South Carolina Statehouse Blog

COLUMBIA, S.C. — July 29, 2010 — State Senator Lawrence K. Grooms, who introduced a bill that lets South Carolina’s law enforcement agencies crack down on illegal aliens, today responded to the decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton to block key provisions of a similar Arizona bill.

“The number one responsibility of government is to protect its citizens. Because the federal government failed miserably, the states took action to protect our borders,” Grooms says. “With yesterday’s decision the feds have failed us twice.”

“A state’s police power is a basic right ensure community protection. The Arizona bill was passed by a legislature elected by the people, for the protection of the people. Like Arizona’s law, my bill is a reasonable, commonsense step and I’m moving as quickly as possible to reintroduce it in the upcoming session. I won’t simply roll over and turn a blind eye toward the safety of our own back yard.”

Grooms, R-Bonneau, represents portions of Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester counties. A small business owner, he is chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

McConnell: Federal government must stop intruding on states’ rights

Charleston, SC - July 28, 2010 - Today South Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell vowed to push Arizona style immigration reform in the palmetto state, despite today’s judicial action by a federal judge.

“Like Arizona’s legislators, we are tired of Washington’s failure to act. We can’t rely on the federal government anymore. That’s why states are being forced to do whatever they can to fight illegal immigration. The federal government fiddles while Rome burns and then sues states who try to throw water on the flames,” Senator McConnell said.

He continued, “We see today’s decision as only the first step in an important legal struggle. This ruling will not deter me from continuing to work on this issue. I am committed to continuing full steam to have a bill ready for the Senate and for us to pass a stronger Arizona style immigration bill when we return in January.”

Large participation means millions of dollars for SC’s economy

(Columbia, SC) – With last year’s unanimous election of House Speaker Bobby Harrell as the Chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), Charleston, SC was selected to host this year’s 2010 SLC Annual Meeting.

This year’s conference is projected to surpass an estimated $3.5 million in economic impact for South Carolina as the number of expected guests from the 15-member states nears 2,000 participants.

“People are excited about coming to see what South Carolina has to offer,” Speaker Harrell said. “I am thrilled that the Palmetto State will be on display as we host the 2010 Southern Legislative Conference. This event will bring in thousands of new visitors and will create a multi-million dollar economic boost for our state. For many of the conference guests, this will be their first trip to our state and we hope our hospitality makes return visitors out of many of them.”

Speaker Harrell has worked very hard to plan a memorable SLC experience in Charleston. Events will be held all around the historic city, including Charles Towne Landing and the SC Aquarium. Attendants will also enjoy guest speakers and performances by South Carolina natives, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, US Senator Lindsey Graham, US House Majority Whip James Clyburn, and Darius Rucker. Lasting from July 31st to August 4th, the 64th annual SLC meeting will leave a lasting positive impression of South Carolina on all those attending.

No state general funds were appropriated in the budget to host the 2010 SLC meeting in South Carolina; significant private sector donations were utilized. In past years, because of its legislative role and large economic impact, host states have generally appropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to support these types of events.

Speaker Harrell said, “Because of recent budget cuts, we felt it was important to dedicate taxpayer dollars to the most core government services and independently raise the funds needed to host this event. I want to thank the many generous members of our business community for all they have done to ensure that South Carolina, and all that our state has to offer, is properly and positively displayed during this conference.”

Mr. Spratt owes it to local small business owners to reveal where he stands on extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Lancaster, S.C. – State Senator Mick Mulvaney, Republican candidate for Congress (SC-5), today asked John Spratt to inform his constituents how he intends to vote on extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

“Mr. Spratt has failed to do his job and introduce a budget, and now he and other Democrat leaders are on the verge of passing a massive tax hike,” said Senator Mulvaney. “Mr. Spratt should make clear his stance on extending these tax cuts. He voted against them in 2001 and 2003, but with so many struggling to make ends meet it’s not too late to make things right and protect our District from further job losses.”

The Obama Administration and Capitol Hill Democrats claim to favor a plan that would only increase taxes on the “rich” and extend tax cuts for others. However, this approach ignores the fact that many small business owners include business revenue on their individual income tax forms. Also ignored is the fact that raising taxes on small businesses would prevent them from hiring new workers – which is the key to fostering a real, lasting economic recovery.

“These tax increases will fall on the backs of far too many small business owners, and in South Carolina our economy depends on the success of small businesses,” said Mulvaney. “This would absolutely affect our District’s already-high unemployment rate for the worse. As a Democrat leader, Mr. Spratt has the power to save thousands of jobs in South Carolina by extending all 2001/2003 tax cuts. Now is the time for him to stand up on behalf of the people of the Fifth District, not the liberal elite he’s been supporting so consistently in Congress.”

Quick Fact: According to the South Carolina Department of Revenue, of the state’s 68,738 full-time employers, 97.5% are small businesses. There are also 101,000 full-time self-employed persons in South Carolina.

Columbia, S.C. - July 26, 2010 - Gov. Mark Sanford today joined company executives and economic development officials to celebrate the grand opening of Independent Pipe Products’ facility in Abbeville. The company has committed to investing $9 million and creating 25 new jobs.

“Independent Pipe Products’ decision to come to South Carolina is a compliment not only to our state’s pro-business environment but also to our workforce,” Gov. Sanford said. “The new investment and jobs the company brings represent a solid gain for Abbeville County, and I’d express sincere thanks to Ron Hopton-Jones and his team at Independent Pipe Products, Inc.

“I’d again say that IPP’s decision comes in the middle of what could well be a record-breaking year with regard to jobs and capital investment in South Carolina. In just the last several months we’ve made five 1,000-plus job announcements, and indeed going into this year we were already ranked first in job recruitment in the entire Southeast. Boeing’s decision to land in North Charleston last fall marked the largest economic development announcement in state history, and only last week the German-based company ZF announced plans to invest $350 million and create 900 new jobs in Laurens County. For these and other successes, I’d again thank Secretary Joe Taylor and his team at the Commerce Department.”

Headquartered in Dallas, Independent Pipe Products is a supplier of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes. The company has located its new facility in the former Performance Pipe building in Abbeville. The facility will produce HDPE pipes for municipal water service, mining, oil patch, landfill and industrial markets on the East Coast.