William Christopher looks at this past week at the South Carolina legislature.
(Sounds from the Statehouse MP3 1:46)
5legwrap5MAR
(This is a regular political feature of SCRN)
Voices from the Statehouse 3-5-10 (Audio)
March 5, 2010 By
Eckstrom: Economy may have not yet bottomed (Audio)
March 5, 2010 By
When the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisers meets it may have reason for further lowering the state’s revenue projection. Comptroller Richard Eckstrom announced on Friday that state revenue is down 6.4 percent compared with last year, and the state took in almost $66 million less revenue during February than it did in February 2009.
Eckstrom says while the Board of Economic Advisers had predicted February would be a tough month, the revenue drop was worse than expected by everyone. He says he has sent letters to budget writers in the General Assembly, who are currently putting together a spending plan for next fiscal year.
Eckestrom’s economic outlook isn’t pretty and he advises state agencies to set some money back because he says the decline in revenues is not over. He says February may be an indication that the economy has not yet even reached bottom. He advises budget writers to be extremely conservative.
We talked to Eckstrom from Washington where he’s meeting with stimulus leaders at the White House.
(Eckstrom on revenue MP3 3:04)
Eckstrom on revenue
Graham: Moving 9-11 suspects to military court is a good start
March 5, 2010 By
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is glad to hear that the president’s advisors may recommend military prosecution for Khalid Sheikh Mohammad of the 9/11 attacks. Graham has been fighting the White House on this issue for months.
“To people on the right, who espouse torture and doing away with the Geneva Convention, that hurts the war effort. There’s a better way and I think Khalid Sheikh Mohammad being brought back into military trial is a good start to find a way forward,” says Graham. [Read more...]
Sanford appoints Blackley as Spartanburg Clerk of Court
March 5, 2010 By
Spartanburg County has a new clerk of court. Governor Mark Sanford named Spartanburg native Hope Blackley to the position Friday, saying:
The fact that she has been to so many clerk’s offices across the state might give her an advantage to better manage things in this office.
Blackley, who has been working as Sanford’s crime victims ombudsman, says,
I feel very honored. And I will insure that we have accountability, transparency and reform in this office. My goal is to make sure that you have confidence and trust in this office.
Blackley replaces Marc Kitchens who resigned in February after being arrested on federal drug charges.
Drake ends campaign for governor
March 5, 2010 By
Columbia attorney/Statehouse lobbyist Dwight Drake released the following statement regarding his gubernatorial campaign(from press release):
“Today I am announcing that I am withdrawing from the campaign for South Carolina Governor.
“I got into this race because I believed that South Carolina’s families deserved much more than they were getting from their Governor. We are facing the toughest times in a generation, and we can only take that on with dedicated, experienced leadership that is focused on putting our people back to work and building a better future for our kids. I have ambitious ideas for getting our state back on track, and I have the knowledge and experience to put those ideas into action.
“But a statewide campaign for office is not just about these things. It also requires resources – campaign dollars to run in a competitive primary and in a competitive general election.
“I am deeply grateful for – and humbled by – the support I have received from my fellow South Carolinians in the seven months since I began my campaign. As I have put pen to paper in recent days, it’s become clear to me that I am not going to be able to marshal the resources needed to run the competitive, substantive campaign that I set out to run.
“I have spent most of my life working to make South Carolina a better place to live, work, and raise a family, and I have done that without ever holding elective office. So, while I withdraw from this race for Governor, I will not withdraw from my commitment to our state.
“I have been blessed and honored by my experience in this campaign – most especially by the good, hard-working people all over our state that I have met and talked with. Now is the time when South Carolina needs its strongest leaders, both inside and outside of government, to do the hard work of rebuilding our economy and setting things right. I intend to do just that.”
