State: Quiet Primary Season Winding Down

A quiet but unusual primary season is winding down in South Carolina as voters prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday to decide nominees for both of the state's U.S. Senate seats. 

Voters will also settle five congressional primaries and select between a bevy of candidates vying to become state superintendent of education and lieutenant governor. There are also more than two dozen contested primaries for nominations for the state House of Representatives. 

Generally between 17 and 25 percent of registered voters cast ballots in statewide primaries, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. Two years ago, the primary turnout was unusually light - only about 12 percent — after 250 candidates were tossed off the ballot statewide because of improperly filed paperwork.

Some things to look for as the votes come in on Tuesday night:

Can incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham win nomination to a third term without a runoff?

—Graham faces six GOP challengers who argue he is not conservative enough. Still, being able to tap a $7 million war chest, the incumbent is the prohibitive favorite. The only question is will the seven candidates split the vote to the extent that Graham can't get the more than half needed to avoid a runoff two weeks later? Six years ago he garnered 67 of the primary vote against a single opponent. There is a two-way Democratic primary for the seat.

How will Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott fare in his first statewide campaign?

—Scott is running against Randall Young of Greenville for the party nomination to seek the unexpired term of former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. DeMint resigned in late 2012 and Scott, a former congressman, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Nikki Haley. In his last contested primary in 2010, Scott easily won a runoff after winning a third of the vote in a nine-way GOP primary in the 1st District. Three Democrats are also running for the Senate seat.

What role will big names play in the race for superintendent of education? 

—Eight Republicans are running, including Sally Atwater, the widow of the late, well-known Republican strategist Lee Atwater. State Association of School Administrators director Molly Spearman had more money than Atwater going into the primary while former deputy superintendent of education Meka Childs, once an education adviser to former Gov. Mark Sanford and who has been endorsed by Sanford's wife Jenny, is also running. Four Democrats also want the job. Education Superintendent Mick Zais did not seek re-election. 

More big names in the lieutenant governor's race

—This is the last time South Carolina voters elect a lieutenant governor. Beginning in 2018, the lieutenant governor and governor will run as a ticket. Four Republicans want the nomination, including Henry McMaster, a former state party chairman who ran for the job in 1990 and has been appearing on TV ads with his bulldog "Boots." Among the other GOP candidates is another hopeful with a well-known name, Mike Campbell, the son of the popular late South Carolina Gov. Carroll Campbell. The winner of Tuesday's Republican primary faces Democratic state Rep. Bakari Sellers in November.

Expect no problems for congressional incumbents 

—Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson the 2nd District and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn in the 6th have primary opposition this time around. But they should have no problems what with large campaign accounts, wide name recognition and little-known opponents.

Ervin Collects 20,000 Signatures to Get on Ballot

Independent petition candidate for governor Tom Ervin is going to have to try again to turn in his signatures.

Ervin tried to turn in more than 20,000 signatures of registered voters on Monday, but State Election Commission officials explained it would be a lengthy process to count them the day before a primary when their manpower was involved in preparing for Tuesday's election, said Chris Whitmire, election commission spokesman.

Both sides agreed it would be best to do it on another day, tentatively set for next week, Whitmire said.

Ervin needs 10,000 verified signatures to get on the November ballot, but said he amassed more than twice that number: 20,137 to be exact.

"We're excited," he said Monday, adding that his list of voter signatures came from residents living in every county in the state.

"State government is controlled by career politicians," said Ervin, of Greenville. "Today, we give the voters of South Carolina a clear choice of whether they want career politicians to be in charge or someone who will address the political back-scratching and bring that to an end."

Ervin said the names were collected by volunteers who approached voters going door-to-door, as well as at beaches, shopping centers, and malls.

When Ervin returns to submit his signatures to the state Election Commission, staff will go through each name to determine whether they are legal residents and registered voters. Ervin and all those wishing to file as petition or independent candidates have until July 15 to get their lists in.

Ervin is a former state judge and Democratic lawmaker. He started the political season as an announced Republican primary challenger versus Gov. Nikki Haley, but later changed to run a solo effort.

On the stump so far he has been more critical of Haley than of Democrat candidate Sen. Vincent Sheheen.

Republicans also have tried to get Ervin to stop referring to himself as an independent Republican for governor.

Animals Rescued from Honea Path Farm

Rescuers with the Big Oaks Animal Farm said Abbeville County deputies called them to a Honea Path area farm over the weekend to rescue malnourished animals.

Joe Mann, founder of Big Oaks, said he arrived at the home on Saturday after deputies found one dead horse and seized five others.

Mann said the sheriff's office placed the horses in his care and then called him back to the scene on Sunday to round up goats from the Honea Path property that were not being properly cared for.

