70,000 persons statewide. SCHA’s credo: We are stronger together than apart.
- To learn more about SCHA and its mission, go to: http://www.scha.org.
What to expect in South Carolina’s coming Nov. 8 election
By Nancy Williams, special to Statehouse Report | We are soon to be voting in the 2022 General Election. What can we expect? First, we can expect that this election will be like those before, with hundreds of professional and volunteer workers doing their best to make sure that voting is secure and accessible for South Carolina’s citizens. Once more, citizens will vote, by mail or in person, exercising the most basic of our rights and responsibilities. However, in some other ways, this will not be like earlier elections.
Passage of a new election law late in the 2022 session of the General Assembly made significant changes in how South Carolina holds elections. The State Election Commission (SEC) has provided a helpful list of these changes at https://scvotes.gov/resources/election-law-changes/. For most voters the biggest difference will be a very positive one, the availability of no-excuse early voting. This was first put into place during the primaries but will be available in a general election for the first time October 24 – November 5 during the hours 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday, October 30. With more time to prepare for early voting than in the June primary, counties have made major improvements, especially in numbers of polling places. In contrast to single polling locations in June, Charleston plans to provide seven early voting locations and Lexington will provide five.
Other changes have been made in the process for excused absentee voting, which is now exclusively by mail. An absentee application can be requested by phone, mail, or in person at a county elections office (not by email or fax). The deadline to obtain an application is 11 days before Election Day, November 8. Absentee ballots will be sent by mail. Completed ballots must be returned to county elections offices by mail or in person no later than 7:00 PM on Election Day or in person at an early voting center during early voting hours. For the first time, witnesses for the absentee ballot must print their name in addition to signing and must provide their address on the return envelope. Since South Carolina does not permit county offices to notify voters of technical defects and correct them, failure to conform to the requirements will lead to rejection of a ballot. Those voting by mail should take special care that their application and their ballot are complete and submitted as early as possible.
In addition, an authorized representative can submit no more than five absentee applications or return no more than five absentee ballots in addition to their own. This and some other election violations have been made felonies. This restriction will make voting more difficult for many in group living situations.
These changes are occurring against the backdrop of a very disturbing national effort to unreasonably discredit the institutions, people, and processes at the foundation of our representative democracy. Misinformation charging both technical and fraudulent problems in our elections, some of it intentionally disruptive, is everywhere. This toxic atmosphere has shaken the confidence of many voters and has contributed to the loss of many of our critically important experienced election professionals and volunteers. However, diligent efforts are being made to overcome those losses and ensure an orderly and efficient election process for everyone in our state.
One thing never changes. Every vote matters. For more information about candidates and the election, we encourage all eligible citizens to visit the League’s website at www.vote411.org. Check your registration, make a plan, and vote!
Nancy Williams of Hilton Head Island is president of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Send us your thoughts
Have a comment? Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Make sure to provide your contact details (name, hometown and phone number for verification. Letters are limited to 150 words.
Triumvirate
Here’s a mural somewhere in South Carolina. Not only would we like you to tell us where it is, but if possible, add why it might have been in the news at one point. Send your guess – and your name and hometown – to feedback@statehousereport.comView Post.
Last week’s image of “Open for business,” should have been pretty easy to anyone who has spent a little time at Edisto Island. It shows an old store that includes the Old Post Office Restaurant, known far and wide for its delectable seafood. The picture, however, once was Bailey’s Store, which mystery photo enthusiast Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, tells us is now a popular hair salon called O-Hair by Lisa. (The restaurant is next door).
“The building is one of the last nineteenth century commercial structures on Edisto Island. According to Wikipedia, ‘Bailey’s Store was likely built earlier than 1825 on Edingsville Beach, a popular seaside resort, before it was moved to its present location about 1870 following the abandonment of Edingsville Beach. Because all of the remaining structures at Edingsville Beach were swept into the Atlantic Ocean in the hurricane of 1893, Bailey’s Store is the only survivor of that community. The building was moved in two parts to Store Creek. It was reassembled there for use as a gin house already on that location. The building was listed in the National Register November 28, 1986.’”
Hats off to these photo sleuths who correctly identified the photo as the restaurant or store, including Jay Altman, Rallie Seigler Vicki Ringer and Elizabeth Jones, both of Columbia; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Tray Hunter of Hardeeville; David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; Katharine Beard of Camden; Pat Keadle of Wagener; and Bill Segars of Hartsville.
>> Send us a mystery picture. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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