Staff reports | As legislators grappled Thursday with the loss of one of their own to gun violence in a Charleston church, the Senate moved forward with action that has sent three budget bills to conference for compromises with the House.
The main session ended earlier this month without passage of a budget, in part because senators couldn’t agree on whether to offer sweeping changes to fund major road improvements. The state Department of Transportation says more than $40 billion of spending over the next 25 years is needed to bring state roads and bridges up to snuff. Various proposals were approved or debated this year, but the Senate didn’t move forward with a last-ditch House effort to get something big done.
Currently in play:
General appropriations bill: The $7 billion annual appropriations bill is the primary bill that funds state government through tax revenues collected by the state. Sources say the House and Senate versions have minor differences that should be comparatively easy to work out in conference.
Capital Reserve spending bill: Every year, legislators develop a list of projects to spend money on if a capital reserve fund is not needed. The House version prioritized the $127 million in the bill to go to a new MUSC Children’s Hospital and to help pay for a new aeronautics center at Trident Technical College before funding other needs. The Senate version funded various higher education initiatives.
Supplemental appropriations bill: Because revenue collections this year were $400 million more than predicted, lawmakers have extra money to spend next year. Where the House and Senate differ is how to spend the money on road improvements, with the House calling for about $220 million for roads and the Senate about $300 million.
Next steps: First, the conference committee has to resolve issues and come up with a joint recommendation. That could be done as early as next week. Then, the leaders of the House and Senate will call members back to Columbia to vote on the three budget measures. Leaders say they hope to be finished before July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. More.
Only four legislators replied to gun violence question
As the horror of the Charleston church shooting spread across the state, many wondered about ways to have more control over gun violence. Earlier this year, state lawmakers did two things:
- Body cameras. It passed a bill that will help fund body cameras for police across the state. This bill followed the shooting of Walter Scott, an unarmed man stopped for a traffic violation, by a North Charleston police officer, who has since been indicted for his murder. Many believe the officer would never have been indicted if a bystander had not caught the shooting on video.
- Domestic violence. After a Pulitzer Prize-winning series by The Post and Courier on the high rate of domestic violence in the state, legislators approved a measure that includes keeping guns out of the hands of abusers.
On Thursday, we wondered whether more could be done. So we sent emails to dozens of state lawmakers. Only four sent replies. Here are their responses in full, edited only for style:
QUESTION: What can South Carolina do to curb gun violence?
Rep. Patricia Henegan, D-Bennettsville: “Some years ago, I witnessed a shooting where one man was killed as I tried to intercede. I asked myself, what could I have done to prevent this needless death? More than that, what could our system have done by having tighter laws in place? Would this young man have been able to purchase this gun if we had tighter laws in place?
“It is a fact, states with more gun laws have fewer gun-related deaths. As legislators, we need to spend more time having SERIOUS conversations concerning gun laws in our state. We need laws to address policies requiring extensive background checks to stop unhealthy individuals from purchasing guns and require all to carry a permit.”
State Rep. Rita Allison, R-Spartanburg: “When people hate and are not at peace in their lives, they lash out and blame others. Hard to cope with that type of violence and stop the outcome. Government can only strengthen laws to punish the lawless. God gives you the peace and civility. People will live in peace or this state and country will fall from within. Our children deserve better … take responsibility for our own actions …pray for this peace!!!”
State Sen. Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson: “I would say the problem is not weapons. The problem is hatred and we just lost a true champion of the love of Christ this week.”
State Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens: “Thanks for the question. However, all of us in the Senate are stunned and very grieved today with this terrible tragedy involving our colleague and friend, Senate Pinckney, and the mass murder of eight others in Charleston last evening. I know you’ll understand when I decline to respond to this question at this sad time.
Haley, Scott keep their seats
Some politicians live by a strange two-part rubric: “1. When in doubt, do nothing. 2. Stay in doubt all of the time.”
There was no doubt, however, where Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., stood on controlling gun violence Thursday when the Rt. Rev. Dr. John Richard Bryant, senior bishop of the AME Church, got big applause during a prayer vigil at Morris Brown AME Church when called on state lawmakers to limit access to guns.
According to The Post and Courier, “Most took to their feet, including U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, Mayor Joe Riley and other politicians. Only Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Nikki Haley remained seated.”
We heard from several people who were shocked that Haley and Scott remained.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!