Only in South Carolina can you get a license plate that clearly declares that you are a follower of Jesus Christ…that you believe in Him…who He is, what He taught, and what He did on the cross to make forgiveness and reconciliation with God possible.

We can think of no better time than Holy Week to get a plate of your own, or give one as a gift to a friend or family member.

Visit http://www.ibelievesc.net/get.htm to download your order form today.

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

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Senate passes bill to end benefits for workers fired for misconduct

Columbia, SC – March 29, 2012 – The South Carolina Senate today passed S.1125, a bill to prevent workers fired for misconduct from collecting unemployment benefits – a move that could save the unemployment system $50 million per year.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Lee Bright, Senator Kevin Bryant, and others, is aimed at protecting businesses from having to pay out benefits for workers fired under these circumstances. It also protects consumers by keeping costs low, and protects taxpayers at a time when the state is still working to pay back loans made to the unemployment trust fund.

The bill is necessary because current law is not acting as the legislature intended, and actually resulted in $50 million in benefits awarded to people fired for misconduct last year alone. The bill will clarify language dealing with these types of claims, making it consistent with federal law.

“South Carolina businesses shouldn’t be on the hook for firing workers that have been fired for any type or wrongdoing,” Sen. Lee Bright said. “This bill will not only protect businesses, but protects the benefits of workers who make a claim for legitimate reasons.”

“We have to keep the cost of business as low as possible in South Carolina, both for the business owners and the consumers,” Sen. Bryant said. “This bill keeps illegitimate costs from being passed along to consumers or taxpayers.”

s.1354 requires the SC Attorney General to post cease and desist notices involving securities brokers online. The bill was amendment to include the following requirement:

… in the same manner as a judgment of the court. A copy of a final order must be forwarded to the South Carolina Department of Revenue and the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.

If the Attorney General has reason to believe that a matter subject to an order issued pursuant to this section would constitute a violation of federal law, he may notify the appropriate federal agency with jurisdiction over the matter.

Several attorneys in the Senate (Martin L., Hutto, Malloy, & Rose) offered some guidance in this matter.

1125 Committee Amendment sponsors: Scott and Bryant
The Committee amendment strikes each instance of the word “cause” and inserts the word “misconduct”. The US DOL does not recognize the word “cause” but does recognize the word “misconduct”.
The amendment mandates that termination for misconduct results in a full disqualification, i.e. twenty weeks.
The amendment defines “misconduct” as does the US Department of Labor.
The amendment maintains the discretion of DEW to award benefits in the event of “extreme hardship, emergency, sickness, or other extraordinary circumstance”. It also directs that, “mere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, inadvertencies, or ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good-faith errors in judgment or discretion are not misconduct for the purposes of this item.”
Section 2 ensures that in the event that an employee is disqualified and then separated from future employment and eligible for benefits, those benefits will not be charged to the employer who fired the person.
Section 3 provides that if benefits are found to be fraudulent, then the employer will not be charged. Those charges previously were removed only if the money was recovered from the employee that committed fraud.

H. 4639 – I cannot in good conscience support a measure that surrenders SC’s home owners to any kind of international codes regardless of how good or bad they may be.

This bill improves standards for increased energy efficiency in home constructions. What’s wrong with that? It is not governments role to tell you how much shredded newspaper or fiberglass you put in your attic! It’s yours remember?

Here is a perfect example of how the legislature takes a very good idea (I’m all for saving money on your gas and electric bill) and forces this decision on the citizenry.

It slaps the owner of property in her/his face in the name of “green”. I’m getting sick of all these “green” initiatives.

It is not, nor never should be the role of government to tell you how to live your own life in your own house.

I apologize for my rant, but I voted against this bill on 2nd reading and asked for a role call vote on 3rd reading (not required) so I could vote NAY twice on this bill.

Ayes: Alexander, Campsen, Courson, Hutto, Land, Lourie, Matthews, Peeler, Reese, Setzler, Anderson, Cleary, Elliott, Jackson, Leatherman, Malloy, McGill, Pinckney, Ryberg, Sheheen, Campbell, Coleman, Hayes, Knotts, Leventis, Martin (Larry), Nicholson, Rankin, Scott, Williams

Nays: Bright, Davis, Grooms, Rose, Bryant, Fair, Martin (Shane), Shoopman, Cromer, Gregory, Massey, Verdin