Harvey Peeler

“No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”

Like this quote, State Sen. Majority Leader Harvey Peeler said he has always held fast in his political life to keeping his focus on helping children, elderly and the downtrodden in society who cannot help themselves.

Peeler received the Legislator of the Year award Tuesday in the Cherokee County Public Library from the South Carolina Association of Children’s Homes and Family Services. He is being honored for sponsoring an education bill of rights for foster children. It was signed into law by Gov. Mark Sanford on June 7.

Surrounded by his family and local lawmakers, Peeler said he was humbled and deeply appreciative to be honored with the award. “This is the easiest legislation I have ever been able to pass. The support was universal,” Peeler said. “When Judy Nix (from the Cherokee Children’s Home) called to ask if I would sponsor this bill, the answer was yes. On behalf of those who give love to children and those who receive it, I accept this award.”

South Carolina averages more than 5,000 children in foster care each month. Seventy percent are school-age children.
The South Carolina Association of Children’s Homes is a nonprofit organization which serves as an advocate in providing family services for abused and neglected children.

Peeler’s education bill of rights law requires school districts to assist with enrollment, school records and credit transfers for children in foster care who are starting a new school. The new law requires school districts excuse student absences for court-ordered appearances and treatment services for foster children.

A representative from the state Department of Social Services can now access school records of a child in foster care to monitor his or her education progress and help place a child in a new school.

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Karen Floyd wrote a letter to commend Peeler for his work in sponsoring the bill. Floyd and her husband, Gordan, are the parents of adopted teenage boys.

“We’ve seen what kids go through as they transition from foster care to adoption. It’s one of the toughest situations a child can go through and the last thing these kids need is government getting in the way or making a tough situation even tougher,” Floyd wrote in her letter. “This bill shows exactly what compassionate conservatism means. We can help so many kids by removing restrictions and hard rules that punish them for situations way beyond their control.”

By Scott Powell, “The Gaffney Ledger”

GAFFNEY, S.C., Aug 18, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — AT&T* today announced the expansion of its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network at several cell sites across Upstate South Carolina, extending access for advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content to customers in Cherokee County. Beginning immediately, many residents in the area will be able to enjoy quicker speeds on America’s fastest mobile broadband network.

AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.

“Bringing investment to Cherokee County and the Upstate has been a goal of mine since coming into office, so I am thrilled to see this investment,” said State Senator Harvey Peeler. “This advanced wireless technology will help stimulate additional investment and bring economic growth and jobs.”

The expansion of mobile broadband service is one of many ongoing network initiatives planned to enhance coverage and capacity across the country. AT&T recently upgraded 3G cell sites nationwide to High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2. These advancements, when combined with an ongoing initiative to increase the number of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, are a part of AT&T’s strategy to provide customers with an enhanced mobile broadband experience, both today and in the future.

“Whether businesses are looking to compete across the state, across the nation or across the world, they need access to broadband,” said Representative Steve Moss. “This announcement from AT&T demonstrates what can happen when public policy is forward-looking and creates a climate where businesses want to invest in new services and technologies.”

AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world.

“Better connectivity is critical for the continued economic development of our community,” said Representative Dennis Moss. “Investments like this will serve business and consumers alike.”

AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in over 220 countries and data service in more than 195 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 135 major cruise ships, as well as 3G services in more than 120 countries.

“Demand for wireless bandwidth is growing, whether it’s for sharing video and photos with friends, checking the status of your investments through mobile banking, reviewing a client presentation, or listening to music on a phone, netbook or other mobile devices on the go,” said Pamela Lackey, president, AT&T South Carolina. “With this expansion, our customers can enjoy the nation’s best, most advanced mobile broadband experience with emerging devices and tens of thousands of mobile applications.”

For more information about AT&T’s 3G coverage in Cherokee County or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit www.att.com/networknews.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!t/quotes/nls/t (T 26.65, +0.20, +0.76%) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(R) and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE(R) magazine.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Governor Sanford to Sign Bill Establishing 24-Hour Period before Abortions

Columbia, S.C. – August 17, 2010 – Gov. Mark Sanford will join state legislators and other advocates in Spartanburg tomorrow (Wednesday, August 18) to sign H.3245, a bill that establishes a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can be administered. The bill signing will take place at the Carolina Pregnancy Center 10:00 a.m. (103 Metro Drive, Spartanburg). For more information or directions from your location, please contact Ben Fox in the Governor’s Office.

The contrast in weather was as stark as the difference between the former and new YMCA facilities.

On a cold, blustery December morning, Cherokee County YMCA officials, local dignitaries and members, broke ground for the new facility.

