Harvey Peeler

When the South Carolina 118th General Assembly embarked upon its legislative year in January, it faced a daunting task: advancing the state and addressing some unavoidable issues, despite being overwhelmed with a rising statewide unemployment rate, an over $500 million dollar budget shortfall, highly publicized investigations into the travel of Gov. Mark Sanford, and an upcoming election season, including that for a new governor. One would expect that given this political environment, 2010 could have resulted in less-than-a-banner-year for the government and citizens of our state.

Despite those obstacles, the past six months at the Statehouse, from a pro-business perspective, actually have been quite productive. The answer may lie in the continuing dialogue and the stronger, ever-growing relationship between the Upstate business community and our elected leaders who represent us. From the perspective of the Upstate Chambers of Commerce, I believe we are building a better and stronger future for the Upstate, because of our commitment to building a better and stronger relationship between the primary stakeholders responsible for our area’s health and well-being.

Examples of this cooperative relationship from the 2010 legislative session include:

• The highly publicized, multi-partner, multi-tiered effort to land Southwest Airlines for the Upstate. After years of trying to capture the attention of a low-cost air carrier to provide better options and lower fares for businesses and citizens, Rep. Bill Wylie of Greenville introduced H4343 to provide incentives, in the form of competitive grants, for low-cost carriers considering location at any commercial airport in the state.

Armed with facts related to the “bleed” of passengers to other airports and detrimental effects of inadequate airfare options to the Upstate’s economic development pursuits, House Ways and Means Chair Dan Cooper and Rep. Brian White of Anderson joined hands with Speaker Bobby Harrell of Charleston to move the bill quickly through the House.

Though this legislation never reached a final verdict in the Senate, Upstate senators — led by Majority Leader Harvey Peeler of Cherokee and Chairman Mike Fair of Greenville, and backed by House leaders, local governments, the business and education community, and other allies — never gave up the fight. It was in this unprecedented display of teamwork and cooperation that Southwest officials recognized our commitment to the airline’s success in South Carolina and ultimately made its decision to locate in the state — without the legislation and incentive package.

• The preservation of the secret ballot in union elections. Spearheaded by Rep. Eric Bedingfield of Greenville and Sen. Peeler, the General Assembly passed a bill drafted in response to the business community’s concerns and as a further protection for South Carolina’s right-to-work status. Passed by the Legislature as a constitutional amendment, it will appear on the ballot for consideration by the general electorate in November elections.

• Legislation addressing unemployment and economic development issues. With the creation of the new Department of Employment and Workforce, legislators restructured the troubled and financially unstable Employment Security Commission. They also worked to make solvent the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund and helped pass a sweeping economic development bill to help agencies such as the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC) and Upstate SC Alliance market the region and recruit new business for our community.

• Partnership between Upstate Legislative Caucus and Upstate Chamber Coalition. Though both in their infancy stages, the groups are working in tandem toward the creation of jobs and raising our overall per capita income. The Upstate Chamber Coalition, a consortium of 10 local Chambers of Commerce representing 8,000 member businesses and more than 200,000 employees, is serving to give the Upstate business community a unified voice in public policy and legislative issues that impact our region’s business climate.

By the same token, the Upstate Legislative Caucus, led by Greenville Rep. Dan Hamilton, is comprised of both House and Senate members whose districts lie in the Upstate and who represent around one-third of the total General Assembly. It, too, carries the unified message of the Upstate through legislators who are committed to playing a bigger role in crafting pro-business legislation. The symbiotic relationship of these two important groups will mean the difference in the betterment of the Upstate as the premier place to live, work, and play.

Indeed, the last six months at the Statehouse have been challenging ones, particularly for those lawmakers writing the state budget and for those agencies dependent on state funding. Unfortunately, next year’s budget forecasts do not bode well for 2011, signally one of the most challenging years yet.

However, in the can-do spirit of cooperation and communication, and absolute commitment to solving our problems together, the Upstate business community and our legislative delegation have locked arms and shown that tough economic times do not necessarily mean stagnation. By working together as one unified Upstate, we will demonstrate, as this year, that we can and will make South Carolina the best place in the world to do business.

By Mark Cothran • June 26, 2010
“Greenville Online”

General Assembly can still pass a law that would safeguard and expand process.

It is reasonable to ask voters to prove their identity before they are allowed to cast a ballot. It is also wise to give them more time and more locations for early voting, both for their convenience and to alleviate the massive crowds that plague the most important elections.

