A bill to give South Carolinians the chance to vote on a state constitutional amendment to ban card check cleared its last hurdle on Wednesday, as the House and Senate both approved H. 3305 with more than a two-thirds majority. Card check is a process that allows easier organizing by unions, and is a departure from the norm of a secret ballot. The amendment is meant to head off the Employee Free Choice Act, a union-backed bill making its way through Congress. Still, if a majority of agreed, under the EFCA a secret ballot vote was still A-OK.
“I don’t necessarily take any pride in the fact that we let Boeing in because we trampled on the rights of workers to organize,” said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter in the Free Times. “I’m glad Boeing is here, but I quite frankly would like South Carolina workers to have the opportunity to negotiate contracts that will pay them a livable wage and with health benefits similar to what the Boeing workers [in Washington] got.”
Republican leadership in the General Assembly dispute such allegations, saying that making sure card check doesn’t make it to the Palmetto State protects our state’s workers. Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler said, “Boeing’s decision to expand its facility near Charleston serves as a reminder why we must protect our tough right-to-work laws. We are sending a strong message to the world: We want your business, and we’re committed to getting it.” Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell added, “I don’t know of anything more basic to the essence of our nation than the right to a secret ballot election.”
The bill was one of the priorities of conservatives in the General Assembly this year, after it was put on the on-deck circle in the first half of the 2009-2010 session. Following the vote, Sen. Larry Martin took to the Internet to explain what went down.
Have you texted while driving? WTF is wrong with you? Talking on a cell phone in the car, taking the wheel while tipsy and getting more baked than a loaf of bread before hitting the roads scares us less than watching someone whip out their phone and start texting in the driver’s seat. H. 4282 was passed by the House on Wednesday by a vote of 98-18, making it a crime to act in such a behavior.
Unfortunately, amendments diluted penalties in the bill (because legislators want to keep texting while driving?), but it’s a good first step in the right direction in a state known for its dangerous highways.
“As technology changes so must our laws,” Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell said in a statement. “Our state’s teen drivers are the most avid cell phone users and the most inexperienced drivers on the road. The combination of the two is a formula for disaster. Multiple studies have clearly demonstrated the dangers of distracted driving — several concluding it to be more hazardous than drunk driving.”
In 2008, now-Rep. Mike Sottile ran for the open seat in HD-112, a nice place to live in the Lowcountry. Mt. Pleasant Town Councilman Joe Bustos was the chosen candidate in the Republican primary by the “pro-hit list” forces in South Carolina. Like many of their other candidates selected by that group, Bustos wasn’t very successful, losing 56-44. Sottile went on to win unopposed in the general election.
Evidently, losing by eight and now battling incumbency is not stopping Bustos for making another go. In case you missed it, in the meantime he also lost a race for mayor of Mt. Pleasant. We guess some people like making running for office — and losing — a hobby on par with building model airplanes and sports rec leagues.
Bustos promised to end politics as usual, adding, “Growth of government is out of control, and we must elect new leaders to rein it in.”
Bustos also said his 2009 mayoral campaign will help his chances this time. “I think the door-to-door campaign (last year) worked very well and we were really coming up in the polls, so I think we have a certain amount of momentum in this campaign.”
[sarcasm] Yes, political scientists are universally agreed that losing consecutive races for office makes the voters more amenable to your new campaign. [/sarcasm] If the people who backed Bustos in ‘08 are smart (S.C. Club for Growth, Howard Rich, the Sanford mafia), they’ll spend their money on a race in which their candidate may actually have a chance.
An AP story from Monday presents an interesting idea. A poll was done of 500 black voters in each state of South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana. Two-thirds of those responding said they were closely watching electoral politics this year and between 3/4 and 4/5 of all respondents said they intend to vote this year. The collective sigh you just heard was from Democratic strategists who are considering that November may not end up as bad as anticipated.
In South Carolina, like the South in general, politics are racially-charged. You can run whatever naive line of thinking you want, but in the states of the old Confederacy, the Democratic party is very black and the Republican Party is very white. That’s just the way it is. Hence, unprecedented black turnout in North Carolina and Virginia in 2008 helped President Barack Obama win those states — something a Democrat hasn’t done in decades.
The last time Dems did anything worthwhile around here, 12 years ago, a well-coordinated and motivated black electorate got to the polls and made it a good year for the donkeys in the Palmetto State. We’re still thinking it will be a big year for Republicans, in this state and nationally, but if there is any truth to this poll, the races in the general election could be a lot better than anticipated.
The second edition of “Happy Hour” occurred this week, sponsored by Ragley Public Affairs (thanks for the drinks, J-Dub). The guest for the evening was former The State vice president and editorial page editor Brad Warthen. Then we decided to show up, doing our best to string along a rum and Diet Coke for about 15 minutes.
