Thursday 05.03.07 we held a press conference offering our proposal for an amendment to Jim Rex’s open enrollment plan. This proposal calls for a limited voucher for children in the following circumstances:
1-at or below 200% poverty level
2-enrolled in a failing public school
3-does not have access to a satisfactory public school

Children is this category will be given a voucher to attend an independent school. The voucher may be as high as $3900 and will come from the state portion of funding. Federal and local funding remains in the local school, so in essence, per pupil funding will increase, giving these failing schools extra funding to improve. Everybody wins!

Also present were members of an organization called Clergy for Educational Options and Senators: Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) Jakie Knotts (R-Lexington) David Thomas (R-Greenville) Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) Danny Verdin (R-Laurens)

On Tuesday 05.08.07 the Senate voted to put the open enrollment bill on special order. This amendment will be offered and hopefully attached to the bill.

Pictured here is the Greenlee family, relatives of PFC Satieon “Tee” Greenlee. Tee, a SFC in the U.S. Army, was from Pendleton and gave his life in Iraq. Words cannot express our gratitude for those that put our freedom over themselves and paid the ultimate sacrifice for this great country. There was a lunch to honor the families of lost veterans in Columbia on Wednesday (05.09.07)

Thursday 05.03.07 we held a press conference offering our proposal for an amendment to Jim Rex’s open enrollment plan. This proposal calls for a limited voucher for children in the following circumstances:
1-at or below 200% poverty level
2-enrolled in a failing public school
3-does not have access to a satisfactory public school

Children is this category will be given a voucher to attend an independent school. The voucher may be as high as $3900 and will come from the state portion of funding. Federal and local funding remains in the local school, so in essence, per pupil funding will increase, giving these failing schools extra funding to improve. Everybody wins!

Also present were members of an organization called Clergy for Educational Options and Senators: Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) Jakie Knotts (R-Lexington) David Thomas (R-Greenville) Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) Danny Verdin (R-Laurens)

On Tuesday 05.08.07 the Senate voted to put the open enrollment bill on special order. This amendment will be offered and hopefully attached to the bill.

Officials at the annual “Hellhole Festival” in Berkeley County have discontinued the tobacco spitting contest. Interestingly, the 1982 record was set by Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley). 25 years ago he hurled a Beachnut wad 27 feet to break the record of Richard Campsen, brother of Sen. Chip Campsen (R-Charleston). Members of the William Wallace Caucus (Verdin, Grooms, Campsen, Bryant) go way back; who would have thunk? Personally, I never cared for Beech-nut, I was a Red Man man, but I have also learned much about the low country redneck.

Officials at the annual “Hellhole Festival” in Berkeley County have discontinued the tobacco spitting contest. Interestingly, the 1982 record was set by Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley). 25 years ago he hurled a Beachnut wad 27 feet to break the record of Richard Campsen, brother of Sen. Chip Campsen (R-Charleston). Members of the William Wallace Caucus (Verdin, Grooms, Campsen, Bryant) go way back; who would have thunk? Personally, I never cared for Beech-nut, I was a Red Man man, but I have also learned much about the low country redneck.