South Carolina Statehouse Blog

GOVERNOR URGES CONTINUED EFFORTS IN WAKE OF ENCOURAGING SUCCESSESColumbia, S.C. - August 10, 2010 - Gov. Mark Sanford today commented on a string of encouraging national rankings for South Carolina’s business climate. Last week, Business Facilities magazine ranked South Carolina Number 1 nationally for “Economic Growth Potential,” Number 4 nationally for “Best Business Climate,” and Number 3 nationally for “Automotive Manufacturing Strength” (http://tinyurl.com/28luxgt). This came only days after South Carolina was again named among the Top 5 Business-Friendly States by Pollina Corp of Chicago (http://tinyurl.com/32o5afv).”Given the challenging economic headwinds felt by many across this state and beyond, these national rankings alongside recent jobs and investment numbers from the South Carolina Department of Commerce are an encouraging sign. So while our state’s jobs picture is still not where we’d like it to be, this national recognition underscores the importance of sustainable spending, low taxes and regulatory reform that will help small businesses * the same small businesses that are key to long-term job creation here in South Carolina.”Specifically, I’d give real credit to Secretary Joe Taylor and his hard-working team at Commerce for their recruitment efforts. Indeed, over the last several months we’ve made six 1,000-plus job announcements * from Boeing in the Lowcountry to Red Ventures in Lancaster and Samsung in the Upstate. We’ve outpaced the competition as well, ranking first in the entire Southeast in 2009 in job recruitment. South Carolina also received the 2009 Silver Shovel Award winner for economic development projects, and won the 2009 Business Facilities Magazine ‘Deal of the Year’ award for Boeing’s arrival. In fact, Boeing’s decision to land in North Charleston last fall marked the largest economic development announcement in state history. And only weeks ago, the German-based BMW-supplier ZF announced plans to invest $350 million and create 900 new jobs in Laurens County * a record for that county as well.”It’s worth noting that our efforts have not only focused on landing the big fish like Boeing, but that we’re also intent on improving workforce training and keeping rural development a priority. Joe and his team deserve recognition here as well, with their efforts proving integral in this year’s ongoing reforms at the Employment Security Commission (now the Department of Employment and Workforce), and his dedication to rural economic development paying dividends * with six recent project announcements in Hampton, Allendale, Bamberg and Barnwell Counties totaling 1,139 new jobs. On the workforce front, we’ve expanded our state’s QuickJobs training program, led the nation by certifying over 100,000 South Carolinians for Career Readiness, and graduated 94 percent of our Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG-SC) students, easily besting the national standard.”Back in October of 2009, when Boeing had just announced it would put a second assembly line in North Charleston, I cautioned that this was no time for South Carolina to rest on its laurels. Instead, we needed to redouble our efforts. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing, and I’m pleased to say we’re continuing to meet with success.”

Mulvaney: “Did John Spratt know this burden was included in the bill when he voted for it? If so, why did he do this to our job creators?”Lancaster, S.C. – State Senator Mick Mulvaney, Republican candidate for Congress (SC-5), today released the following statement regarding the numerous tax provisions – especially the expanded 1099 tax form mandates – within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that are unrelated to health care reform:“Not one single person, including John Spratt, understood how Obamacare was going to affect our country before it was passed. Unfortunately for millions of businesses, charities, and other organizations, they are now realizing that Obamacare includes new tax regulations that will mean more paperwork and higher fees.“By burying struggling businesses under piles of new paperwork and fees with his support for Obamacare, Congressman Spratt has certainly failed the principle medical ethic ‘do no harm.’ As a businessman, I understand that small businesses work hard just to make ends meet. The federal government should be searching for new pro-business, pro-jobs policies, not anti-growth taxes.“Hopefully, Mr. Spratt will inform his constituents that the new ‘1099’ regulations were mistaken, and that he did not intend to lay such expensive fees on the backs of this District’s businesses. But for now, these questions remain unanswered: Did John Spratt know this burden was included in the bill when he voted for it? If so, why did he do this to our job creators?”A 1099 tax form is an informational form used to report types of income other than wages, salaries, and tips. Many businesses must send in thousands of these forms each year already. Furthermore, according to the Internal Revenue Service, these new tax mandates present the following concerns, as well as many more:

A provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), enacted in March of this year, added a new information reporting requirement that may present significant administrative challenges to taxpayers and the IRS. In particular, businesses will have to issue Forms 1099 for goods purchased after 2011, regardless of the corporate form of the vendor. The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate is concerned that the new reporting burden, particularly as it falls on small businesses, may turn out to be disproportionate as compared with any resulting improvement in tax compliance. [Page 21]

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.”