Archive for March, 2008
Monday, March 30, 2008: The LCI subcommittee adopted several amendments that do the following:
Allows for local government to offer tax incentives to those that voluntarily install sprinkler systems. The property tax credit may be as high as 25%. State government will match this local tax credit dollar for dollar. Essentially, the entity installing the sprinkler system could possibly get as much as 1/2 of the costs refunded through tax credits.
Allows for tap fees and other related utility fees to be charged. The fees charged by utilities will have oversight by the Public Service Commission. Until Monday, the bill deleted the ability of utilities to charge maintenance fees and limited tap fees not to exceed ordinary tap fees. This amendment gives utilities more latitude to recover costs associated with the extra expense of providing the necessary volume needed by sprinkler systems, yet calls for checks and balances.
Land, cash donations to support Teacher Renewal Center, youth programs
COLUMBIA – Clemson University and the South Carolina Department of Education Thursday announced a major gift of Upstate forestland and cash to support a new partnership aimed at providing unique professional development opportunities for teachers to renew their enthusiasm for the teaching profession.
Clemson President James F. Barker announced that The Cliffs Communities and its foundations, led by Jim Anthony, will donate $10 million in cash and more than 355 acres of prime real estate in the Jocassee Gorges area of Pickens County to support development of a Teacher Renewal Center – a first-of-its-kind facility in South Carolina. The goal of the center is to enhance the quality of education by helping the state retain its best teachers.
“The Teacher Renewal Center will offer a venue and programming designed to renew teachers’ spirits and celebrate their contributions to our children, to our state and to our nation,” said Anthony, founder and chief executive officer of The Cliffs Communities. “Our Cliffs property owners and associates are honored to be a part of a project that will make a tremendous difference now in the lives of literally thousands of teachers and children in South Carolina, and also for generations to come. Being involved in this initiative is simply the right thing to do.” to see the full press release
His mother is a cosmetologist!
Current law requires any employee of a salon that washes a customers hair must be a licences cosmetologist. I got an e-mail from Representative Ted Vick’s mom the other day:
Dear Senator:
My name is Jan S. Vick. My son is Rep. Ted Vick. I would like to ask you to please pass Bill H 3803, concerning “unlicensed persons being able to shampoo hair under the supervision of a licensed cosmetologist”.
I have been a hairdresser for the past 24 years. Many of those years, I have hired a “technician” to assist me in this manner. Unfortunately, the person had to be a licensed cosmetologist, just to shampoo hair. It has been very hard to find someone to fill this position.
This would be a great opportunity…to encourage others to go into this field of work.
Thousands of jobs can be created in SC, if this legislation passes, and this poor “tired” hairdresser, would certainly appreciate the help!
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
God bless,
Jan S. Vick
H. 3803 eliminates this requirement. I can’t believe the SC House passed legislation that actually removes a regulation. As it goes, even a blind hog can find an acorn every once in a while!
Senate Judiciary Approves State Spending Limit Legislation
Columbia, SC - The Senate Judiciary Committee today gave unanimously approved legislation establishing a new formula limiting state spending. Senate President Pro Tempore, Senator Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston), introduced the historic legislation as a way to curb state spending and stabilize the budget in years of economic downturns.
“The Budget Stabilization Fund will take the State off the financial roller coaster that affects the budget on an annual basis and prevent run-a-way spending,” says Senator McConnell. “This spreads the money out so that our growth and the handling of finances represents the 10 year average of annual growth increases. I’d also like to point out that there is nothing in the legislation that would prevent the General Assembly from spending less money.”
The implementing legislation (S.1220)
“This is perhaps the most important piece of legislation, in regards to the budget, that I have seen in the 24 years that I have been here,” says Dr. William Gillespie, chief economist for the state’s Board of Economic Advisors.
The legislation passed today is a result of more than 12 months of work by a special bi-partisan Spending Caps Study Committee, which has worked closely with Dr. Gillespie to create a spending limit that will create real financial accountability for state government. The two bills will now head to the full Senate for consideration. The constitutional amendment could be on the ballot in November if the House gives the bill priority status and moves it through the legislative process.
Medical Affairs sub-committee passed an amendment I introduced to S. 1156
2-I have more faith in SC’s druggists that I do the General Assembly. The corner druggist is much more capable in determining how many techs he/she wants to staff than the Legislature.
3-Registered Pharmacy techs are in short supply. If we don’t enact this legislation, pharmacies will be limited in how many techs to hire, therefore, they will be understaffed, therefore, over burdened, therefore, open to more mistakes. My ratio actually protects the public more than a more stringent ratio.
