Your SC Politics Briefing
Welcome to your weekly South Carolina politics briefing, a newsletter curated by The State’s politics and government team.
The legislature may not be in session, but all you politicos sure kept us busy this week.
From Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to the Upstate to a sudden change of plans when it comes to planned executions, here’s what happened this week:
So, will there be an execution?
If you’ve been following our execution coverage, you may have noticed that this week was a whirlwind.
To be clear, there will not be an execution today, nor next week.
Late Wednesday, just two days before death row inmate Brad Sigmon was scheduled to die, the South Carolina Supreme Court vacated his execution notice, as well as the notice for Freddie Owens, who was scheduled to die next Friday. The court also ordered their clerk not to reissue the execution notices until the state Department of Corrections could offer the firing squad to death row inmates as an alternative to the electric chair.
Corrections is currently working to create procedures and protocols for the firing squad, and will alert the court once it’s available, department spokesperson Chrysti Shain said.
While some celebrated the court’s decision Wednesday night — namely, S.C. Sen. Dick Harpootlian, the sponsor of the firing squad amendment to the law passed in May — S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster decried the decision Thursday.
“I think the law has been passed and it is sound,” McMaster said. “I know the families involved here, the victims, need justice and closure. We intended for this law to accomplish that.”
Accelerate SC is back
Accelerate SC, Gov. Henry McMaster’s committee he assembled last year to craft recommendations to help move the state forward from the pandemic, has reassembled, at least a smaller version of it.
The 12-member committee is now crafting recommendations on how to spend more than $2.5 billion of the $8.9 billion of American Rescue Plan money the state is receiving. The General Assembly is expected to come back in the fall to allocate how it wants to spend the $2.5 billion it has control over.
There’s additional money going to school districts, municipalities and state agencies. And the $1.6 billion headed to counties and cities has caught the attention of Accelerate SC members. They want to make sure there’s oversight on how the money is spent and recommended the state have a third-party grand administrator help the state manage the federal dollars. It’s something that was in place for the CARES Act dollars.
Santee Cooper reform finalized
Santee Cooper’s future finally has been settled for the foreseeable future. Gov. Henry McMaster signed the Santee Cooper reform bill, which includes increased oversight on how the utility sets rates, whether it takes on new long-term debt, and whether it can build new electricity generation.
But for the last several years, lawmakers have debated whether to sell the utility, an action McMaster supported. Ultimately a process to consider offers for the utility was left out of the final reform package.
And when McMaster signed the bill, he made it clear that he thinks the utility should be privatized.
“To be clear, my preference is still to privatize Santee Cooper; however, the status quo has been and continues to be unacceptable, even in the short term,” McMaster wrote in a signing statement.
SC Democrats get it, they lost
South Carolina Democrats say they’re done licking their 2020 wounds, sizeable after losing five State House seats, a seat in Congress and recording, then losing, the state’s most expensive Senate race in November.
In an hourlong interview with The State, SC Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson detailed how the party is aiming for a comeback, while making it clear it won’t happen over night.
“When Steve Spurrier came to South Carolina, he said, ‘I’m not just here to win football programs, but (to) change the psychology of the fan base and change the psychology to a winning psychology,’ and that is part of what we have to do here,” Robertson said.
Kamala Harris makes a visit
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Greenville on Monday to urge people to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Her visit comes as the Biden administration is trying to reach a goal 70% of adults who have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by July 4.
South Carolina is still well short of that goal.
As Harris’s motorcade rolled through Greenville she was greeted by well wishers waiving at her, as well as Trump supporters saying Harris should focus on the border crisis and that the 45th president actually won the November election.
Buzz Bites
▪ Since voting to impeach Trump in January, S.C’s Congressman Tom Rice has been in trouble. Now, he faces his toughest election yet.
▪ Former House Speaker Paul Ryan will be in Charleston today to tour the Charleston Tech Center.
▪ A Hanahan couple, identified as two more alleged South Carolina rioters in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, have been arrested by the FBI, bringing the total number of people with South Carolina ties arrested to seven.
▪ President Joe Biden’s administration announced its redirecting millions of dollars from the border wall to the military, including more than $10 million to replace the Laurel Bay fire station, which no longer meets government safety and security requirements.
▪ Potential GOP gubernatorial challenger John Warren unveiled a new initiative this week that, according to its online summary, will be a “statewide effort to root out corruption and wasteful spending in state government.”
▪ The ever evolving police reform conversations on Capitol Hill may have a breakthrough. CNN reporter Manu Raju tweeted Wednesday night, “Lindsey Graham told me he thinks there’s been a breakthrough on policing legislation talks, and a deal could be worked out by “next week.”
▪ National pro-science PAC 314 Action, which heavily invested in Joe Cunningham’s two bids for Congress, will follow the Lowcountry Democrat through the state’s 2022 governor’s race.
▪ Horry County Rep. William Bailey says he will no longer seek run to primary Tom Rice in 2022, instead will run for reelection for his House District 104 seat.
▪ Gov. Henry McMaster ceremonially signed the state’s NIL bill, which takes effect next year. Here’s what it means.
▪ Gubernatorial candidate and former Congressman Joe Cunningham announced a series of plans he said would curb gun violence. His announcement came near the anniversary of the shooting of nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
▪ U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, voted against an initiative to award a Congressional Gold Metal to police protecting the Capitol during the riot Jan. 6. Later in the week, Norman also voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
▪ Three of South Carolina’s Congressmen, Jim Clyburn, Nancy Mace and Tom Rice, voted in favor of repealing the 2002 Iraq War Authorization.
▪ The budget conference committee came to an agreement on a $10.6 billion state spending plan for the fiscal year which begins on July 1. It settled on a 2.5% pay raise for state employees.
▪ McMaster nominated Harry Lightsey III to replace Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt who is retiring after about a a decade in the job.
Mark your calendar
June 21
Electricity Market Reform Measures Study Committee, 11:30 a.m.
SC Legislature returns to take up budget conference report, noon
July 1
South Carolina’s gas tax goes up another 2 cents, the fifth of six installments
Before we adjourn
Congratulations to S.C. Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who was honored this week in The State’s 20 under 40 class of 2021.
Johnson, 35, is a freshman state lawmaker and the first Black representative for House District 80. He’s also the owner of DT Consulting Firm and an adjunct professor at Webster University.
Johnson said his favorite part about living in the Midlands is that it is “an amazing place to live because it is small enough to know everyone but big enough to provide an individual with ample opportunities to grow professionally.”
Johnson was honored as part of the 18th class of young adults recognized by The State since 2004. You can read more about him on The State’s website.
Who pulled together this week’s newsletter?
This week it was reporter Emily Bohatch, who is part of the State House team. Keep up with her on Twitter @emilybohatch or send her story tips at ebohatch@thestate.com.
Make sure to sign up for our weekly politics newsletter that will come straight to your inbox each week. Tell your friends to do the same. For even more South Carolina-focused political news, you can chat with us on Facebook at the Buzz on South Carolina Politics, email us tips at thebuzz [at] thestate [dot] com and follow our stories at scpolitics.com.
