South Carolina News and Sports
Lawmakers killed an increase in court fees, but pulled foward a requirement for fire sprinklers, and a cigarette tax hike became history. William Christopher looks at this past week at the Statehouse.
(Voices from the Statehouse MP3 1:36)
5legwrapMAY14
(This is a regular political feature of SCRN)
Luke Towery briefs debate candidates
The Myrtle Beach Tea Party hosted a debate for Congressional District One candidates with six of them showing up to try to distinguish themselves from the crowded field of 13. It was a take-turn question and answer session, with some of the questions being called out from the audience of about 300 people. The topics were national policy: from immigration to bank bail-outs.
Luke Towery, the Myrtle Beach Tea Party spokesman, says that all 13 candidates were asked to appear, no matter the party:
Our objective is to help restore our Constitutional republic to the core principles envisioned by our founding fathers. And along that line, having efforts like this where the general public get to come out and hear the candidates, talk with them face-to-face helps to further that cause. I can’t tell you, as I was meeting people as they were leaving tonight, how many people said, “I would have never known who these candidates were if you didn’t have these types of events.”
The Myrtle Beach group has been holding a series of such debates and events. A run-off is expected in this race. Thursday night, the Myrtle Beach group took a straw poll among its almost 200 participants — to gauge who was their favorite candidate for the First Congressional District. [Read more...]
Rep. Nikki Haley
The Nikki Haley campaign for governor has announced that the Statehouse steps will be the setting of the highly-publicized appearance of Sarah Palin tonight. She is flying to Columbia to endorse Haley.
This news sent organizers scrambling last night to reschedule a town hall meeting in Myrtle Beach set for tonight at the Sheraton Convention Center. Former first lady Jenny Sanford was to appear on Haley’s behalf.
Thursday night at a Myrtle Beach Tea Party-sponsored congressional debate, the Palin appearance was announced with great excitement. ”This just reinforces our endorsement of Haley as our candidate for governor,” says Luke Towery, Myrtle Beach Tea Party organizer. This week, the group voted to formally endorse her and has been publicizing her planned appearance. Haley flyers and buttons were scattered throughout the audience.
Sixth District Congressman Jim Clyburn will host the first I-95 Corridor Summit this Saturday. Congressman Clyburn says this will be the first in a series of summits engaging elected officials from both parties, along with economic development leaders and local officials. The topic: building regional relationships to improve conditions, in what has been dubbed, for better or worse, the corridor of shame.
The corridor down this highly-travelled Interstate has been the topic of documentaries, mentioned in the president’s State of the Union speech and polarizing issue in recent state funding debates.
The half-day meeting focuses on the 17 counties connected with I-95.
Senator Hugh Leatherman and Senator Phil Leventis will be on hand to provide an update on the I-95 Corridor Authority Act currently before the General Assembly. The schedule also lists panels on energy and health care. The event will be held at Lake Marion High School in Santee.
