Kevin Bryant

Fiscal fitness should matter in our state by Sen. Phillip Shoopman (R-Greenville)

Last year, the voters in the Upstate and across the country spoke loudly that they wanted real reform and real conservative solutions to the spending habits and inefficient government practices both in Washington and in Columbia. The 2010 election was a revolution for a change in Washington to fix a system where overspending and budgetary deficits were not only hurting economic development but saddling our children and grandchildren with incredible debts.

Unfortunately, we are facing similar problems with budgeting and spending in Columbia. During the past session, I was a member of a subcommittee that examined the problem of agencies incurring deficits even though our state Constitution requires that we have a balanced budget each year. Last year, three agencies were prepared to ask the Budget and Control Board for permission to run deficits for a total of over $250 million. By the end of fiscal year 2010-2011, two agencies were able to reassess their budgets, make spending cuts and end the fiscal year without running a deficit. However, the other agency, the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services, was not able to do so and was allowed by the five-person board to run a deficit of over $220 million.

We learned that the South Carolina Code allows a loophole for bureaucrats to bypass the Legislature and be allowed to overspend. Section 1-11-495 allows the five-member Budget and Control Board, if it makes a finding that “the deficit is unavoidable due to circumstances that are outside the control of the agency,” by a four-person vote, to recognize the agency’s deficit, meaning the board authorizes allowing the agency to spend more than your elected representatives budgeted for them. The board must then notify the General Assembly of this determination. If the General Assembly does not act, then the board’s vote stands, and the agency is allowed to run a deficit. The Board then gives additional money to the agency to make up the deficit amount. The additional money is taken from surplus revenues or surplus funds and from funds available in the Capital Reserve Fund and General Reserve Fund.

Fundamentally, we have whittled down to the central question of, if an agency has a legal mechanism to bypass their budget limits, then why budget at all?

I have observed in the General Assembly that financial problems that were estimated to be in the millions of dollars quickly became tens of millions of dollars. And, while I would like to believe that self-control would prevail in future spending practices, the prudent approach would be to ensure that it does. For that to happen, issues such as deficit prevention, regulatory reform, spending caps, trust fund protection and other topics must be addressed and enacted in South Carolina.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, has asked me to serve on his Fiscal Fitness Subcommittee to consider those financial issues facing our state. As such, we will be conducting public hearings around the state so that we can hear from the public and get their opinions as they relate to those issues. As the sole member asked to serve from the Upstate, I hope that you will consider attending the public hearing in Greenville today beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Greenville County Council Chambers.

By Joshua Miller, Roll Call

South Carolina’s Congressional redistricting map was precleared by the Department of Justice late Friday, solidifying new lines that shore up Palmetto State incumbents and also add a new seventh district, almost certain to be won by a Republican.
The DOJ’s decision means House Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn will likely be the state’s one Democrat in the 113th Congress.
Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, the man in charge of the DOJ’s powerful Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to the leaders of the state Legislature noting in crisp legalese that Attorney General Eric Holder “does not interpose any objection to the specified change” to the proposed Congressional boundaries.
Under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the DOJ or the federal District Court for the District of Columbia must preapprove any changes to voting lines in certain states, including South Carolina.
Reapportionment granted South Carolina a new district, which the GOP-controlled Legislature placed in the northeastern part of the state. The new 7th Congressional district is anchored in Horry County, the home county of Myrtle Beach. State Rep. Thad Viers (R) is the early frontrunner in the race but is expected to be joined soon by former Lt. Gov. André Bauer (R).
Given the GOP bent of the open seat, state political operatives expect a primary with many other contenders. Roll Call Politics rates the new seat Safe Republican.
JoshuaMiller@rollcall.com | @jm_dc

Powdersillve Post by Jason Evans

Sen. Bryant speaks on tort reform, Medicaid, local legislation

POWDERSVILLE — Sen. Kevin Bryant’s school days are behind him, but he recently received a passing grade from Gov. Nikki Haley

Haley gave Bryant an “A” score on her legislative report cards.

Bryant, who represents District 3 in the SC Senate spoke at a recent Town Hall meeting hosted by Councilman Ken Waters at Wren High School.

He spoke about some of the items Haley highlighted in her report card including on-the-record voting

Bryant has long been a proponent of transparency, often asking for his vote to be entered in the record during voice votes.

“Voice votes are when the presiding officer says ‘All in favor say aye and all opposed say no’, and you don’t know how they’re voting,” Bryant said.

Before legislation was proposed requiring votes to be recorded, the Senate changed its rules to require that votes be recorded.

“We changed our rules very early, yet the governor was very adamant that it be put in statute,” Bryant said. “I don’t think you really care how we do it — you just want to know how we vote.”

Bryant said that even though he voted for the on-the-record legislation, “I just don’t see the big deal there.”

