The utility sent someone to the residence but, after a knock on the door brought no answer, Allen said the worker left a card then walked to the side of the house to cut off the power. The customer’s reclusive nature meant she was not found until days later.

Allen said he wants to make sure that does not happen again.

He introduced a bill last year that would offer additional protections for Alzheimer’s patients, requiring utilities to classify them as “special needs account customers.” The bill would require the patient’s health provider to certify that the person suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Once that happens, the utility would have to notify a third party before cutting off service due to nonpayment.

The bill unanimously passed both the House last year and the Senate this year. It now only needs the governor’s signature to become law.

“Alzheimer’s is a very debilitating disease and they cannot protect themselves,” Allen said, “So they need a voice.”

Current law already requires the special needs accounts for cases when shutting off the power would be dangerous for the customer’s health.

Allen said most of the state’s utilities support the measure and are educating their members about the need for the special accounts.

Carissa Moore demonstrates Wire EDM metal cutting machine for governor during tour of Midlands Tech

The state will be using a uniform, statewide measure for skilled labor to fulfill the hiring needs of new companies. Gov. Nikki Haley announced that the state was chosen to partner with vocational testing and certification group ACT, Inc.

South Carolina was one of four states to win a grant from ACT, which will be used to measure and match worker skills with jobs. The state workforce agency will partner with counties, schools, agencies and technical colleges to put into place the  ”Certified Work Ready Communities Academy.”

Gov. Haley announced the project at Midlands Tech in Columbia today

Dr. Marshall “Sonny” White, Midlands Technical College president has been working with the governer’s office to apply for this grant which will help the state streamline all of its job training and testing services.

AUDIO: He gave a specific example of how workers need specific skills (:26)

ACT and the state will pay for the worker training and testing.

Governor Haley says this is part three of her business plan for the state: recruit companies, reduce regulations and laws that block business,  and bridge the gap between available jobs and trained workers.

The ACT is a well-known high school skills test– and the company does many kinds of testing and measurement.

The company’s president, Martin Scaglione joined Gov. Haley for the announcement. He says ACT will help improve South Carolina’s standing by “embedding ACT’s diagnostic tool kit into the workforce initiative” for the state.

Officials say together, agncies and ACT will devise a “dashboard” tool to measure the state’s training and skills.

The project will begin next week, says General Abe Turner, State Workforce and Employment Director. A team of state leaders will take part in a 12-month training on how this all will work.

AUDIO: Gov. Haley says this offers new hope for the state’s families (:16)

State Sen. Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston)

State Senate President pro tempore Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston) was hospitalized earlier this month after he became ill from insect bites on his neck.

McConnell told Charleston affiliate WTMA that after a thorough examination, doctors determined the bites were from a tick and that he was suffering complications from the bites because he also has asthma.

“Normally anybody who would get that bite would shake off the Ehrichiosis virus in a couple of weeks. You might get some fever, whatever,” McConnell said, “The problem I have is that the asthma medicine I took the week after Christmas opens a gateway for it.”

McConnell says he developed fluid in his lungs and around his heart over the last few weeks, which could have been fatal if it had not been treated.

“The sack of fluid was forming around (my) heart which could have caused congestive heart failure,” he told WTMA, “I dodged a bullet there, and the treatments I’m taking, doctors tell me, everywhere around the world they’ve never been unsuccessful in knocking it out.”

McConnell is currently out of the hospital and says he’s confident in his recovery. He says he’s anxious to get back to work in the state Senate, but he doesn’t know when that will be.

Sheree Bernardi of Charleston affiliate WTMA contributed to this report

Rep. Nathan Ballentine (R-Chapin) said the idea behind the bill was to make sure the southern rivalry continues to happen amidst a growing fear that new conference alignments may end one of the longest running rivalries in the nation.

Controversy surrounds the situation from all sides as some believe a law should be put into place to keep the game safe, while others think the government should have no input within college sports. Then, there are those in between who don’t want the rivalry to end, but also don’t want the government to intervene.

South Carolina Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell spoke with South Carolina Radio Network’s SportsTalk program Wednesday night. Harrell explained why he opposed the bill.

“I think we have a lot more important things we need to be taking up to be perfectly blunt about it,” Harrell said, “When you talk about government getting involved in things, we’ve got an unemployment rate that’s over 9 percent…we have so many important things to do.”