Seven months later, many of those same people braved a sultry July morning to officially celebrate the opening of the new spacious family YMCA in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.

“We went from one (temperature) extreme to the next and to a cramped building to the other extreme,” YMCA Chairman of the Board of Directors Sissy Brock told the gathering, some of whom attempted to keep somewhat cool by standing under an overhang or by fanning themselves with the official program. “After years of planning, now we see the dream of the county has come true.”

Brock then touched on the spiritual mission of the new YMCA.

“This is a safe and Christian place,” she said. “It’s for the wellness of the body, spirit and mind.”

In a light-hearted moment, Cherokee County YMCA Chief Operating Officer Mike Goforth glibly announced the exact year, month, day, minute and second from the conception of the new YMCA to its grand opening.

The new facility on Whelchel Road has 34,000 square feet of indoor space, plus a 16,000-square-foot water park. The old facility located on the Limestone College campus was about 17,000 square feet.

Though the new YMCA lacks an indoor pool, a standard-size basketball gymnasium and an expansive wellness center that includes a full range of cardio and weight training equipment more than makes up for it.

County residents apparently are in agreement. Goforth said he’s received 300 membership applications since the facility opened for business July 12.

Burnie Whitson, who represented the national YMCA organization at the ceremony, emphasized the Y’s importance to the community.

“This is a place of hope,” Whitson said. “From all ages, ethnic backgrounds and economic backgrounds, this is a place to grow and better a community.”

The final speaker, State Sen. Harvey Peeler, was in a celebratory mood, boldly claiming the county is now home to the newest and best YMCA.

He also stressed the Y’s role as a quality-oflife component in economic development and the need for county residents to financially support the YMCA.

After the ceremony, YMCA staff provided guided tours of the new facility.

By Larry Hilliard, “The Gaffney Ledger”

COLUMBIA — S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster could spend almost $700,000 in legal costs joining with other states to battle the federal government on the issues of Yucca Mountain, Arizona’s immigration law and this year’s federal health care reform act.

McMaster said the money is being well-spent, even at a time of severe budget shortfalls, and he believes the states will eventually succeed in each case.

“Somebody has got to stand up, so that’s what we’re doing,” he told The Greenville News.
Critics doubt any of the legal actions will succeed and say they are being waged at least in part for political reasons.

Sen. John Land, leader of the S.C. Senate Democrats, described the Arizona and federal health care actions as a “waste of time and money.”

“I think our attorney general has enough to do otherwise.” he said.

Larry Sabato, a political science professor who directs the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said almost all the attorneys general who have joined to fight the legal actions are Republicans at odds with the administration of President Obama.

“It’s perfectly within their purview,” he said of the lawsuits. “They’re permitted to do it. But of course there is a political and ideological motive. I’m not saying they don’t believe it. I’m not saying the suits aren’t justified. But of course there is a political motive.”

Professor Charles Fried of Harvard Law School, a former solicitor general under President Reagan, says the health care lawsuit is politically based.

“I do think the constitutional argument is a joke, not serious,” he said.

Sen. Larry Martin, a Pickens Republican who sits on the state Senate Judiciary Committee, disagrees that the lawsuits are motivated by politics.

“Those kinds of issues ultimately are ripe for the court to review and make a final determination,” he said.

McMaster, who once led the state’s Republican Party and was an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate earlier this year, denied politics were involved in any of the lawsuits.

“We’ve had multiple efforts at the same time quite regularly,” he said of federal litigation.

The three issues that South Carolina has joined other states on are:

The federal health care reform act, nicknamed “Obamacare” by detractors, signed into law earlier this year. Among other provisions, the law would require the purchase of private health insurance. Those who fail to do so could face financial penalties.

McMaster joined his counterparts in 19 other states in filing a lawsuit to strike down the new law as unconstitutional, arguing the law violates states’ rights and forces states to spend too much. They also argue the U.S. Constitution doesn’t give Congress the right to force citizens to purchase anything.

The opening of Yucca Mountain, the proposed federal repository in Nevada for nuclear waste. The controversial site had already been the target of lawsuits before Obama took office and ordered officials to withdraw the federal government’s permit to use the site.

Aiken County, South Carolina and other states believe Yucca Mountain should be used for nuclear waste and have asked a federal appeals court to order the federal government to proceed with its permit.

The enactment of Arizona’s new immigration law, which among other things would require police there to check the legal status of immigrants while enforcing other laws.

The Obama administration asked a federal judge to halt enforcement of the new law, arguing it interfered with the federal government’s jurisdiction and could cause harassment of legal immigrants.

Nine states joined to ask the court to side with Arizona.

