Tweeting the budget debate (House, Day Two)

Wolfe Reports, like most other S.C. politicos, bloggers, activists and observers of all kinds, got burned out on Monday’s lengthy budget debate and took a pass on Tuesday’s outrageous 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to 3 a.m. Wednesday self-flagellating ritual the House put itself through to knock out the budget in a timely fashion.

Because Twitter only indexes 40 pages of the last tweets, the tweets are organized by legislator, and not in the usual sequential order. Legislators are listed in order of listing on SCtweets.com.

EBedingfield, Eric Bedingfield, Republican, House District 28

• Crazy day at the Capital. 930am we are back on the budget. I love my job. Thank you District 28 for sending me here!
• About to start State Budget discussions again. Morning all!
• @BlatantReality That mic gets em all the time!
• @BlatantReality Rep. Dan Cooper is sitting there today because he chairs the Budget Comm. I told him to watch his mouth.
• @BlatantReality Lol. He cares
• On and on and on we go! SC budget!
• Working on last amendment to the SC Budget
• 2:04AM reconsidering sections of the SC Budget
• 247AM and we are done with the SC House budget!

ShannonErickson, Shannon Erickson, Republican, House District 124

• SC budget is balanced in the House & we actually have $386 left to the good….have wrap up comments, then we’ll vote!

AntonJGunn, Anton Gunn, Democrat, House District 79

• Budget Week Day 2:Channeling Run-DMC, Is the theme song going to be Raising Hell or You Talk 2 Much?
• listening to people debate higher ed but have NO IDEA what they are talking about.
• is wondering how people can vote FOR spending recovery dollars in line items after voting AGAINST accepting recovery dollars?
• Can’t tell if I am watching the House Debate the Budget or watching Def Comedy Jam. Both are comedy.
• @JoeyMillwood Come on man? “Biggest spending boondoggle in history” its a $5.6B budget. Last year was $6.7B? That was the biggest in SC!
• Again more people speaking on Higher Ed but have NO IDEA of what they are talking about!
• @dphamilton So you only want to protect the taxpayers sometimes? Or do you want them to think you are but really are supporting recovery $?
• @JoeyMillwood It was only 1 Stimulus Bill. THIS is a Recovery Package. I disagree with some thngs in it, but SC needs it now. We’re behind.
• @JoeyMillwood Please! the GOP has always supported Socialist Principles. Its called the Military. I should know I grew up in it.
• @JoeyMillwood I support you standing on your principles, just keep standing and vote againt all amendments and the final budget please.
• @JoeyMillwood No, I don’t beleive we need to spend more money. We need to be fiscally responsible and we haven’t been thanks to ya’ll.
• @JoeyMillwood No fiscal responsibility means what it means. Its not a republican or democratic thing. I am for fiscal responisbility period.
• Going to be a long night on the budget may be here til 2am.
• I would like my constituents to know that the House of Representatives just voted to support rapists and incestors. I opposed this!
• The amendment put up to support rapists and incestors was just defeated on a voice vote!
• @JoeyMillwood Call it whatever you want my friend. I know what I heard and I know how you voted. I do not support rape or incest.
• @joeyMillwood “waving my finger again” – Tell the truth here. I was at the podium asking for an answer to my question, which I never got.
• Its 11:30pm and there are still 70 plus amendments on the desk.
• is getting ready to put up Transparency Amendment to disclose fees and fines collected by state agencies.
• 12:27am Rep. Hart is starting to heat up!
• There are lots of people that pretend to support Transparency but just voted against it. And I have the roll call on it.
• @JoeyMillwood Fake?!?! What is fake is this body’s commitment to Transparency! I am ashamed that people can’t keep it real in here.
• @JoeyMillwood Don’t hate just because I am right. I have and always will be for transparency! Transparency is not a partisan thing.
• To all of the “selective transparencey” Reps, I will give you another chance to clean up your record on Transparency votes.
• @JoeyMillwood My relationship with Barack has nothing to do with transparency in this chamber. You can’t hold me to another man’s standards.
• 1:10am Rep. Hart is dropping dime on the 2006 Tax Swap that killed economic development.
• The Real Government Reformers win one for Transparency on Fees and Fines.
• Its 3:00am and we just finished with the State Budget (filled with pork and earmarks).

dphamilton, Dan Hamilton, Republican, House District 20

• @AntonJGunn pretty simple…lost the vote on that amendment but the state still needs a budget.
• @AntonJGunn no, I’ve made it pretty clear I am concerned about the fed intervention that comes w/ the money…I lost so I’m moving on.
• @thadviers I have the same amendment, we need to get together and pull one of them.
• 2 AM and we’ve completed all amendments…the end is in sight.