It is possible that South Carolinians will get both of those things this year, but time is running out and partisan gamesmanship is building up.

Some Democrats are fighting the idea, saying that requiring voters to show a state-issued ID is racist and ageist. They claim it would discourage minorities and old people from voting. That’s not true, and the U.S. Supreme Court made this clear when ruling on a similar Indiana law. The court declared that such requirements are reasonable because the state has a legitimate interest in making sure only registered voters cast ballots. It would be wrong, and it has been ruled unconstitutional, to charge people for these IDs necessary to vote, but it’s not wrong to require them.

The biggest farce last week was the spectacle of several Democratic House members taking the floor to assert that the voter ID measure is unnecessary because no one is alleging any instances of voter fraud in South Carolina even as the state Democratic Party has been consumed with allegations of voting fraud in the Alvin Greene/Vic Rawl senatorial primary.

Some Republicans are fighting the idea that voters should have an easy path to absentee and early voting, claiming early voting allows people to vote before they learn the information that is revealed in the last days of an election. In truth, the last days of an election generally feature fevered mudslinging rather than meaningful new information.

Chris Whitmire, public information officer with the S.C. Election Commission, said Friday that the commission supports enhanced absentee and early voting, adding: “The 2008 election showed us this was something voters very much wanted.”

The House passed a bill that created a voter ID requirement and allowed eight days of early voting, but the early voting would be allowed in only one location per county and absentee balloting would be more restricted than it is today.

The Senate passed a bill that allows more time and locations for early voting and continued easy access to absentee ballots.

When legislators return to Columbia on June 29, the House needs to pass the Senate version of the bill and make it law. It is a fair law that will make voting easier in many ways and enhance public confidence in the system.

If the House does not pass the Senate version, the legislation will die and must be reintroduced next year.

The General Assembly, beset by budget concerns and protective of its members’ re-election hopes, has achieved nearly nothing this year. This bill needs to pass now. There is no reason to put it off and no justification to vote it down.

“GoUpstate.com”
Published: Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 3:15 a.m.

Waiting Period Gives Day Long Reflecting Period Before Terminating Life

Columbia, SC – June 16, 2010 – With just hours left in the 2010 session, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a bill requiring women to wait 24-hours before having an abortion. Chaired by State Senator Kevin Bryant, a conference committee came to an agreement that will lower the number of abortions in South Carolina.

South Carolina is currently the only state in the country to have a one-hour waiting period for abortions – the shortest waiting period of all states with a waiting period. The new law would require a 24-hour waiting period upon printed materials about abortion being given to the patient. Information will also be placed on an interactive website created by DHEC.

The extended period would give women a full day of reflection before making one of the biggest decisions of their lives. The additional time to reflect on the risks of and alternatives to abortion will lower the number of abortions in South Carolina, help protect more unborn children and give mothers more time to consider the health risks.

Senators Kevin Bryant (R-Anderson), Jake Knotts (R-Lexington) and Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg) and Representatives Greg Delleney (R-Chester), Wendy Nanney (R- Greenville) and Ted Vick (D-Chesterfield) served on the conference committee. The bill was pushed through committee by Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee).

“South Carolina’s unborn children are safer because of the conference committee’s hard work. I’m proud that we were able to pass one of the most common sense bills of the session just in the nick of time,” Majority Leader Peeler said. “I want to particularly thank Senator Bryant for not giving up and forcing the conference committee to come up with a compromise. He personally saved this bill.”

In presenting the committee report to the Senate, Senator Bryant said, “Each child is a gift from God and a person should truly reflect on their decision before terminating its life. A lot of abortions are made during crisis situations and this new law will simply require mothers to stop and think for twenty-four hours before making such a life altering decision.”

DETAILS – H. 3245 – 24 Hour

Requires a woman to certify the she has received printed materials produced by DHEC 24 hours prior to an abortion.

Materials include:

- List of healthcare providers offering free ultrasounds
- Plainly worded explanation of how to determine gestational age of fetus
- Role of genetics in reproduction
- Forms for certifying you have seen the material

Materials may be printed from DHEC’s website – or requested to be mailed to the woman.

The Conference Report does not require a woman to receive an ultrasound 24 hours prior to an abortion. Current law requires an ultrasound one (1) hour prior to an abortion.

