South Carolina Club for Growth

Nine “Republican” Senators Vote Against School Choice

There is good news, bad news and worse news.The good news is last night the Senate, in a historic vote, finally took up school choice. Although the amendment was defeated we finally know who supports the failed status quo system, and who wants to move South Carolina forward. Senator Larry Grooms, who authored this amendment, explained how his amendment would not take money away from government schools, and would help low income families give their children a quality education.

Legislative Update

The House and Senate are back for the last nine weeks of session. Here is what has and hasn't moved through the legislature so far: The bill to abolish the Budget and Control Board and replace it with a more accountable Department of Administration started out strong. After going through an unprecedented two committees it left the Senate a much weaker bill. The fight was about who should be over procurement. Senators touted the perfect record of procurement under its current home, the Budget and Control Board.

South Carolina Club for Growth Releases 2011-12 Legislative Scorecards

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today, the South Carolina Club for Growth Foundation released its 2012 Legislative Scorecards, awarding its “Taxpayer Hero” award to four Senators and five Representatives based on their voting records since January 2011. Scorecard ratings are based on a wide range of economic and good government issues, with a maximum 100 points possible. Votes are assigned a value based on their relative importance. This year’s scorecard is made up of 19 Senate and 28 House roll call votes. Legislators with a score of “A” or “B+” earned the title of “Taxpayer Hero,” while those with a “D” or “F” earned the title of “Taxpayer Nightmare.”

Nine “Republican” Senators Vote Against School Choice

May 23rd, 2013 by SC CFG

Friends,

There is good news, bad news and worse news.

The good news is last night the Senate, in a historic vote, finally took up school choice. Although the amendment was defeated we finally know who supports the failed status quo system, and who wants to move South Carolina forward.

Senator Larry Grooms, who authored this amendment, explained how his amendment would not take money away from government schools, and would help low income families give their children a quality education.

The bad news: nine “Republican” Senators voted with Democrats to table the school choice amendment. These nine Senators decided to keep school choice out of South Carolina, making us one of the only states in the South where children are stuck in failing government schools.

Who are these nine so called “Republicans”?

Senator Thomas Alexander
Senator Paul Campbell
Senator John Courson
Senator Ronnie Cromer
Senator Wes Hayes
Senator Hugh Leatherman
Senator Larry Martin
Senator Billy O’Dell
Senator Luke Rankin

It gets even worse. Last week nine Republicans voted for an expansion of pre-kindergarten – the same universal program that President Obama pushed for in his 2013 State of the Union address. Yesterday, eight of those same self-proclaimed “Republicans” voted against school choice, an idea President Reagan promoted in his 1984 State of the Union address, and called, “a remarkable advance in American education, an idea whose time has come.”

You read that correctly. Eight of the self-proclaimed “Republicans” that voted against school choice, voted for Obama’s pre-kindergarten expansion. Who are the eight Senators against a proven Reagan education plan, and for an expensive program Obama program?

We are especially disappointed that Senator Courson and Senator Cromer voted against school choice. In the past, Senator Courson proudly touted his support for the Reagan presidency in 1980 and 1984 but no longer does. Senator Cromer claimed to support school choice, but balked when the chance came up to implement a very basic version of it.

South Carolina took a step forward when school choice had a vote on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, these nine “Republicans” don’t want education in South Carolina to move forward. They continue to defend the failed government schools – while turning their backs not only on families who need it the most, but on the greatest conservative icon of their lifetime.

Today the Senate will take up more budget amendments. Senators will have the chance to pass school choice. Please call and tell them the government school system in South Carolina has failed our children for too long. It is time to give parents a choice.

Sincerely,

Phillip Cease
Executive Director
South Carolina Club for Growth

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SC Club for Growth Scoring Alert – School Choice Budget Amendments

May 21st, 2013 by SC CFG

The South Carolina Club for Growth urges all Senators to vote “YES” on any budget amendment that would bring school choice to South Carolina.

If the Senate can find $3.4 million dollars to expand pre-kindergarten, an Obama education program, finding money to give parents a choice about their child’s education should not be a problem.