4-Registered technicians are in high demand. Since the registered technician has more education and responsibilities, they have a greater chance of being hired even though the pay is usually better. My preference would be to staff more registered techs for this reason, but there are not enough available at this time.
A good friend of mine, Barb Barnham, asked me to post this request:
This email is from the disaster staff at our Anderson Red Cross office, where I am a volunteer. Getting a donated van would enhance our ability to respond to events in the region tremendously. If you can take the time to add a comment on this link, it might help us to get this donated van. THANKS! Barb Barham
Hi everyone!
Anderson County. The project request is posted on the grant website and we have the option to ask volunteers, community partners, etc to go to the website using the link below and make comments of support.
My Hometown Helper- Hometown Project
“I believe Jesus was a great moral teacher, but I can’t accept His claim to be God.” Have you ever heard a statement like that…or perhaps said something similar yourself?
Listen as C.S. Lewis probes the greatest decision of life.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: Or else He is a madman…or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.
Liar: Jesus knew he wasn’t God, but said so
Lord: Jesus Christ is everything he says he is
Lunatic: Jesus thought he was God, and pretended to be so
Who is the living Son of God to you?
Warning: this video contains graphic details of Jesus Christ’s sufferings set to P.O.D.’s Portrait
Wednesday, March 19th: It was great to see two classes from Anderson’s Calhoun Academy of the Arts. Calhoun Academy of the Arts is an Arts magnet school with exceptional reputation in cultivating the talents of these fine young people. Thanks for coming!
Below is text from a MSN article:
By Abby Ellin of MSN money (edited)
Faiths usually offer parents very clear direction on child-rearing. Premarital sex, for instance? That’s pretty much a no-no, no matter what deity you worship. Dietary rules can also be pretty straightforward — no pork for Muslims and Jews, no beef for Hindus.
But when it comes to money, the picture is cloudier. What does the Bible actually say about money? Does God want us to own a fleet of yachts? Or does he think suffering and hardship is noble? 
Does God want your kid to be rich?
Happily, the consensus among most religious leaders seems to be that the Almighty does not want you to live off food stamps and is quite happy for you to drive a Porsche. But Scriptures say that a portion of your earnings should be returned through gifts to charity and offerings to the church — what some denominations call tithing.
Cantor Erik L. Contzius, of Temple Israel in New Rochelle, N.Y., is trying to instill these lessons in his 6-year-old son. Whenever the boy goes to Hebrew school, Contzius hands him a dollar to put in the tzedakah box for charity. Thou shalt not hoard your money
“If we teach it at a very young age to give, hopefully it will stick,” Contzius says.
Carolyn Castleberry, a writer in Virginia Beach, Va., talks about this idea in her series of financial-empowerment books for women, based on Biblical principles.
“Proverbs 31 has been held up as a standard,” says Castleberry, a mother of two who also writes a newsletter called “The Proverbs 31 Investor.” The Old Testament passage — which describes a virtuous woman as having a price “above rubies” — is “about a woman who is a businessperson, a wife, she has a family, but she became an investor,” Castleberry explains. What the Bible teaches
“She knew how to create passive income, she was a real-estate investor — so she was providing for her family and also for generations, so she’s a role model.”
According to Castleberry, the Bible addresses the topic of money more than any other issue — more than 2,000 passages discuss it. The No. 1 rule? “To tithe or give back,” she says, quoting Malachi 3:10: “Bring to me the first of your possessions and I’ll open up the skies of heaven.”
The Bible also admonishes us to be good stewards of money (although here Christianity and Judaism differ from Islam, which forbids interest accrual).
A parable from Matthew discusses a boss who gave his three employees a certain amount of money.
So far here are the candidates that have filed for the upcoming elections.
Anderson County Council
District 1: Brooks Brown(R), Bob Waldrep(R), incumbent
SC House of Representatives
SC Senate:
District 3: Kevin L. Bryant(R), incumbent
District 4: Billy O’Dell(R), incumbent
There is a public hearing on the proposed Landfill on Tuesday, March 18th at 6:30 at Wren High School. Unfortunately, I will be in Columbia as the Senate will be in session. I have been working diligently with Councilman Ron Wilson, Representative Dan Cooper, and officials at the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Members of the Anderson County Legislative Delegation are trying our best to defeat the Hamlin Road Landfill Application simply because our community should not be blemished with this type of development. Also, there are environmental as well as economic problems with a landfill in this location.
