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Medicaid provider rates soon to be cut

March 31, 2011 by

The Legislature will soon allow the state’s Medicaid agency to lower the amount it pays hospitals to treat Medicaid patients. The House voted 67-45 Thursday to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to reduce provider rates for hospitals.

Democrats opposed the bill, saying it would hurt rural hospitals already struggling in the red. Rep. Jerry Govan (D-Orangeburg) said the legislature should have accepted an offer by hospitals to pay higher taxes instead.

This is not a win for patients, but a potential disaster for the state. These are the people who are in the business of taking care of us. They’re saying that this move doesn’t make sense. We should recognize and respect that.

However, Republicans opposed raising the taxes out of fear the hospitals would just pass along the extra cost to patients.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Harpootlian wants to lead state Democratic Party again

March 31, 2011 by

A familiar face in South Carolina politics, Richard (Dick)  Harpootlian this afternoon announced his bid for chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. He also pledged to only serve a single, two-year term.  In a press release, Harpootlian said:

I’m outraged that Republicans like Nikki Haley and Ken Ard continue to get away with not telling the truth and breaking the law. Voters need to realize that if they don’t like government it’s because they don’t like Republican government.

My commitment to the Democratic Party is to take no prisoners in holding Nikki Haley, Ken Ard and the Republican establishment accountable for their record of failure. And I have a record of doing exactly that.

Harpootlian is a frequent commentator on Fox News, providing the liberal perspective to national stories. He led the South Carolina Democratic Party from 1998 to 2003.

He says Congressman James Clyburn has endorsed him for SCDP chairman.  The statewide Democratic convention is April 30 in Columbia.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

Haley: Benefactors should not serve on university boards (AUDIO)

March 31, 2011 by

It’s been about three weeks since Governor Nikki Haley replaced Lake City financier Darla Moore on the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. The move was met with protests by USC students and alumni upset that the school’s largest benefactor was bounced from the board.

 In a interview Wednesday with Columbia affiliate WVOC, Haley says she handled the situation as best she could. Haley says she has the utmost respect for Moore, but she needed to replace her with someone more compatible with her agenda for higher education in the state.

Gov. Jim Hodges, a Democrat, appointed Moore to the USC Board in 1999. Moore has pledged $75 million to USC in her life, which includes a gift of $5 million announced after she was removed from the board. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government

Senate passes ban on I-95 speed cameras

March 31, 2011 by

After much debate, the Senate has passed a bill to ban the use of speed cameras on I-95 in Ridgeland. Berkeley Senator Larry Grooms says the speed cameras, placed on a 7-mile stretch of I-95 in Ridgeland, make South Carolina stand out as a “speed-trap,” causing some to not want to travel through the state.

However, those in favor say the cameras save lives, as well as cut down on the amount of vehicles speeding through the area. AAA Carolinas was in favor of the cameras and said they were working because of the statistics showing no deaths since the cameras were installed. Grooms’ bill, now passed in the Senate, would stop the town from issuing tickets for those caught on camera.

The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government, Transportation

Campbell says SC should create more energy

March 31, 2011 by

The Senate may have a lot on its plate this session, but one issue that a Lowcountry senator stands firm on is how increasing the state’s electric power output could help solve some other problems and create jobs at the same time. On SCETV’s “This Week in the Senate” Berkeley Senator Paul Campbell said South Carolina needs to get to work on obtaining more nuclear energy.

We can get that a little bit with wind, a little bit with biomass, a little bit with natural gas and a little bit with conservation efficiency. Every time you replace an appliance, refrigerator, dishwasher, a dryer or clothes washer, you are going to become more energy independent. So, we can pick up 1,000 or so megawatts on efficiency or energy, we can pick up maybe 1,000 or so on wind, we can probably pick up close to 1,000 on biomass, but it’s going to take a system in place to get that ready. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Environment & Conservation, News, Politics & Government
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