MEETINGS
HOUSE
Room 403 — 9 a.m. — Full Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee
Room 410 — 9 a.m. — Full Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee
Room 516 — 9 a.m. — Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee
SENATE
Room 308 — 9 a.m. — Medical Affairs Subcommittee on S.1031
Room 105 — 9 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.1172, S.1183, S.1184, S.1185 & S.1188
Room 209 — 9:30 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.987, S.1010 and S.980
Room 407 — 9:30 a.m. — Banking & Insurance Subcommittee on S.1224 & H.4198
Room 207 — 10 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.292, S.314, S.962, S.972, S.1104 & S.1167
Room 308 — 10 a.m. — Medical Affairs Committee
RECEPTIONS
MEMBERS, STAFF, &c.
8-10 a.m. — Breakfast, by the Behavioral Health Services Association in Room 112 of the Blatt Building
If you would have told us that a tort reform bill would pass a chamber of the General Assembly without a days-long debate and a close vote, we never would have believed you. But, it happened on Wednesday when H. 3489 made its way out of the House with a resounding 104-9 vote. Only Reps. Curtis Brantley, Wendell Gilliard, Chris Hart, Doug Jennings, John King, David Mack, Joe Neal, Todd Rutherford and Seth Whipper voted against it.
Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell, who was the chief sponsor of the bill, said in a statement, “This lawsuit abuse reform bill will provide the same fair balance and results our successful Medical Tort Reform efforts produced a few years ago. Businesses will be able to operate and grow without the constant threat of a costly frivolous lawsuit or overly inflated settlement putting them out of business. With the fair balance this system creates, businesses will still be held accountable and our citizens will be protected from wrongdoing.”
The Senate is always a different kettle of fish from the House, but considering the vote was so much in favor, we’d hazard to guess that the bill will move through the Senate without too many problems.
MEETINGS
HOUSE
Room 305 — 8:30 a.m. — Legislative Career & Tech Group/Rep. Mike Gambrell
Room 427 — 8:30 a.m. — 3-M Subcommittee I, Health and Environmental Affairs
Room 403 — 9 a.m. — L.C.I. Insurance Subcommittee
Room 516 — 9 a.m. — Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee
Room 321 — 9:30 a.m. — Legislative Group/Rep. Bakari Sellers
Room 403 — 9:30 a.m. — L.C.I. Public Utility Subcommittee
Room 516 — 1 hour after the House adjourns — Judiciary Election Laws Subcommittee
SENATE
Room 408 — 9 a.m. — Joint Transportation Review Committee
Room 105 — 9 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on H.4302
Room 207 — 9 a.m. — Finance Subcommittee on Health & Human Services
Room 308 — 9:30 a.m. — Agriculture Subcommittee on S.903, S.1051, S.1192 & S.1204
Room 307 — 10 a.m. — L.C.I. Subcommittee on S.1148, S.1149, R.4100, R.4102, R.4103 and S.1097
Room 105 — 10 a.m. — Public Education Budget Hearings
Room 209 — 10 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.1075
Room 207 — 11 a.m. — Finance Subcommittee on Corrections & Public Safety
Room 307 — 11 a.m. — Fish, Game & Forestry Subcommittee on S.1153 & S.1253
Room 308 — 11 a.m. — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.1154
Room 209 — 1 p.m. — Medical Affairs Subcommittee on S.1137
RECEPTIONS
MEMBERS ONLY
8-10 a.m. — Breakfast, by the S.C. Aviation Association in Room 112 of the Blatt Building
Noon-2 p.m. — Lunch, by the S.C. Public Defender Association in Room 112 of the Blatt Building
7-9 p.m. — Dinner, by the Foundation for the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics at the Marriott
MEMBERS, STAFF, &c.
6-8 p.m. — Reception, by the American Legislative Exchange Council at the Clarion Town House Hotel
MEETINGS
HOUSE
Room 305 — 11 a.m. — Minority Caucus
Room 112 — 11 a.m. — Majority Caucus
Room 112 — (upon adjournment) — Minority Caucus
Room 427 — 4:45 p.m. — Legislative Black Caucus
SENATE
Room 207 — 2 p.m. — Finance Subcommittee on Sales & Income Tax
Room 209 — 2 p.m. — Finance Subcommittee on Retirement
Room 105 — 2 p.m. — Judiciary Committee
Room 308 — 3 p.m. — Finance Committee
RECEPTIONS
MEMBERS ONLY
6-8 p.m. — Reception, by the S.C. Centers of Economic Excellence, Health Sciences S.C. and the S.C. Research Authority, at the Columbia Hilton.
MEMBERS, STAFF, &c.
7-9 p.m. — Reception, by the S.C. Realtors, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
Most constitutional officers have been set up to be appointed by the governor, per bills making their way through the General Assembly. A few of these bills have had problems, considering they need a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber to place it on the ballot as a change to the state constitution.
One office that definitely doesn’t seem to need getting voted on statewide is secretary of state. Thursday, the House passed a bill with enough votes to put the secretary of state question on the ballot. If the Senate passes the bill with the requisite number of votes, and the Governor, as expected, signs the bill into law, one more office will be off the ballot in 2014.