The initial application was denied by DHEC based on several reasons. Since that time, environmental concerns regarding the wetlands have arisen from the US Corp of Engineers. DHEC’s denial was over-ruled by the Administrative Law Judge because of the inconsistency in Anderson County’s Solid Waste Plan.
Listed below are several different approaches that could prevent the Hamlin Road Landfill Application from being approved and the local legislative delegation are committed to working toward a resolution that is in the best interest of the citizens that call this area home.
· Councilman Wilson is working with the staff of Anderson County to address the concerns of the Administrative Law Judge.
· Zoning is another option, but the community is generally against zoning for obvious property rights infringements.
· Existing regulations require a 1,000-foot buffer from any residence for this type of landfill. The applicant obtained a right of way (easement) from a property owner closer to the site, but that owner has since moved and we understand that the new owner is not in agreement with the right of way.
· I have introduced two pieces of legislation in the SC Senate. S.1173, a Joint Resolution, calls for a statewide moratorium on landfill applications, however, this bill has met resistance from legislators in other areas in the state. The moratorium will be effective on existing applications that are pending before the department. Representative Cooper has introduced a companion bill in the SC House of Representatives, H.4762. Another bill I’ve introduced S.1173, also a Joint Resolution, will apply to the Hamlin Road Landfill only, but, there are constitutional problems with this approach.
It is my hope that this issue can be addressed in a way that will best serve the residents of the area.
On Monday, March 17th we had a great reception at the Corner Bagel Shop to kick off our re-election campaign. Approximately 150 of our supporters were in attendance. Since I became a candidate in 2003, I’ve never seen so much enthusiasm for reform as I witnesses Monday night. Folks are frustrated with our government and are they demanding reform, transparency and accountability. I was also excited to have a surprise appearance by our Congressman, Gresham Barrett (pictured below)! Senator Jim DeMint was not able to attend, but sent an encouraging note as well as Governor Mark Sanford (Click here to see Gov’s letter)
SC Senator Kevin Bryant (R-Anderson) announced today his intentions to seek re-election for second term. Sen. Bryant also offers an open invitation to a reception, free of charge. The re-election kick-off will be at the Corner Bagel Shop in Anderson at 6pm on Monday, March 
17th. Those wishing to attend may RSVP at www.kevinbryant.com
Bryant plans to continue his march toward reform. “We’ve seen some progress in Columbia over the last four years, but we’ve also seen a lot of resistance to change. The good-ole-boy system is a monster, and we’ve been rattling its cage.”
Bryant also made comments on some achievements. “I have been proud to contribute to victory on a number of issues such as defining marriage in our Constitution, getting tough with child predators, combating wasteful spending and returning more money to you-the folks who earned it in the first place.”
to: South Carolina Taxpayers
from: South Carolina General Assembly
message: don’t even think about trying to escape
Governor Sanford recently signed legislation that will allow small businesses to pool together to purchase competitive health insurance. Traditionally, small businesses have been crippled in efforts to offer their employees health insurance because of the high costs of purchasing insurance in small numbers. The general rule is that a group with a larger number of participants can purchase insurance less expensively than smaller groups. This legislation is intended to help small businesses in many ways. It makes it easier for them to assist their employees with exorbitant healthcare costs. Also, this allows the “little guy” to attract quality personnel necessary to compete in the ever-changing global market. Small businesses are our economy’s backbone; employing approximately 70% of our citizens.
Here is an excerpt from the Department of Insurance’s plan as to how they will implement the new law:
An entity interested in serving as a cooperative shall submit an application to the South Carolina Department of Insurance for approval. The following information must be attached to the application for review: 1) a business plan; 2) biographical affidavits of the board of directors; 3) operating bylaws; 4) evidence of financial security; 5) membership criteria; 6) management agreements; 7) evidence of approval by the Secretary of State’s Office; and 8) any other information deemed necessary for the Department to appropriately evaluate the application. In considering the application, the Department will evaluate whether the business plan and other application and organizational documents comply with applicable state and federal law.
Details will soon follow on the Department’s Website
Senator Kevin Bryant
Re-Election Kickoff
The Corner Bagel Shop……………Monday, March 17 @ 6pm
715 East Greenville Street….rsvp kevin@kevinbryant.com
Anderson, South Carolina……………………………..casual dress
We are still on H. 3427. A cloture vote failed, so Sen. Luke Rankin maintains the floor with his educational session (filibuster). There has been an interesting discussion on this topic, so join in! H. 3427, is a bill that states South Carolina will no longer recognize common law marriages. This debate has raised several questions from all political directions.
