Headlines from the SC State Capitol:
Gov. Nikki Haley points to the growth in the Senate budget vs. the House version during a press conference Tuesday
–Most of the attention throughout the week will be on the Senate budget debate, as lawmakers there will debate a $6.1 billion General Fund. Gov. Nikki Haley stepped into the debate herself Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to include $93 million in tax cuts as part of the final plan. Haley said the budget was over $400 million more than her office first proposed. Senate leaders resisted, saying the budget already includes more than $752 million in tax relief.
–The House Ethics Committee has called a meeting Friday to rehear a complaint against Gov. Nikki Haley. The panel dismissed the complaint filed by Republican activist John Rainey two weeks ago. At the time, committee members found “probable cause” (a move which made their investigation public for the first time), but moments later voted 5-1 to dismiss the charges. Rep. James Smith (D-Columbia) filed a resolution Tuesday asking that the committee reconsider the complaint.
–The South Carolina Republican Party will hear from five candidates who were removed from next month’s primary ballots. SCGOP Executive Director Matt Moore told South Carolina Radio Network that those five cases were “extraordinary” and deserved a chance of appeal. At least two of those candidates appealing said they were only following instructions from party officials when they violated the law. The Supreme Court ruled candidates who did not file their financial paperwork and candidacy forms simultaneously were not allowed to be certified.
