South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus today blocked an effort by Senate Democrats to fast-track reform of the state’s Employment Security Commission.

Senate Democrats moved to put a reform plan for the state’s work force development agency on special order - a move that would put the bill in the top spot of the senate’s agenda. Senate Republicans blocked the move.

Today’s actions follow a lengthy debate over Republican leadership’s efforts to pass a non-binding resolution on state sovereignty.

“Currently South Carolina has the third highest jobless rate in the country. Instead of passing a critical agency reform plan to help the unemployed find work and create jobs, the leadership that controls the Senate is wasting taxpayer dollars passing a resolution to affirm a constitutional amendment ratified over 200 years ago,” said Senator Vincent Sheheen (D-Camden). “I’m confident our Founding Fathers got it right the first time. We need to focus on our state’s needs in 2010. It’s immoral not to do so.”