The Libertarian will ask why does a couple need to seek permission from government to get married? Why does a couple need a permit from big bro for marriage?
A flaming liberal will whine, why can’t we allow those that love each other to be married? One man & one woman, man & man, woman & woman, 2 men & 4 women, a house cat & a woman & her sister, 3 men and a cow…I don’t have the room on this site to give all of their perverted examples.
A fiscal conservative is concerned with the burden common law marriage puts on our Probate and Family courts. For Example: A couple cohabitates for 10 years and one partner dies. The part of the family with the most to gain claims them married. The side with the most to lose declares they were never married. Our probate courts are bogged down with these kinds of common law cases.
A social conservative will argue this point: Out of respect for the Creator’s most sacred institution, H. 3427 strengthens marriage, society’s foundational establishment. God even uses marriage to define the relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. Government must honor marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
Because of my fiscal & social conservative leanings, I plan to support H. 3427, but my Libertarian streak does agree with the points made by those opposed to it. Your thoughts?
The list of holders of Concealed Weapon Permits is public knowledge. The state keeps a database of these CWP holders and is required to give this information out when a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request is given.
H. 3528 is a bill that will make the database of permit holders private.
Last week, The State Newspaper printed a list of Legislators that may carry a concealed weapon. Personally, I don’t mind my name being
published, but the privacy should be protected of our citizens permitted to carry a handgun. H. 3528 passed the Senate with amendments last week. Hopefully, the bill will get to the Governor’s desk for his pen.
Legislators who can pack heat
S.C. lawmakers who either have concealed weapons permits or can carry concealed weapons because they’re retired law-enforcement officers. This information was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
House: Paul Agnew, D-Abbeville; Jimmy Bales, D-Richland; Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville; Robert Brown, D-Charleston; Alan Clemmons, R-Horry; Bill Clyburn, D-Aiken; Ralph Davenport Jr., R-Spartanburg; Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens; Marion Frye, R-Lexington; Laurie Funderburk, D-Kershaw; Mike Gambrell, R-Anderson; Chip Limehouse III, R-Charleston; Lanny Littlejohn, R-Spartanburg; Dwight Loftis, R-Greenville; Joseph Mahaffey, R-Spartanburg; James Merrill, R-Berkeley; Dennis Moss, D-Cherokee (retired S.C. Highway Patrol); Phil Owens, R-Pickens; Michael Pitts, R-Laurens (retired law-enforcement officer); Ted Pitts, R-Lexington; Rex Rice, R-Pickens; Bill Sandifer, R-Oconee; Wallace Scarborough, R-Charleston; Bakari Sellers, D-Bamberg; Phillip Shoopman, R-Greenville; Gary Simrill, R-York; Garry Smith, R-Greenville; Jim Stewart, R-Aiken; Mac Toole, R-Lexington; David Umphlett, R-Berkeley
Senate: Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson; Chip Campsen, R-Charleston; Catherine Ceips, R-Beaufort; John Courson, R-Richland; Ronnie Cromer, R-Newberry; Jake Knotts, R-Lexington (retired law-enforcement officer); Glenn Reese, D-Spartanburg
Ya’ll may know my problems with Big Brother’s databases from previous posts.
To: Media
Re: Bryant announces re-election campaign & free reception
SC Senator Kevin Bryant (R-Anderson) announced today his intentions to seek re-election for second term. Sen. Bryant also offers an open invitation to a reception, free of charge. The re-election kick-off will be at the Corner Bagel Shop in Anderson at 6pm on Monday, March 17th . Those wishing to attend may RSVP at http://www.kevinbryant.com/
Bryant plans to continue his march toward reform. “We’ve seen some progress in Columbia over the last four years, but we’ve also seen a lot of resistance to change. The good-ole-boy system is a monster, and we’ve been rattling its cage.”
Bryant also made comments on some achievements. “I have been proud to contribute to victory on a number of issues such as defining marriage in our Constitution, getting tough with child predators, combating wasteful spending and returning more money to you-the folks who earned it in the first place.”
A high resolution portrait of Sen. Bryant is available at:
http://www.kevinbryant.info/media.htm
104-A North Avenue * Anderson, SC 29625 * c.864.202.8394 * kevin@kevinbryant.com
Paid for by Bryant for Senate
amended fire sprinkler bill
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