South Carolina News and Sports
As lawmakers returned to the Statehouse for a few days beginning Tuesday, it was a time for a handful of House members who won’t be returning next year to say their goodbyes. One of those is Lexington County Republican Nikki Haley, who will be in a gubernatorial runoff Tuesday with Gresham Barrett.
AUDIO: Haley saying goodbye (1:32)
House members will spend the day Wednesday dealing with budget vetoes.
As part of their brief return to the Statehouse this week, members of the South Carolina House have voted not to concur with a Senate amendment that would have created transfer fees in real estate deals to benefit developers. According to the proposal, every time a piece of property would be sold, for a period of 99 years following a transaction, one percent of the sale price would be required to be sent back to the property developer.
Horry County Republican Alan Clemmons was clearly not fond of the idea.
AUDIO: Clemmons on transfer fees (1:23)
The House vote was 109-3 against the Senate amendment. The transfer fee deed covenant has been banned in nine states. Realtors associations have given it a thumbs down.
Charleston Republican Chip Limehouse was in favor of the fee. He said he and other realtors he knew were in favor of the proposal.
Monday, State Senator Phil Leventis requested all voting machines used in Tuesday’s primary election be impounded and he called for a full audit. Leventis petitioned the State Election Commission citing the outcome of the primary race in which Alvin Greene won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. In a letter sent to the chairman of the commission, Leventis stated that it had been reported in 25 precints in Spartanburg County where one of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate received more votes than what were actually cast.
Congressman James Clyburn spoke to FOX News Tuesday morning and had this to say about South Carolina’s voting machines.
I think that 49 states have decided that this machine is not reliable and ought not be used for campaigns. Yet, South Carolina –the administration of South Carolina— decided to go down to Louisiana and buy these machines -machines that Louisiana discarded.
The commission said Monday afternoon that there are no plans to impound the voting machines because of the upcoming statewide primary runoff.