The judge ruled against Arizona last month, issuing a preliminary injunction against the new law’s most controversial provisions. The issue is due to be argued before an appeals court in November.

Experts are divided on the states’ chances.

Mark Hall, a professor of law at Wake Forest University and a national expert on the new law, said he doesn’t believe the states’ arguments are compelling.

“In my view, the prospects are slim,” he said.

“The main argument is the new federal law requires states to shoulder a large financial burden. And that simply is not factually true.

The federal government pays for most of the cost. And getting more people onto federally subsidized insurance would actually reduce the cost to the states and the communities for treating the uninsured.”

But Randy Barnett, a Georgetown Law School professor who teaches constitutional law, says a recent refusal by a federal judge to dismiss a similar lawsuit filed by Virginia means the states’ case will have to be taken seriously.

“This was a huge positive step toward a successful challenge,” he said.

“Much of what the judge said was very encouraging for the challengers, primarily because the judge said this was an unprecedented use of either the commerce or tax power.”

At the heart of the issue, he said, is an expansion of the government’s power, something that likely will be decided at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 20 states involved in the case have hired a private law firm, but McMaster said South Carolina’s share of the legal costs won’t exceed $6,000.

Potentially more expensive, he said, is the Yucca Mountain litigation.

Lawmakers have authorized up to $665,000 to spend on the case, though McMaster doesn’t believe the final bill will total that much.

His office has hired a Columbia lawyer, Kenneth Woodington, who worked for three previous attorneys general, to handle the litigation, he said.

Gov. Mark Sanford has said without a depository, utility customers in South Carolina will continue to pay add-on fees on their bills that are designated to pay for the storage site.

In addition to 4,000 metric tons of spent fuel from the state’s seven nuclear reactors being temporarily stored in the state, South Carolina also is home to the federal government’s Savannah River Site near Aiken, a former production facility for nuclear weapons parts that is turning high-level radioactive waste into glass stored in canisters.

“This is an economic development question, a health and safety question, it’s an energy independence question and a national security question,” McMaster said.

Tom Clements, an environmentalist who for years has specialized in nuclear issues and is running as the Green Party candidate against U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, said Yucca Mountain’s storage as currently planned cannot handle all of the high-level waste at SRS and other U.S. Department of Energy facilities.

He and McMaster agree that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is likely to side with Obama in ruling on whether the government can pull its license application to operate Yucca.

“The Sun News”, by Tim Smith, August 16, 2010

State Sen. Majority Leader Harvey Peeler will be honored Aug. 17 for his role in improving education access for foster children in South Carolina. Peeler will receive the “Legislator of the Year” award at 1 p.m. in the Cherokee County library from the South Carolina Association of Children’s Homes and Family Services. He is being honored for sponsoring an education bill of rights for foster children. It was approved by state lawmakers June 7. South Carolina averages more than 5,000 children in foster care each month. Seventy percent are school-age children. The South Carolina Association of Children’s Home is a nonprofit organization which serves as an advocate in providing family services for abused and neglected children.

“We are very pleased to recognize Harvey Peeler for his efforts to help with the enrollment of foster children in schools across the state,” said Judy Nix, past president of the association and Cherokee Children’s Home Development Director. “Foster children can change schools two or three times in a year. The new law will help provide better access for these children in the state’s education system.”

Peeler’s education bill of rights law requires school districts to assist with enrollment, school records and credit transfers for children in foster care who are starting a new school. The new law requires school districts excuse student absences for court-ordered appearances and treatment services for foster children. A representative from the state Department of Social Services can now access school records of a child in foster care to monitor his or her education process and help place a child in a new school.

“We have always had a good working relationship with the Cherokee County School system,” Nix said. “We have been able to secure a Title 1 tutor to work with these students. The new law will only strengthen our efforts to meet the education needs of children.”

Beaufort County’s attorney says it could charge $33,000 or more to compile ambulance response times and other data about county EMS operations in response to a request from The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.

The county first denied the newspapers’ May 14 request days after the General Assembly passed a law making such information available to the public. Beaufort County attorney Ladson Howell said that by his reading of the new law, the request could be fulfilled only by court order. He said in an e-mail he would request an opinion from state Attorney General Henry McMaster.

But on June 3, a week after a discussion with the newspapers’ editors about the impasse, Howell said records would be provided.

Thursday, he sent summary response times for the county’s nine EMS stations. The times represented the averages from 2006 to the present. To obtain data to support those averages, however, Howell indicated the county would charge about $33,000 for compiling 7,000 pages of ambulance trip reports and manually redact information not subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act, according to an e-mail Thursday from Howell. State Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, who sponsored an amendment to a 2004 law to make such information available to the public, reacted strongly to the fee.