joeymillwood, Joey Millwood, Republican, House District 38

• Listening to debate on whether to cap tuition for in-state students. The amendment was put up by @thadviers.
• The House is ripping apart good conservative reform amendments today. Not sure if I’m going to be able to vote for this budget or not.
• @antonjgunn Really man? Seriously? You voted for the biggest spending boondoggle in the history of our country. It needs to be spent right.
• The House overwhelmingly went against the conservative Twitter Caucus on stimulus. Now it’s up to all of us to safeguard the taxpayers.
• @antonjgunn You voted to support the idea that these Recovery Packages aka Stimulus packages work. Did all Bush’s work? I don’t think so.
• Taxpayers are being fought for on the House floor. Even though the Dems are fighting us the whole way.
• @antonjgunn and Rep. Cobb-Hunter How about we quit assaulting character? I voted against the stimulus bc I was opposed on principle.
• @antonjgunn You may support the socialist principles of the man you tweet about on a daily basis, but I do not. There’s no smoke/mirrors.
• @antonjgunn and Just like most tax and spend dems, you think we need to spend more money and get more people reliant on gov’t.
• Those following on sctweets should know that @antonjgunn and I are smiling across the chamber at
• each other. lol.
• @antonjgunn Not sure what I’m going to do yet. Depends on some amendments. The state needs a budget. I need to fight for taxpayers.
• @antonjgunn I guess fiscal responsibility has a different meaning for an Obama democrat.
• It’s so funny to hear dems talk about fiscal responsibility. Rep. Ott talking about it now.
• Rep. Ken Kennedy just said that he has tried to “think republican.”
• We have returned to budget debate on the House floor.
• I voted against the porkulus bc more porkulus will follow. As long as Dems and Obama still running the show, big govt will rule the day!
• We are now debating abortion. We may be here for a while. If you’re watching, drink coffee or go to sleep and we’ll still be here probably.
• Check that. We will not be talking about abortion apparently.
• @antonjgunn What? All we did was vote to protect children whose fault it was not. We protect children in SC Mr. Gunn. We want kids to live!
• @antonjgunn You voted for killing babies my friend.
• Another House democrat conjured the word redistribution. Second time in a day.
• It’s 930 and I’m tired. Budget debate still going.
• Dems aren’t going to let us out of here. We may be here until sunrise. Rep. Hart just asked for water at the podium.
• is disappointed we didn’t have the abortion fight. Now would’ve been a great time. I would’ve been happy to stay until sunrise.
• Republicans should’ve united and fought for the lives of unborn, despite the democrat blackmail.
• @antonjgunn at the podium saying it’s okay for lobbyists to be paid by taxpayer dollars to come and lobby for more taxpayer dollars.
• Sorry folks. If you’re still awake and following me, my tweets are falling behind big time. It’s bc it’s 1210 and I am drained.
• is glad to see those up in the balcony that are dedicated to their jobs. Hope it’s cooler up there than it is down here.
• The Girl Scouts are here as pages today. Guess what? It’s 1220 and they’re still here. Great for the Girl Scouts. We appreciate you!
• I love how the Dems are busy putting up fake transparency bills.
• Yeah…I’m sure Democrats are about Transparency just like Obama is not for earmarks. Sure…
• @antonjgunn Yeah…Sure it is…wink wink. If you’re so close to the President, get him to buy into that policy.
• Sounds like another fake transparency bill is coming.
• Pretty soon we’ll all be taking advantage of Rep James Smith’s solar energy tax credit. Hopefully sunrise will give us energy.
• Budget is Done! Now if I could only get to sleep.

RepJamesSmith, James Smith, Democrat, House District 72

• is fighting to support our institutions of higher education so that SC families will have world class higher educational opportunities in SC
• Supporting endowed chairs program.. Establish quality Programs at a good value, expand knowledge-based economy through fed research grants..
• is hopeful that the House would support an increased tax credit for solar power.
• is glad to see the House adopt the amendment providing for an increased in the income tax credit for solar power.
• New blog post: SC House Budget should seek to address SC priorities; Job Creation, Education and Healthcare http://tinyurl.com/bm78oa
• 2:43 am ultimately the budget fails to keep the faith with the people of SC in education healthcare and jobs. http://twitpic.com/1zvpe

thadviers, Thad Viers, Republican, House District 68

• debating my budgets amendment to place caps on tuition at colleges.
• my amendment failed to protect families from tuition increases. i guess the government funded lobbyist did their job.
• i have 3 more conservative budget amds that will protect taxpayers and limit government. stay tuned
• my next upcoming budget amendment…..taking away lt gov security detail. its a shame that the lt. gov is not standing up for the taxpayers
• my 2nd to last amd is about to come up which would prevent taxpayer dollars for being used to pay for lobbyists