State Sen. Phil Leventis (D-Sumter) has confirmed that this year will be his last in the Senate.

Leventis said Friday that he will not run for reelection in November. He has spent 32 years in the Capitol.

He is an Air Force and Air National Guard veteran who flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf in 1991 while still a member of the General Assembly. He also served as a Brigadier General in the National Guard at McEntire Air Force Base. He currently works as an aviation consultant.

Leventis told The State newspaper that his proudest accomplishments include stopping large hog farms from building in South Carolina, improving aid for military families, and working to spur redevelopment in Sumter and Lee counties.

He ran for lieutenant governor in 2002, but was defeated in the general election by Andre Bauer.

Transportation Secretary Robert St. Onge (File)

–On Thursday, Governor Nikki Haley signed into law legislation that formally creates the Office of the State Inspector General. While senators were debating the new office last year, Haley created the position by an executive order. However, director James Martin was only able to look for waste, fraud, and abuse in Cabinet agencies. The new law expands that oversight to all of state government.

–Legislators in both houses took up the issue of reforming the Department of Transportation (DOT). A House panel advanced legislation that would dissolve the commission which approves road construction projects and instead put DOT under control of the Transportation Secretary… Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Robert St. Onge told senators he would okay with keeping with the commission, so long as they stopped “micromanaging” the agency.

–The Senate unanimously passed a bill that allows SLED to use “Blue Alerts” to warn the public about an at-large suspect who shot a police officer. It would be similar to the “Amber Alerts” that SLED uses for abducted children. The Senate altered the bill slightly, so it requires another vote by the House before heading to the governor’s desk.

–By a vote of 34-3, the Senate also passed a bill by Rep. Dwight Loftis (R-Greenville) that would extend job tax credits to biotechnology research firms, as well as companies that do “infrastructure improvements.” The Senate made the qualifications to receive the credits slightly tougher than the original House version. The bill now heads back to the House for their approval.

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Governor Nikki Haley signed into law Thursday morning a measure that formally creates a watchdog agency to be known as the Office of the State Inspector General.

Inspector Gen. James Martin

The mission of the office is to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse in state government. Haley created the position of Inspector General by executive order back in March. Jim Martin, who was appointed to the post in June, says the law gives the office more clout by granting the use of subpoena power. 

The law puts the duties and authority of the Inspector General into state law. The first inspector general, George Schroeder, left seven weeks after being named to the position after expressing concerns about the operation’s independence. At the time, he said a law would clear up staffing and administrative questions.

Martin says, during the eight months he has been at the post, his office has successfully handled 101 cases with a staff of four people, including himself. The additional personnel are two auditor investigators and an administrative assistant. Martin says the new, expanded power will translate into a larger caseload and adds he expects that the number of staff in his office will grow as the caseload expands.

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