“When did they move an insane asylum into the Beaufort County administration building?” Peeler wrote by e-mail. “The public’s right to know should never have such a punitive cost.”

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 newspaper did not specifically request individual trip reports.

The newspapers also asked to see any documentation, analysis, feasibility study or comparison examining county EMS response times in southern Beaufort County.

The county’s projected cost to fulfill the newspapers’ request was estimated to be about $4,500 for copies and $534.80 for labor to compile the data. Possible additional costs include $27,071.50 in “potential delayed revenue” that could result from county staff being pulled off their regular work to compile the data, said EMS director Donna Ownby.The county’s projected cost also included 40 hours of overtime county staff might have to work to “catch up” on time lost working on the newspapers’ request, according to the EMS department.

Ownby, however, said she was optimistic that the total cost for gathering the data would not exceed $5,050.

“We would have to take the secretary away from her regular job, which is billing, and she would have to do this instead,” she said. “But we would not charge for lost revenue or time unless pulling the data took an unexpected amount of time. And we would alert (newspaper staff) to that ahead of time.”

To view the article, click here!

The public might soon be able to review EMS response times, incident reports and other operational data previously off-limits under state law.

A bill making such EMS data available to the public was ratified by both chambers of the state legislature Thursday and has been sent to Gov. Mark Sanford for his signature. The bill, S. 907, was introduced in December by Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, to repeal provisions of a 2004 law that restricts public access to nearly all EMS data.

Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, who supported the legislation, said the bill improves government transparency.

“Information is power and … the power belongs to the people,” Davis said. “Public officials who want to keep information secret have a very high burden to meet, and it cannot be met in this case. The people have the right to access information bearing on the effectiveness of our EMS rescue teams. This bill ensures they will.”

Included in the bill is an amendment that keeps confidential the names of first-responders. The section was included at the urging of the S.C. EMS Association, which argued that EMTs, like nurses and doctors, are health care workers who must be protected from unfair scrutiny.

Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, praised Peeler for his work but said the names of paramedics should be public information.

“These are public servants like policemen and firemen, and the public has a right to know who they are, especially since they don’t all wear name badges,” Rogers said.

The names of EMS personnel can be obtained by those who receive EMS care, by relatives of deceased patients or by representatives of their estates, according to the latest version of the bill. The bill spares anyone found to have disclosed those identities from civil or criminal liability unless they acted in “bad faith or in a malicious manner.”

Sanford has until midnight Wednesday to sign or veto the bill, said Ben Fox, Sanford’s spokesman.

“We’ll be looking at it carefully and responding within the allotted time frame,” Fox said.

Problems with the current law became an issue when The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette requested ambulance response-time information last year from Beaufort County EMS. The county denied the request and asked the S.C. Attorney General whether it was required to release the data. An attorney general’s opinion issued Aug. 19 said the law allows the county to withhold such data.

Peeler, who sponsored the bill that became the current law, has said he did so to allow state policies to mirror federal patient privacy laws and did not intend for the bill to shield EMS data from the public.

Attempts Thursday to contact Peeler for comment were unsuccessful.

If signed by Sanford, the law would go into effect immediately.

Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/05/06/1231964/bill-to-open-ems-response-time.html#ixzz0nFYjtzW3

Last week, The Associated Press published a story pointing out that the Democratic and Republican caucuses in both the House and Senate of the General Assembly had spent a combined $3.4 million in the past two years without disclosing where any of that money had gone.

Senate Republican Caucus Leader Harvey Peeler of Gaffney said, as far as revealing the spending, he “wouldn’t be opposed to that” but wanted to look at why the law was written that way before saying it should be changed.

Often, such a statement is subterfuge. Politicians say they need more time to study an issue thoroughly, but the issue fades away and change never comes.

But that was not the case this time, and Peeler is to be commended for doing his due diligence, taking action and passing a bill that would force the caucuses to disclose their spending.

The spending of state Republican and Democratic parties and political campaigns is public and must be disclosed in a timely and detailed manner. The same should be true of caucus spending but hasn’t been.

Caucuses disclose where their money comes from but not where it goes. Such rules fail to inform taxpayers and fail to protect caucuses and politicians from suspicion. The money is coming from organizations that work tirelessly to influence public policy, including: the S.C. Hospital Association, cigarette maker Altria, Blue Cross and Blue Shield and AT&T.

But where is it going?

The politicians might be using the money in a responsible and ethical fashion. The politicians might be writing checks to each other, family members or their own companies. There is no way to tell, and that’s an extraordinary invitation to both accusations of corruption and corruption itself.