Cass Elias McCarter worked tirelessly for 20 years to establish South Carolina’s guardian ad litem program. Today this program is nationally recognized as one of the finest in the country. Last week, the General Assembly honored the memory of Mrs. McCarter by naming the program the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program.

Cass died in 2004 at the age of 50 from a brain aneurism. She did not live to see the program she helped establish gain its national recognition. However, thousands of children in South Carolina have benefitted from her efforts.

The legislation introduced by Sen. Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly. It was vetoed by the Governor. All but 2 members of the 170 individuals in the General Assembly voted to override the Governor’s decision. Cass McCarter was a native of Columbia. She was married to Nicky McCarter who is originally from Clover. The couple have 2 children, Lauren and Cole. They currently reside in Columbia with their father.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – June 10, 2010 – The South Carolina Department of Commerce and Cherokee County today announced that Parkdale Mills will locate its new facility in Cherokee County. The company is purchasing the former Wellstone building and is expected to invest $45 million and will retain up to 145 jobs at the plant.

“For our new operations, we were looking for a building that would suit our current needs and allow us room to grow. We found that flexibility in the former Wellstone building. Cherokee County not only offered us an excellent building but also has a positive business climate. We look forward to making our facility operational there in the coming months. We appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials in making this plan a reality,” said Lee Thomas, vice president of services for Parkdale Mills Inc.

Parkdale Mills has established a new operating location in Cherokee County and will use the former Wellstone facility in Gaffney, bringing in new equipment and upgrades. As a result, the company will also retain 145 jobs from the previous plant that might otherwise have been lost. The company expects to have the facility online by the end of the year.

“Parkdale Mills has operated in South Carolina for decades, and this announcement reflects the company’s continued commitment to our state. The decision to set up operations in the former Wellstone building offers another great example of an adaptive reuse that will allow Parkdale Mills to get its operations up and running quickly and in turn mean new job opportunities for the community sooner. It is always great to see an existing business recognize the benefits of operating in South Carolina and choose to grow here. This announcement is also a reminder that our state’s business-friendly climate plays a critical role in attracting new investments and jobs, and perhaps most importantly in helping our existing businesses grow,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

“With global competition for jobs and investment being fierce, it is both pleasing and refreshing to see companies like Parkdale Mills selecting Cherokee County and the State of South Carolina,” said state Senator Harvey Peeler.

“Parkdale Mills has locations across the world and their decision to grow in Cherokee County is a testament to the favorable business climate of our county, the Upstate and the state of South Carolina,” said state Rep. Steve Moss.

“We appreciate the investment of Parkdale Mills as this is a great addition to the Cherokee County industrial base. The company’s presence also helps us diversify our business sector. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between Cherokee County and Parkdale Mills,” said state Rep. Dennis Moss.

“The efforts of Cherokee County and the South Carolina Department of Commerce are to be commended for successfully demonstrating to a company like Parkdale Mills the advantages of operating their yarn manufacturing operations in South Carolina. Collaboration is the cornerstone of economic development and it was demonstrated on a state, regional and local level today,” said Upstate SC Alliance President and CEO Hal Johnson.

Beaufort County officials have denied a S.C. Freedom of Information Act request from The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette seeking ambulance response timesand other data about county EMS operations. The request was made May 14, just days after the General Assembly passed a law ostensibly making such information available to the public.

However, Beaufort County attorney Ladson Howell said that by his reading of the new law, the newspapers’ request could be fulfilled only by court order. He said in an e-mail Tuesday he has requested an opinion from state Attorney General Henry McMaster.

The state senator who sponsored the bill — signed May 11 by Gov. Mark Sanford and taking effect immediately — said by e-mail Tuesday an attorney general’s opinion shouldn’t be necessary. “Do I need to come to Beaufort and straighten this situation out?” wrote Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee. “If the county attorney can’t figure out the intent of our bill, have him call me and I’ll explain it to him. We expect all information except the EMS responders’ name and patient information to be given to the public.”

The request by the Packet and Gazette was similar to one made almost a year ago seeking ambulance-response times and other information about county EMS performance. The county also denied that request, and McMaster issued an opinion Aug. 19, 2009, that a 2004 law, also sponsored by Peeler, did not allow for the release of aggregated statistics, even if they don’t reveal patient information. But Peeler said the 2004 bill was submitted only to make state law correspond to federal medical privacy laws. It was never his intent to withhold statistical data from the public, he said, and he set about amending that law in January.