“It’s all done,” he said. “It’s in legislation and it’s in the rules.”

Visit scsenate.gov to find out how senators are voting.

“I see a lot of waste in Medicaid,” said Bryant, who owns a pharmacy in Anderson. “A customer comes up to me with a prescription that costs $1,000 and their co-pay is $3.40, or the customer comes up to me and their prescription is $10 and their co-pay is $3.40 — there’s no consumerism there on their part to save you the taxpayer money.”

Bryant said he believed Medicaid should be allowed to use prior authorizations — making a customer meet a level of criteria before a prescription or procedure is paid for.

Prior authorizations can be a pain to providers, Bryant said, but he feels they are necessary

“Because the dollars are scarce and we need to protect your money,” Bryant said.

He also spoke on a tort reform bill that caps punitive damages on lawsuits.

The bill does not cap economic damages — loss of wages, damages to crops.

“Punitive damages are these things that go over and beyond, and those are capped at $500,000,” Bryant said. “That’s still a very large amount of money. That will help our economy. Anytime you do something to prevent frivolous lawsuits, it does help our economy.”

Bryant said he supported the majority of Gov. Haley’s budget vetoes.

He spoke about local legislation.

“Local legislation is a bill that comes to the Senate and only two people vote, me and Sen. O’Dell, the only two people that represent Anderson County,” Bryant said. “Then it goes to the House and the only ones who vote on it are the House members and it only applies to Anderson County.”

He feels the legislature “has gone too far” regarding local legislation.

“There were some bills that would allow some school districts to borrow money to pay ongoing expenses — to bond out money to pay the light bill, so to speak,” Bryant said. “I felt that wasn’t necessary, even though it wasn’t Anderson County. I felt like what they’re doing is being very irresponsible. The state’s going to have to bail them out, so it does affectyou up here, even though the school district is across the state.”

Gov. Haley has been vetoing many such local legislation bills, Bryant said.

Bryant also spoke on the proposed Department of Administration.

“South Carolina is the only state that has a Budget and Control Board,” he said. “The legislature controls more things in South Carolina than in most state. Our Office is the Governor is very weak. I feel personally that that’s not the best way to do business. The legislature ought to pass law and the executive branch ought to put forth that law.

“The Department of Administration bill eliminates the Budget and Control Board … puts a lot of these things in the executive branch,” Bryant continued.

He feels confident the Senate will pass that bill in the upcoming session.

“It’ll be one of the first things we do when we go back in January,” Bryant said.

The legislature could also look at changing the state Constitution to allow the State Superintendent of Education to be appointed, not elected, Bryant said.

“It would require two-thirds vote in the House and the Senate and then it would be put on the ballot for you to vote on,” Bryant said.

He also approves merging the Department of Parole with the Department of Corrections.

Bryant said he didn’t know if the Voter ID bill would be in effect in time for next year’s election, as there is a court challenge to the bill.

“I feel like that was very important,” Bryant said. “I feel like if I go vote, and someone goes to vote that shouldn’t be voting, they stole my vote.”

South Carolina is $32 billion in debt, a figure that includes unfunded liabilities, police officers retirement and state retirement, local government, unemployment and higher education, he said.

“What the legislature has been doing is offering things without figuring out how to pay for them,” Bryant said. “That’s how we got into this mess.”

Paying off the debt will lower unemployment taxes that employers have to pay, which will in turn help employers create jobs, Bryant said.

Bryant is up for re-election in 2012.

“I’ll be up for hire or fire,” he said. “I’ll leave that up to you.”
© powdersvillepost.com 2011

NOTICE TO ALL SOUTH CAROLINA EMPLOYERS:

You Must Verify All New Hires through E-Verify Effective January 1, 2012

Amendments to the “South Carolina Illegal Immigration and Reform Act” were signed into law by Governor Nikki Haley on June 27, 2011. The amended law requires all employers to enroll in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system beginning January 1, 2012 and to verify the legal status of all new employees through E-Verify within three business days. Failure to enroll in and use E-Verify to verify new hires will result in probation for the employer or suspension/revocation of the employer’s business licenses.

Verification Requirements
In addition to completing and maintaining the federal employment eligibility verification form, more commonly known as the Form I-9, all South Carolina employers must within three business days after employing a new employee:

Verify the employee’s work authorization through the E-Verify federal work authorization program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Employers may no longer confirm a new employee’s employment authorization with a driver’s license or state identification card.

E-Verify is a free Internet-based system maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. E-Verify compares the information an employee provides on Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, against millions of government records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The database generally provides results in three to five seconds. If the information matches, the employee is eligible to work in the United States. If there’s a mismatch, E-Verify will alert the employer and the employee will be allowed to work while he or she resolves the problem. To enroll in E-Verify, go to www.dhs.gov/e-verify.