State Rep. Mike Anthony (D-Union) also spoke on SportsTalk Wednesday. He told the network it was a tough situation for the state legislature because the rivalry is such a touchy subject in South Carolina.

“I don’t like the government’s intrusion into this, but at the same time if I had my “druthers,” I’d like to force them (Clemson-USC) to play the first game and the last game,” said Anthony.

It is still in the plans for USC to play Clemson next year, but with new teams joining the Southeastern Conference, like Texas A&M, no can be sure how the schedules will work out in the future.

South Carolina Radio Network’s Tripp Girardeau contributed to this report

The House passed the bill 86-25 Wednesday (File)

Rep. David Mack (D-North Charleston) said it’s just another attempt to minimize organized labor in one of the least-unionized states in the country. “How punitive do we have to be?” he asked rhetorically from the House floor, “Every year why do we have to literally pile on as relates to working people in the state of South Carolina?”

Sandifer says the bill is not anti-union and is meant to protect both union and non-union employees. “The bill says there can be no discrimination. None,” he told South Carolina Radio Network, “By the union, by the employer, nothing. It’s very clear that this is not an anti-union bill at all.”

Sandifer said he drafted the bill last year as a way to clean up some of the state’s “right-to-work” laws.

12 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. It now heads to the Senate.

SC Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal addresses the General Assembly Wednesday

–The House passed a bill that tightens up the state’s “right to work” laws by an 86-25 vote. Among other things, the bill would require unions to submit detailed financial data to the state’s labor agency. Republicans say the bill helps businesses by fining unions that violate state “right to work” laws. Some Democrats say it is unnecessary as South Carolina’s laws are already stacked against unions. 12 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, however.

Barbara Zia, co-president of the League of Women Voters of SC, speaks out against H.4549 Wednesday

Rep. Alan Clemmons (R-Myrtle Beach) is sponsoring the bill. He says it is meant to protect a potential voter from having their registration information misused by these groups.

“It’s like giving them the key to your ballot box, your ability to vote,” Clemmons said, “When that happens, there should be accountability with regard to turning those forms in to make sure that that voter is going to be able to vote.”

The measure would require a group doing a third-party registration to sign up through the state Elections Commission. It also would also set a $50 fine for each name gathered but not reported to the Commission within 48 hours of the drive. That fine could go up to $1,000 for each name not submitted by the election’s deadline.

League of Women Voters of South Carolina’s co-president Peggy Brown said the fines would scare away groups like hers from doing the drives at all. “It will be unbelievably difficult to recruit volunteers under this law,” she said in a press conference Wednesday. “It would be impossible for organizations to comply with the wide-ranging and complex administrative requirements.”

She said a similar law in Florida has caused a League chapter there to stop the drives altogether. She called it “Jim Crow-style tactics” aimed at “suppressing” minority votes. Brown said it could the restrictions and fines could hit churches, the Boy Scouts, and even family members seeking to register a person.

Victoria Middleton, executive director of the South Carolina ACLU, said the law, if passed, would spell the end of voter registration drives, as nonprofit groups would be unwilling to risk severe fines for innocent mistakes. ”Instead of trying to encourage greater participation in our electoral process… our state legislators are wasting time creating unnecessary barriers to vote.”

However, Clemmons says that is not his intention, “This bill does make it easier to vote because you are assured that there is accountability. You are more assured that, come Election Day… when you show up to vote, you’re going to be able to actually vote.” He disagreed that it would halt voter registration drives.

He said he wants to crack down on groups that take a person’s name and try to use it fraudulently. He pointed to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a now-defunct group that had several members convicted of voter fraud. However, in those cases, a judge ruled ACORN employees were illegally paid for each voter they registered (federal law forbids a quota system) — and the judge never said there was an effort to misuse the names.

James Felder, president of the South Carolina Voter Education Project, called the bill a waste of time. “There is something about being in the Statehouse,” he said, “Maybe it’s the air or something. But they do some dumb things.”

The bill is currently on the House floor and could be taken up Thursday.

The four new items on the House GOP Caucus agenda include sales tax reform, tougher right-to-work laws, shoring up the pension system, and solidifying South Carolina’s status as the ”First in the South” presidential primary.

House Republicans passed all 17 of their agenda items in 2011. Six of those proposals became law last year (including a Voter ID act that was later rejected by the U.S. Justice Department) but the other eleven are still being debated in the Senate.

Harrell said his body will continue to push for the passage of those eleven bills, but will also move on to other proposals. “While there are fewer issues, not as numerous as last year, they are much more comprehensive in scale,” Harrell said.

Legislators still have not filed a specific tax reform bill; although House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham (R-Cayce) said several will be filed in the next few weeks. He said a caucus study group led by Rep. Tommy Stringer (R-Greer) has recommended eliminating nearly two-thirds of South Carolina’s sales tax exemptions, as well as significantly increase the current $300 sales tax cap.

He said that would allow the legislature to lower overall sales tax rates and flatten income tax brackets. Harrell said the tax code changes would be “revenue-neutral,” because it would result in lower tax revenue for the state.

Harrell said he was confident the agenda could pass both the House and Senate, even in an election year– usually a difficult time to make changes to the tax code.

He said he was especially confident about pension reform, “We all know what the problems are. We’ve all seen the reports that tell us what the problems are,” he said, “We just need to roll up our sleeves and get it done.”

Asked why Republicans were waiting until the fifth week to unveil their agenda, Harrell joked, “Quite candidly, because the presidential preference primaries were going on and we figured (reporters) would be off covering them and wouldn’t be here… We could’ve done this in week one or week two.”

Students gather in the Statehouse lobby as part of "Arts Academy Day"

–The South Carolina Senate, after five weeks of debate, finally cleared a hurdle on its restructuring bill Tuesday, voting 36-2 to adopt an amendment that abolishes the Budget and Control Board and divides its responsibilities between the legislature and a new Cabinet-level Department of Administration. Senators adjourned before passing the entire bill, however.

–The Senate also sent to Haley a bill by Rep. Karl Allen (D-Greenville) that allows Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to be classified as a “special needs account customer” for any public utility. In other words, a person with Alzheimer’s would be treated under special procedures by the utility before their power and/or water is shut off due to nonpayment.

–The House, meanwhile, approved Senate amendments and sent to the governor a bill by Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-York) that would eliminate a law requiring South Carolina wineries to only sell wine with a majority of in-state berries and fruit in the juice. Supporters say the move will help expand the state’s wine industry, which is only able to sell specialty Muscatine wines under current rules.

–The House unanimously passed a bill by Rep. Mike Sottile (R-Isle of Palms) that would extend the statute of limitations against public officials charged with ethics violations. It would allow the official to be charged anytime they are in public office, rather than within four years of the incident.

–Over the objections of Democrats, the House Judiciary Committee sent to the floor a bill by Rep. Eddie Tallon (R-Spartanburg) that would bar a person from receiving unemployment benefits if they fail an employer’s drug test. Republicans say the worker is not “ready and able” to work, as the law requires for the benefits. Democrats accused the GOP of unreasonably targeting the jobless.

–The Judiciary Committee also advanced a bill that overhauls the Department of Transportation. The bill by Rep. Jay Lucas (R-Hartsville) would, among other things, eliminate the seven-member Transportation Commission responsible for approving highway projects and instead give much of that power to the Secretary of Transportation appointed by the governor.

–Attorneys for House Speaker Bobby Harrell (R-Charleston) and Senate President pro tempore Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston) argued the two top legislators are protected from testifying in a lawsuit against new House districts approved last year. The suit accuses the GOP-controlled legislature of dividing the districts in a way that minimized the impact of minority voters. However, Harrell and McConnell say they cannot be questioned on the deliberations of their respective bodies.

–State Attorney General Alan Wilson formally filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department, saying it was wrong in blocking South Carolina’s voter identification law last December. The suit disputes the feds’ findings that the law would likely discriminate against minorities.

–House leaders announced they will go on furlough for three different weeks this session, starting next Tuesday. Harrell announced the body would not meet the weeks before and after Easter, as well.

–The first candidate has apparently declared for the race to succeed longtime State Sen. Phil Leventis (D-Sumter), who announced last week that he will not seek reelection. Eddie Drayton stated his intentions over the weekend, but laid out some of his platforms during a meeting of the First Tuesday Club, according to a tweet from The State newspaper’s Adam Beam.

On Tap:

–Governor Haley will welcome the 2011 University of South Carolina baseball team to the Statehouse Wednesday morning. The team will then visit the House and Senate chambers to be recognized as part of “Carolina Day” at the Statehouse.

SENATE

–A Judiciary subcommittee will hear testimony on a bill by Sen. Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg) that would add some crimes to the list of offenses that could earn a life sentence.

–Senate budget writers will start their budget hearings this week. A Finance subcommittee will hear from officials with the Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Transportation Wednesday.

–A Medical Affairs panel will examine a bill by Sen. Mike Rose (R-Summerville) that would put tougher restrictions in place on “residential treatment facilities” for children and teens. Among other rules, the centers could not be located within 1,000 feet of certain public places, such as parks or schools. Rose drafted the bill after a series of high-profile escapes from the Palmetto Behavioral Health facility– a center for troubled teens in Summerville.

–A Fish, Game, & Forestry subcommittee will take up some minor bills, including one by Sen. Ronnie Cromer (R-Prosperity) that makes it illegal to hunt deer with firearms near a residence without the owner’s permission.

–The Senate Education Committee will consider a pair of military student bills– one by Sen. Darrell Jackson (D-Columbia) would allow active-duty military personnel to pay less for some college courses… Another by Sen. Larry Martin (R-Pickens) would make it easier for military children to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities regardless of whether that child has a parent in the school district.

–A Transportation subcommittee will consider a series of bills that reform the state Department of Transportation. Senators are keeping an eye on the House bill mentioned above.

–A Judiciary subcommittee will debate a “cleanup bill” to fix some permit problems with a law passed last year that requires a copper seller to obtain a permit. Sen. Clementa Pinckney (D-Ridgeland) says there are some minor problems with last year’s law, although he says the law has helped reduce copper theft by 200 percent.

–Senate Banking and Insurance members will hold a hearing on a bill by Rep. Bill Sandifer (R-Seneca) that would tweak how insurance companies could report their assets.

HOUSE

–An Environmental Affairs subcommittee will hear a bill by Rep. Nelson Hardwick (R-Surfside Beach) that tries to reverse a Supreme Court decision last year that allowed members of the public to sue pollution violators, whereas previous interpretations only allowed the state’s environmental agency to bring suit.

–An ad hoc retirement committee will hear several different proposals on how to tweak the age and years requirements for South Carolina’s pension system. The committee is trying to deal with an estimated $13 billion future liability in the retirement system.

–A Higher Education subcommittee will consider a bill by Rep. Nathan Ballentine (R-Chapin) that would require the South Carolina and Clemson football teams to play each other at least once every year.

–A Criminal Laws subcommittee will consider another bill by Sandifer that would make it so that a person found guilty of homicide by child abuse would face either life in prison or even the death penalty. Currently, there is a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

–The Special Laws subcommittee will consider a proposal by Rep. Bill Taylor (R-Aiken) that would not allow state agencies to charge more than the “fair market rates” to compile Freedom of Information Act requests.

–The Education and Public Works Committee will consider several bills, including the “Jason Flatt Act” by Rep. Phil Owens (R-Easley) which requires middle and high school employees to complete two hours of youth suicide prevention training when they renew their certification… Another bill by Rep. Don Bowen (R-Anderson) seeks to ban texting while driving.

–A Constitutional Laws subcommittee will hear testimony on a bill by Rep. Mike Pitts (R-Laurens) that would allow gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender in South Carolina.

House Judiciary Committee

The bill heads to the House floor after passing the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday by a party-line vote in a contentious meeting. Supporters say an employee who fails a drug test is not “ready and able” to work, which is required to receive the benefits. However, Democrats call the bill an unjustified attack on the unemployed.

“This bill does nothing to put people back to work,” said Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia), “It simply says if you apply for a job and get hired, this Republican administration is going to make sure that you have one more hurdle before you can get that job.”

The measure would allow companies to anonymously submit the results of a failed drug test to the state Department of Employment and Workforce. The agency would allow employers to require the drug tests without being liable for the results.

AUDIO: Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia) spars with Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Richland) Tom Young (R-Aiken) and Rep. Eddie Tallon (R-Spartanburg) – 8:01

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Eddie Tallon, said an unemployed worker who fails a drug test should no longer be eligible for the benefits because they are not “ready and able” to take a job, as the law requires. “We’re not punishing him. The Republicans aren’t punishing him. He’s punishing himself,” Tallon responded, “Nobody told him to smoke that joint, or snort that coke, or whatever he’s done.”