Peeler’s measure passed, although at the urging of the S.C. EMS Association, it included a provision making the names of EMTs available only to those who receive care or are representatives of the estate of deceased patients. Nurses and doctors are afforded similar protection, but police and firefighters are not. In their most recent request, the newspapers asked to review county EMS records “collected, compiled by or in the possession of the county or its agents” documenting response times of county EMS from Jan. 1, 2006, to the present.

The newspapers also asked to see any documentation, analysis, feasibility study or comparison examining county EMS response times in southern Beaufort County. The newspapers did not request the names of EMTs or personnel records. “I realize this position is contrary to published reports in your newspaper that would allow public access to EMS records,” Howell said in his e-mail. “However, my interpretation of the new statute does not meet those requirements.”

Attempts Tuesday to reach County Council Chairman Weston Newton and County Administrator Gary Kubic for comment by telephone and e-mail were unsuccessful. Suzanne Larson, a county spokeswoman, said Kubic was standing by Howell’s response. “Ladson (Howell) has already covered everything,” Larson said. “Mr. Kubic has nothing further to add right now.”

Jay Bender, an attorney for the S.C. Press Association, said Tuesday the county’s response to the newspapers’ requests was “another example of county officials trying to avoid providing public records.” “It seems to me that the only reason to request the Attorney General’s opinion is to cause a delay,” Bender said. “It’s very clear that the bill was intended to allow the public to find out information about emergency medical services with the exception of the identification of EMS personnel and medical information about the person being transported.” Bender said ambulance-response times are public data. “The notion that you would need a court order is made up,” he said. “This response it consistent with the way the county has acted in the past. Beaufort County needs to be driven by whip and lash to provide open and transparent government.”

Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/05/25/1251966/despite-new-state-law-beaufort.html#ixzz0p09xvxM2

“With over 5,300 children attending a South Carolina public virtual school and numerous others attending South Carolina public charter schools, it is easy to see just how important public school choice is for the families of South Carolina. We recognize that these choices are not guaranteed. In recognition of leadership and support of public school options for South Carolina families, the SC Chapter of the National Coalition for Public School Options (NCPSO) is pleased to present Senator Harvey Peeler with the Future of Education’s Golden Apple Award.”

Beth Purcell
Chair – SC Chapter
National Coalition for Public School Options

Bill helps foster care children succeed in public schools

A bill to help children in foster care succeed in South Carolina’s public schools is making its way out of the Senate. The South Carolina Bill of Rights for Children in Foster Care Act has been championed by Majority Leader Harvey Peeler and was approved today by the full Senate on third reading.

“It’s no secret that it’s not easy to be a foster child. We have to ensure that they have every chance to get a good education and build successful lives,” Peeler said. “This bill goes a long way toward removing barriers and providing needed assistance.”

In addition to making sure school districts don’t place additional enrollment requirements on foster children, it also requires districts to facilitate quick enrollment and quick transfer of records from one district to another. In the event that a child has to change homes, the bill provides that the Department of Social Services enroll the child in the new school, but taking care to keep the child in the same school, if possible.

“Moving and changing can be hard for anyone. If a child is moving to a new place, it’s a big help to facilitate that transition. And if we can, it’s good to keep the child in the same school so they can keep up with their studies without interruption,” Peeler said.
There are also provisions to ensure students aren’t barred from services and programs open to current students at the school, and to require districts to allow for absences because of court-ordered circumstances. If a child has more absences than normally allowed, administrators must give the child a chance to make up the assignments without a penalty.

Finally, the bill requires DSS to provide an education advocate for the child, gives access to an officer of DSS to the child’s records in order for that officer to adequately help the child during their academic career.

“By enacting these changes, we’re doing right by our state’s foster children and helping them be on the same educational plain as children who aren’t in state care,” Peeler said.

Files Legislation Creating I-85 Cherokee-Spartanburg Corridor Authority

(Gaffney, SC) State Senator Harvey Peeler today announced his efforts to establish the I-85 Cherokee Spartanburg Corridor Authority to oversee the recommendations of Department of Transportation’s I-85 widening report, which was issued back in June 2007. Senator Peeler believes the DOT has been lax in taking up the recommendations and it’s costing our region the opportunity for new jobs.

