From the daily archives:

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A federal court ruled Tuesday that a Christian license plate is unconstitutional. The “I Believe” specialty plate features a yellow cross and stained-glass window.

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie said in her ruling that the license plate was unconstitutional because it violates a constitutional ban on establishment of religion.

The measure was brought up in the South Carolina statehouse after similar legislation failed to pass Florida lawmakers.

Groups including Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee challenged the plate. Judge Currie ordered the state to cover the legal expenses of those groups.

Americans United Executive Director Rev. Barry Lynn says that some South Carolina officials appeared to want to use religion as a political football. [click to continue…]

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BEA: Revenue projection down, unemployment likely to worsen

by William Christopher 11/10/09 10:06 PM

It was not a pretty picture painted by the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors Tuesday. State government faces yet another drop in revenue this year, according to projections. This fiscal year ends June 30th, 2010. The Board is now projecting a two percent revenue drop, $5.75 billion to $5.619 billion.
Board Chair John Rainey says [...]

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Health care bill closes Medicare “donut hole” in coverage

by Ashley Byrd 11/10/09 7:46 PM

AARP South Carolina says that health care reform must include closing what is known as the Medicare “donut hole.”The Medicare drug benefit, known as Medicare Part D, created an awkward gap in benefits, explains Teresa Arnold of AARP South Carolina.
“You would pay a premium, pay for your insurance, but the coverage would only go up [...]

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Identity theft through “Mailboxin” is federal crime

by Susan Trautsch 11/10/09 4:41 PM

An activity described as “mailboxin’” has landed three defendants in jail. Described as stealing checks and personal identification information to open bank accounts, obtain checks on the new accounts and cash them at area merchants, “mailboxin’” is a federal offense.
Holly Sturkey, age 32, of North Myrtle Beach, Brandon Ramon Ledesma, age 24, or Gallivants Ferry, [...]

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Securing accurate population counts important

by Tom Hayes 11/10/09 2:47 PM

The nation’s next census count is in 2010 and a number of minority groups and communities have expressed a concern about a possible undercount. The federal government doles out over $400 billion dollars a year for schools, health care services, scholarships, and other services to various communities and groups based on population. An undercount could [...]

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