Educators say ‘enough is enough’ to Legislature
Friday night, many were present to enjoy the March Cypress After Five event with performers Kim Harrison and Glenn Strange. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience top notch entertainment without having to leave the community.
Educators met with Legislators this week to voice their concern that “enough is enough” when it comes to further reductions in funding public education in South Carolina. Clarendon District 1 Superintendent Dr. Rose Wilder, Board Chair John Bonaparte and Board Secretary Gussie Cochrane were a part of the group.
Below please find the Capitol Report providing you with a summary of the actions that were taken this week in the House of Representatives. If you have questions, concerns or ideas you would like to share, please let me know.
The House of Representatives amended Senate amendments to H.3442, a bill that creates the Department of Workforce as a cabinet level agency to perform workforce development functions and replace the Employment Security Commission in the administration of unemployment benefits. The legislation creates a Department of Workforce Appellate Panel with the sole purpose of hearing and deciding appeals from decisions of the Department of Workforce’s divisions. The legislation provides that an insured worker is ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits if he has been discharged from work for gross misconduct.
The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.4282, a bill prohibiting text messaging while driving. The legislation provides that a person may not use a text messaging device to read, or to manually write or send, a written communication, including a text message or electronic mail, while operating a motor vehicle in motion or in the travel portion of the roadway. This prohibition does not apply to a motorist’s use of a mobile communications device to report emergencies; the use of a device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle’s architecture; an authorized emergency vehicle; or the use of two‑way mobile radio transmitters or receivers.
The House approved and sent to the Senate H.3489, the “South Carolina Fairness in Civil Justice Act of 2010,” which contains numerous tort reform provisions. The legislation caps the award of punitive damages at three times “compensatory damages” or $350,000, whichever is higher. The limitation on punitive damages do not apply in situations involving: (1) intentional conduct; (2) conviction of a felony criminal charge in the course of conduct that gives rise to the damages; and 3) intoxication.
The House returned S.1096, a bill providing a mechanism for financing residential energy efficiency. and conservation measures, to the Senate with amendments. This bill provides electricity and natural gas providers the authority to finance the purchase price and installation cost of energy conservation measures for residential customers and recover this financing through charges paid for by the customers benefitting from the installation of the energy conservation measures.
The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4551, a bill incorporating prepaid wireless telecommunications and voice over internet protocol into the 911 emergency calling system provisions. The legislation imposes new fees upon prepaid wireless telecommunications and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for the support of the 911 emergency calling system.
The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3536, a bill revising qualifications of coroners. The bill establishes the additional requirements of: at least three years of experience as a death investigator with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency; two-year associate’s degree and have two years of experience as a death investigator with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency; or four-year baccalaureate degree and have one year of experience as a death investigator with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency.