“We’ve seen money pouring into the coast and yes, Boeing was a good investment, but its time for equal economic development vigor in the Upstate, particularly I-85, Peeler said. “We can’t recruit new high paying industry without a strong infrastructure and the I-85 corridor between Cowpens and the North Carolina line need attention for economic development and safety reasons.”

Senator Peeler continued “it’s become pretty obvious that the state’s DOT is going to continue ignoring this problem, so I’m making I-85 my new Highway 5 (Highway 198 and Highway 5 between Blacksburg and York) effort.

The new authority will comprise of seven members – three appointed by the Senate, three appointed by the House and the President of Spartanburg Community College. Its mission is to work with any and all agencies to fund the I-85 widening and necessary water and sewer projects through grants, public and private donations, gifts and federal funds.

“Our region has been hit hard during this economic downturn and its time we hit back,” Peeler said.

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We’ve been working hard in the Senate this year to make needed reforms to our state government, and I’m pleased to report that we’ve been successful in coming through for South Carolinians. One of the big changes is to the state Employment Security Commission.

It took a week of debate, but in February, conservatives in the Senate banded together to fix the ESC. Last year, the state had to twice borrow a total of $800 million to stave off shortfalls in the fund that pays unemployment benefits. One reason for the fund deficit is the recession we’ve all had to endure. But, a much larger reason is mismanagement of the ESC.

The three commissioners didn’t come to the legislature in time to head off the crisis, and improper oversight of the agency allowed the problem to progressively get worse. That’s why it was a priority of the Senate Republican Caucus this year to make the changes needed.

The bill we passed will scrap the current setup of the ESC and create the Department of Employment and Workforce, a cabinet-level agency that will give future governors oversight power and bring true accountability to the ESC. But that’s just the beginning.

Over the past several years, the agency paid $171 million in unemployment benefits to people fired for cause. That won’t happen anymore. There’s absolutely no reason why taxpayer dollars should be sent out to people who failed to appropriately do their job. Additionally, it used to be perfectly OK for someone to receive benefits who was fired for illegal drug use. That won’t happen anymore, either.

By making these changes, we’ll be saving money while helping those who truly deserve it. The fix will also make sure that the new Department of Employment and Workforce will be a job placement agency, not a check-writing agency. It’s important that we get South Carolinians back to work, not at home collecting a payment.

It’s all about creating jobs. The smaller and less intrusive government is, the better. But, sometimes the economy needs a push, and workers need a hand up. The more that the state’s jobs agency concentrates on jobs, the more people will be employed and the less money needs to be appropriated. It’s a win for both the average taxpayer and unemployed South Carolinian.

We’ve also stood up for job creation in the state by passing legislation that will put a constitutional amendment to ban card check on the ballot. Card check, in case you haven’t heard, is a system by which the secret ballot is taken away from workers in a union representation election. By taking away the secret ballot, unions are able to intimidate workers to vote their way.

The secret ballot is an important part of our democratic process. Every American grows up knowing that not only do they have the right to vote, but that vote is private. That way, everyone is free to vote their conscience without undue influence from anybody.

If South Carolinians go to the polls and approve the change in the constitution, it will free our state from the potential passage of the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act,” which is going through Congress. The EFCA would make card check legal.

The good news is that stopping card check in South Carolina would put the breaks on unionization, allowing the residents of our state to maintain the workplace freedom that they currently enjoy. It also sends the message to businesses that South Carolina is committed to keeping a business-friendly environment.

One of the biggest developments of last year was the arrival of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner facility in North Charleston, and the thousands of jobs that are being created all over the state because of it. Just why did Boeing make the decision to construct its new plane here and not at company headquarters in Washington state?

Back on the West Coast, the machinists’ union has been causing all kinds of problems, and after months of struggles, not too much had changed. Boeing took a look at South Carolina and our state looked pretty attractive.

It wasn’t too long ago that the CEO of Boeing’s commercial plane division said that the overriding factor in the decision to build the Dreamliner in South Carolina was that the company couldn’t afford a work stoppage every three years. If people in Washington want that, then fine. We’ll gladly take the jobs.

For Senate Republicans, we’re not done, and we’re going to keep working hard for the people of South Carolina. But with ESC reform and stopping card check, our state is already on the path to pulling clear from the recession and creating jobs for every South Carolinian ready to roll up their sleeves and go to it.

by Senator Harvey Peeler