The Senate last week sped Peeler’s bill demanding transparency through all three necessary readings. Now the bill goes to the House, where there is some chance it may sink without a trace.

While House Democratic Caucus Chairman Harry Ott of St. Matthews has said he will support the Senate bill, House Republican Caucus Chairman Kenny Bingham of Cayce argued last week that there is nothing wrong with keeping the spending of the caucuses secret because they are like private businesses or charities and should not have to reveal their political strategies through spending disclosures.

This week, Bingham said he’s feeling no increased pressure to act on the bill, adding: “The Senate clearly moved this bill at lightning speed. The question I would have is we have sent over other transparency bills that have been languishing there. I don’t know what their point is or what they’re trying to prove.”

Bingham is entirely wrong on this issue. This bill needs to be passed. The current situation is a horrific invitation to wrongdoing on the part of politicians and special interests.

Peeler did the right thing in the Senate, quickly and effectively. It’s up to House members to see these necessary changes become law, and it’s up to voters to hold their feet to the fire until they do.

Go Upstate

South Carolina senators fought sleep and argued over fees in a rare all-night session as they wrapped up work on a $5 billion state spending plan early this morning.

Even after using nearly $1 billion in federal bailout cash, legislators resorted to fee increases to cover critical services like putting Highway Patrol troopers on the road and heading off layoffs in the state’s court system.

“We’re raising fees out the wazzoo,” said Republican state Sen. Shane Massey of Edgefield.

Massey and a handful of other freshmen led a 17-hour marathon to squelch fees, calling them tax increases in disguise.

“We all say — at least on our side of the aisle — we’re against tax increases,” said Republican Sen. Lee Bright of Spartanburg. “But yet we call it fees and we increase the burden on the backs of ordinary South Carolinians when they can afford it the least.”

But there was no other way out for budget writers this year or in the foreseeable future, said Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman after the Senate sent the appropriations bill back the House to consider. “We’re going to be looking at fee-driven budgets. There just simply aren’t enough resources to meet the needs of the people in the state,” said Leatherman, a Florence Republican.

The spending plan now heading back to the House and a likely conference committee is filled with fees that would reach into taxpayer pockets in ways that bring into their daily lives the problems the state has in making ends meet and paying for basic services.

A $12 surcharge to the biennial car registration fee of $24 became a quick target for fee opponents. It raises $22 million to keep troopers on the job and equip trainees who are graduating.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer ruled the fee increase out of order. But in a rare move, the Senate voted 28-14 to overrule his decision.

The fee fighters didn’t succeed in stifling that or other increases.

— A $2 increase in fishing and hunting licenses. It would, for instance, raise the price of a combined hunting and fishing license to $27. A boat license would increase by $5. Combined, those measure generate nearly $2.7 million for the Department of Natural Resources for, among other things, law enforcement.

— A $5 fee added to every fine or forfeiture in a magistrate or state court. The money would help cover costs at the Criminal Justice Academy.

— Nearly everyone using state courts would faces higher fees. That includes a new $50 fee for every deposition taken. Massey repeatedly tried to kill that fee and lost. Overall, the court fees are expected to raise more than $20 million to prevent layoffs at the state’s courts.

— Legislators also are giving the Department of Revenue an extra $5 million to crack down on tax scofflaws. They expect to generate $100 million in taxes that have gone unpaid.

To get away from fees, senators repeatedly proposed cuts elsewhere. For instance, Bright repeatedly tried to eliminate or reduce spending for First Steps, the state’s early childhood education program. He said he’s concerned about how efficiently the program is run.

And Republican state Sen. Mick Mulvaney of Indian Land set his sights on Big Bird, calling for the Senate to eliminate all money for South Carolina ETV. Big Bird’s tail feathers were spared with a 28-14 vote.

Education spending overall was spared deep cuts only because of federal bailout cash and a federal stimulus law requirement that the state maintain spending levels.

The budget uses 1995 levels for per-student spending with state spending on public schools falling by more than $83 million, but that federal cash actually increases total public school spending by $91 million.

Teachers may feel the pinch more than most professions. Districts facing 1995 levels of per student funding in the spending proposal are planning to reduce their teaching ranks and impose furloughs. And legislators have agreed to reduce incentives for teacher training.

And on Wednesday they agreed to suspend the requirement that districts annually increase teacher pay to reflect experience. Districts also could decide not to give teachers the average of $200 they each get for classroom supplies. Legislators argued that those measures are specifically designed to head off more furloughs and layoffs.

The state’s four-year colleges lose more than $86 million in state cash, but with the federal cash, they overall end up with $3.4 million more than in the current year’s budget.

Independent Mail