Prefiled bills ’09: A post-Thanksgiving cornucopia
Hey, kids! Did you remember that Dec. 1 was another one of those prefiling days for the House? Well, it can be excused if you forgot, considering the thrilling back-and-forth between Gov. Mark Sanford‘s high-priced attorneys and the ad-hoc House impeachment committee that morning. Actually, speaking of impeachment….
Rep. Jim Harrison, chairman of the committee, filed a resolution taking the lesser path, censuring the man with a love of Latin women with a penchant for Austrian economic theory. Like the impeachment resolution submitted by Rep. Greg Delleney, it uses some military terminology.
H. 4219: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO CENSURE MARK C. SANFORD, JR., GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA, FOR DERELICTION IN HIS DUTIES OF OFFICE AS GOVERNOR AND FOR OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT THAT HAS BROUGHT DISHONOR TO HIMSELF, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO ITS CITIZENS.
On another note, the annual tax-free holiday on firearms in South Carolina brings a lot of yuks from the peanut gallery, and for good reason. A gun is not a necessity. Food is a necessity — how about eliminating sales tax on groceries, permanently? Eh, no, it’s important to make sure that sportsmen and those of other ideas (home security, building a militia in Oconee County) can buy a weapon of several hundred dollars and not pay sales tax. Really — if you have the cash to spring for a gun, you can chip in a few more bucks on sales tax without having to wait for a special time after Thanksgiving. However, Reps. Mike Pitts and Brian White want to make sure you can still get that tax-free gun.
H. 4220: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 12-36-2120, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO REENACT THE “SECOND AMENDMENT RECOGNITION ACT” EXEMPTING FIREARMS SOLD ON THE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING OF EVERY YEAR.
A lot of states and municipalities have laws against scalping. As in, it’s illegal to buy a ticket to an event — usually sports or a concert — and resell it. Some have relaxed that to say you can sell your ticket, but it has to be at face value. And if you’ve walked around Williams-Brice Stadium on game day, you know that nobody is enforcing scalping laws. Rep. Bakari Sellers is attempting to throw out the law altogether.
H. 4223: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY REPEALING SECTIONS 16-17-710 AND 39-5-36 BOTH RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AND PRICE RESTRICTIONS ON THE RESALE OF TICKETS TO EVENTS.
Finally, a bill that is likely to go nowhere. Sure, there are tons of bills that get referred to committee every year and never see the light of day, but if you have legislation that’s likely to play well among the base of the minority party (in this case, Democrats), forget about it. Rep. John King is putting in a hate crimes bill. South Carolina is a national leader in hate crimes, according to a recent study (what a surprise), but considering the conservative opinion is that every crime is a hate crime, this bill is DOA.
H. 4224: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 18 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 16 SO AS TO PROVIDE ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR A PERSON CONVICTED OF A CRIME CONTAINED IN THIS CHAPTER WITH THE INTENT TO ASSAULT, INTIMIDATE, OR THREATEN A PERSON BECAUSE OF HIS RACE, RELIGION, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