Rutherford questioned why the state doesn’t also require drug tests to pass the bar exam or to receive a state medical license. He said Republicans were focused on the unemployed because “they are the ‘least of thee,’ and that’s what (Republicans) enjoy beating up on.”

Some groups say they are concerned that a false positive would unfairly revoke a person’s benefits. The Appleseed Legal Justice Center has previously asked for the benefits to continue an additional 30 days for the appeals process. However, Tallon said false positives are rare and that labs already take additional steps to avoid them by following up with the person to determine if they take other drugs that could create the wrong result.

Under the current bill, an employer would have the option of requiring the drug test. However, Tallon said he plans to introduce an amendment on the House floor that would require all companies to conduct the test.

File

–Last week, the House unanimously passed a bill requiring a family court judge to look more into joint custody for both parents in a divorce case. It now heads to the Senate.

–Longtime state Sen. Phil Leventis (D-Sumter) announced Friday that he will not seek reelection. Leventis has served in the Senate for 32 years. He is a former pilot in the Air Force and Air National Guard who also works as an aviation consultant.

On Tap:

SENATE:

–A Judiciary subcommittee will meet to reappoint State Law Enforcement Division chief Mark Keel. Keel was appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley last year to fill the remainder of previous chief Reggie Lloyd’s term, which expired in January… The panel will also look at several bills, including legislation by Sen. Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston) which would change the definition of “missing child” to include 18-year-olds.

–A Property Taxation subcommittee will hear public testimony on several bills, including one by Sen. Mike Fair (R-Greenville) that would give the state Department of Revenue the power to file electronic documents with county Clerks of Court.

–A Sales & Income Tax subcommittee will hear testimony on another bill from Sen. McConnell. The “Taxpayer Fairness Act,” which the Senate President pro tempore has been pushing for years, would require the Department of Revenue to narrowly interpret the state’s tax laws.

–And, the full Senate Judiciary will try to pick up where it left off last week with a half-dozen bills on its agenda. That includes legislation from Sen. Chip Campsen (R-Charleston) that would create the offense of “home invasion,” on top of burglary, assault, or other crimes that would happen during the act.

HOUSE

–The House Judiciary committee has a handful of bills on its plate, including a bill by Rep. Eddie Tallon (R-Spartanburg) that would not allow an unemployed worker to receive jobless benefits if that person failed a drug test while applying for a job. Under the bill, employers could submit the results anonymously. Opponents say it should include an appeal process that allows the worker to continue receiving benefits.

–A Business and Commerce subcommittee will hear a bill by Rep. Rita Allison (R-Lyman) that would regulate the “music therapy” industry. The bill would create a Board of Music Therapy within the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation that would license therapists who have clinical training, a baccalaureate degree in the field, and are national board certified. Currently, there is no license required in South Carolina for the emerging field.

Charleston Place was the downtown hotel the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) used during the days leading up to the state GOP presidential primary last month. But the convention was poorly attended and Newt Gingrich canceled a speaking engagement there, citing the small audience. Ron Paul did speak at the event earlier in the day.

According to a Charleston City Paper report Friday, the ritzy hotel accuses conference organizers of refusing to pay a nearly $228,000 tab for lodging, food, and beverages. Its owners filed a complaint in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas against the organization and co-defendant Robert Cahaly– a political consultant who signed the original contract on behalf of SRLC. The complaint seeks full payment and punitive damages.

However, the SRLC issued a statement Monday that it has already prepaid over $235,000 for its stay. It insists it had an unprofessional experience that breached the contract with Charleston Place.

“We continue to seek a reasonable and equitable settlement even as the Charleston Place’s Management seeks to sensationalize,” the statement said, ”We sincerely hope that cooler heads at the Charleston Place will prevail and they will acknowledge serious errors and actions resulting in a fair agreement.”

The Charleston Place complaint accused the SRLC of being an “alter ego” of Cahaly and merely acted as a “facade” for his activities. But John Harrell, an attorney representing the SRLC, insists Cahaly is not even an employee of the organization and was merely hired to manage the convention.