Summer 2000
NEWSLETTER

Committee Assignments
Ethics Committee, Chairman
Banking and Insurance Committee
Education Committee
Finance Committee
Corrections and Penology Committee
Medical Affairs 

South Carolina General
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This District 15 Report is a quarterly newsletter concerning your State Government. Due to the cost of mailing, I will not be able to mail a copy to everyone in the District; however, I will do my best to place these reports in various public locations so that individuals within District 15 will have an opportunity to get this information. Any ideas you may have as to how this newsletter could be improved are most welcome.

Since you have elected me to serve in the General Assembly, I have endeavored to keep you informed about state and local issues and my work in the General Assembly through this newsletter and district meetings. The response has been outstanding. I hope I can continue to count on you to share your views and concerns with me about our district and state. I always appreciate hearing from you and cannot tell you how valuable your input is to me during debate on these issues.
 
With the 2000 session of the General Assembly behind us, my thoughts as your Senator from York County would like to highlight some of the more important pieces of legislation that passed this year.
 
CONFEDERATE FLAG
 
The Confederate Flag that has flown over the Statehouse dome since 1962 will come down on July 1st and the flag of Northern Virginia will be place atop a flagpole near the Confederate Soldiers Monument in front of the Statehouse. Confederate flags in the House and Senate chambers will also be removed.
 
MENTAL HEALTH PARITY
 
A major piece of legislation dealing with mental health parity was enacted this session. Although not as encompassing as mental health advocates might have wished for, it is a step in the direction of rewarding those who suffer from mental illness with equal coverage as those with other diseases. A pilot program will be set up for 2 ˝ years by using the State Health Plan to follow the cost of the addition of certain mental illnesses. The legislature feels it is important to know the cost before extending the requirement to private business insurance plans.

HMO APPEALS
 
Beginning in January of 2001, patients who believe their HMO or insurance company unfairly denied them health care coverage can appeal to an independent group of doctors. Patients would be entitled to such an appeal if treatment were denied on the grounds that it is not medically necessary or experimental.
 
BUDGET
 
The General Assembly passed a $6 billion spending plan that cuts the state’s five cent sales tax on food to four cents beginning January 1, 2001, helps senior citizens pay for prescription drugs. A health care trust fund will be created that will assist in the buying of prescription medicine. An elderly couple making less than $20,000 in income annually would be eligible for discounts on prescription drugs. About 37,500 seniors will be eligible to participate, and they will be getting a plan card in the mail.

The state-funded, merit-based LIFE scholarships will be increased for B-average students to $3,000 a year from $2,000 annually. Also funded was a measure to improve the SAT scores of school children, enhance middle schools and attract and retain quality teachers. There will also be a sales tax holiday in August to help parents purchase clothing and school supplies for their children. $10 million will go to the early childhood development initiative, First Steps. 

Under this budget, South Carolina will move to obtain its share of the national tobacco settlement in a lump-sum payment. The state is scheduled to receive $2.3 billion over 25 years. If the state sells bonds backed by the tobacco settlement money, it could receive between $700 million and $1 billion up front. 73% of the tobacco money will fund health-related needs, 15% will go to farmers and tobacco quota holders, while the balance will fund rural economic development and water and sewer projects. 
 
DUI PER SE
 
S.544, a bill that I sponsored, strengthens the state’s drinking and driving laws and has passed the General Assembly. The legislation makes it illegal per se to drive with a blood-alcohol level of 1.10% or more.  Currently, drivers with a blood-alcohol level of 1.10% can argue that their driving was not impaired by the amount of alcohol they consumed. South Carolina was one of two states without the illegal per se provision.  The bill provides that a person has 30 days instead of 10 days to request an administrative hearing, apply to ADSAP, and obtain a temporary license. A person who is convicted of a first offense per se may obtain a provisional license. 

In addition to all other assessments and surcharges, a $100 surcharge would be imposed on all convictions for DUI and per se DUI. This money will go to fund spinal cord research at the Medical University of South Carolina. 

This legislation will go into effect in January of 2001

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Elderly homeowners, aged 65 or older, will see the property tax exemption increase from $20,000 to $50,000. 
 
EDUCATION
 
Besides the new spending included in the budget, education was the center of everyone’s agenda this session. Some high-profile projects such as $8 million in bonds for new school buses, a 3% raise for school bus drivers and a $38 million school technology initiative to bring more computers into classrooms.

This is on top of rewarding longtime teachers by implementing a 28-year full-retirement plan for all state employees, while providing incentives to recruit more into the profession.
 
CAR TAX RELIEF
 
A Constitutional amendment also was adopted to allow counties to increase their sales tax by two cents per dollar if voters approve to fund car tax cuts in November’s General Election 
 
ENVIRONMENT

There were two environmental bills that passed this last session which were very important.  The first dealt with nuclear waste.  Most states across the country are going to have to find a new place to dump their low-level nuclear waste.  South Carolina is closing Barnwell to nuclear waste from 38 states and will accept it only from within the state, New Jersey and Connecticut, all members of the Atlantic Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact.

The second bill referred to as Brownfields, will allow developers of a potential 600 sites to receive liability protection if they purchase and clean up contaminated industrial commercial property.
 
YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
 
Currently, I serve as Chairman of the York County Legislative Delegation and as a member of the Senate Finance, Education, Banking & Insurance, Medical Affairs, and Corrections and Penology Committees. I need your input when there is an issue pending that you have knowledge of or which will have an impact on you. Without your input the General Assembly is often forced to make decisions based on inadequate.  Also, I try to hold public hearings across the counties. 
 
If you need assistance or information or want to discuss an issue, you can contact me at:

If you need assistance or information or want to discuss an issue, you can contact me at: