Republicans in the South Carolina House say their agenda for the new year will focus on job creation. House Speaker Bobby Harrell says it’s time to turn the page from the difficult past six months in the state’s history. He says South Carolina’s economy is the biggest issue facing the state for the next few decades.  “We’ve had folks from the business community over the last several months looking at all the economic development statues that are on the books, introducing legislation and making proposed changes, and going through everything, making us more competitive with other states, to recruit businesses from out of state and businesses already in South Carolina to expand,” says Harrell. 

Assistant Majority Leader Bruce Bannister of Greenville says education is a leading item on the Republican agenda because it’s critical to improving the economy.  “Over the years we have built in certain requirements, that they spend money in certain ratios and in certain ways, that from a policy standpoint in Columbia seems like a good idea,” says Bannister.  “But with the tight budget pressures and the issues we’re dealing with now with less money, it’s best to let each school district handle their budget in the best way they can.”  [Read more...]