For too long South Carolina has ranked at the bottom of the US for education. School choice is a simple, affordable and proven program that gives parents choices about where to send their children for an effective education.

Improving South Carolina’s education system has been a focus of the South Carolina Club for Growth since our founding. Any votes on school choice amendments will be considered for the SC Club for Growth’s 2013 Scorecard.

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SC Club for Growth Scoring Alert – Ethics Bill

April 24th, 2013 by SC CFG

The South Carolina Club for Growth urges all Representatives to vote “NO” on any bill that decriminalizes ethics violations.

H. 3945, as it is currently written, significantly weakens parts of South Carolina’s anemic ethics laws. This is one more example of House leadership forcing through legislation without giving members time to understand the bill.

The House and Senate have had months to bring ethics legislation to the floor. With one week left before crossover, there is still time to prove that the House takes ethics reform seriously.

Increased transparency has been a focus of the South Carolina Club for Growth since our founding. Any votes on H. 3945 will be considered for the SC Club for Growth’s 2013 Scorecard.

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Legislative Update

April 10th, 2013 by SC CFG

Friends,

The House and Senate are back for the last nine weeks of session. Here is what has and hasn’t moved through the legislature so far.

Department of Administration

The bill to abolish the Budget and Control Board and replace it with a more accountable Department of Administration started out strong. After going through an unprecedented two committees it left the Senate a much weaker bill. The fight was about who should be over procurement. Senators touted the perfect record of procurement under its current home, the Budget and Control Board. However, there was a major failure in the procurement process that was discovered a few years ago. A multimillion dollar no-bid contract was uncovered that went to a company with ties to a former legislator. Once the contract was put out for bid taxpayers saved millions and no one was held accountable.

The Senate left procurement under the Budget and Control Board, just changing the name, and sent it to the House at the end of February. We hope the House will take up this bill and put procurement back under the Department of Administration where it should be.

Last year a Department of Administration bill fell a few votes short in the Senate on the last day. This year the legislature needs to pass a comprehensive bill that is not just restructuring in name only.

Ethics Reform

There are multiple bills in the House and Senate that deal with ethics reform. H. 3163, which was sent back to committee from the House floor, strengthens the Freedom of Information Act and removes the legislative exemption. Both of these changes would bring speed and sunlight to South Carolina which ranks towards the bottom when it comes to transparency.

Two other bills that we would like to come to the floor are S. 388 and H. 3772. While not perfect, these bills contain a framework for stronger legislation. Currently legislators do not fall under the same ethics governance as all other elected officials. This approach, which has the fox guarding the hen house, is one of the areas where we fall behind other states.

Elected officials should also be required to disclose both public and private income sources. We are one of only three states that does not require this. Again, South Carolina is one of the last states when it comes to transparency this is a great opportunity to show that we take good government seriously.

Superintendent of Education

Currently South Carolina has 9 constitutional officers, double the national average. S. 53 would give the governor the ability to appoint the Superintendent of Education. Both the current Republican Superintendent and a former Democrat Superintendent support this legislation.

The Department of Education is appropriated almost 40 percent of the state’s general funds yet the governor has no say in how the agency is run. Giving the governor the power to appoint the superintendent would increase accountability and be a step forward in improving education in South Carolina. This bill is currently sitting on the Senate calendar and is three votes away from passing. Please contact your Senator and encourage them to vote for this bill.

Roads and Bridges

One of the legislative priorities this year is roads and bridges. South Carolina’s citizens and business depend on infrastructure. There is $46 million in new recurring revenue and $117 million in onetime money that can be used to repair our roads and bridges. There are proposals to raise the gas tax but only 80% goes to renovating infrastructure.

The budget has passed the House and will go to the Senate floor soon. We hope that the Senate uses some of this $160+ million for roads and bridges instead of loading future generations up with debt.

Crossover Deadline

All of the bills discussed above must crossover to the other chamber by May 1. If they are still sitting in the original body they will not be able to pass this year. These pieces of legislation cannot wait another year to pass. Please contact your legislators and ask them to vote on this legislation so we can move South Carolina’s government into the 21st Century.

Best,

Phillip Cease

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