Mann said Big Oaks will care for the animals at the rescue farm in Greenwood until the outcome of the case.

Deputies in Abbeville confirmed they are investigating but were unable to provide additional details on Sunday.

CBO: No Way to Estimate Obamacare Costs

The Congressional Budget Office, which originally estimated that the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," would reduce the national debt by $120 billion, now says it has no way of estimating the cost of the new health care law.

CBO's new outlook on the ACA's costs was buried in a footnote to an April 14 report. It was first reported Wednesday by Roll Call's Paul M. Krawzak.

"CBO and [Joint Committee on Taxation] can no longer determine exactly how the provisions of the ACA that are not related to the expansion of health insurance coverage have affected their projections of direct spending and revenues. The provisions that expanded coverage established entirely new programs or components of programs that can be isolated and reassessed. Isolating the incremental effects of those provisions on previously existing programs and revenues four years after enactment of the ACP is not possible," the footnote read.

When President Barack Obama was trying to get the law passed in 2010, he frequently cited a CBO report estimating that the law would reduce the deficit by $210 billion over 10 years.

Republicans argued at the time that the estimate was wrong because the CBO was double counting cuts to Medicare as both reducing the deficit and funding other programs in the law. (An independent actuary hired by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 confirmed that money used to fund other programs in the law cannot simultaneously be used to lower deficits.)

The costs of the ACA are hard to estimate, in part, because President Barack Obama keeps making changes to the law, 41 changes so far,according to the Galen Institute. Many of these changes change the law's financial impact.

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Anderson County Earns First Tactical EMS Training Center

The Anderson County EMS & Special Operations Division has recently been certified as the nation’s first Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Community Training Center. TECC is the newest standard in caring for victims of trauma.  Personnel from EMS, fire and law enforcement, along with hospital and emergency management gathered for three days of intensive training in methods of response to mass casualty incidents and trauma care. Attendees came from Anderson, Abbeville and Greenville, and included a MUSC student from Ireland. This training was funded through a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services and administered by SC DHEC’s Public Health Preparedness program. 

Anderson County’s EMS and Special Operations Division was awarded this grant to increase the Upstate Region’s readiness and ability to respond to disasters and mass casualty incidents. In additional to funding the course, the $113,000 grant allowed for the purchase of a trailer, complete with mass casualty equipment needed for disaster response and care of victims during incidents beyond day-to-day emergencies. 

“Anderson County is proud to have once again taken the first step in preparing our local first responders to meet the needs of residents in the event of a major medical emergency,” said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn. “I want to thank all of those who gave of their time and talents to prepare themselves and to equip others to meet medical emergencies that should arise in our community. Our county is fortunate to have dedicated first responders who seek out every opportunity to sharpen their skills and maintain a state of readiness in order to make Anderson County and the Upstate a safer place to live.”

“We have not only advanced our training and equipment to prepare our team for the possibility of any major incident,” said Anderson County EMS & Special Operations Division Chief Scott Stoller.  “We are also better capable of effectively managing daily incidents that produce the possibility or actuality of more patients than immediate response capabilities can handle.” 

“Our goal is to be a resource for the Upstate and beyond,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. “Attaining this certification wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of dedicated staff that are vigilant in seeking out available educational and grant opportunities. With the distinction of being named the first TECC community training center in the nation, our initial group of instructors stands ready to work with organizations and agencies in communities across the Upstate to provide training opportunities that will help our region be prepared for the unthinkable.” 

“Regionalization is very important to us, continued Stoller.  “Having a common set of goals and protocols allows us to work together better, safer and more efficiently. Our goal is to reach out and share what we have learned by offering training courses to public safety personnel in the Upstate and to adapt it to schools, industry and other locations where this latest trauma training may help save a life.”

For information about Anderson County EMS & SO TECC Community Training Center and training opportunities, contact Chief Scott Stoller, Director

Anderson County EMS & SO

200 Bleckley Street

Anderson, SC 29625

Phone: 864.209.1101

Email: sstoller@acems.us

State: Haley "Misinformed" on New EPA Rules

Conservationists took aim Friday at S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley for questioning new carbon dioxide regulations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says will help in the fight against climate change, a phenomenon that is contributing to weather extremes and rising sea levels. 

In a news release, the Conservation Voters of South Carolina said Haley “appears to have been misinformed” about the state’s ability to comply with the proposed EPA rules, which are intended to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from the nation’s coal-fired power plants by about 30 percent.

“It appears that she has been given incorrect information about South Carolina’s ability to meet carbon pollution standards,” the group said, responding to comments the governor made earlier this week on the coast. 

The Conservation Voters group has endorsed Democrat Vincent Sheheen for governor over Republican Haley.

After a meeting of state electric cooperatives, Haley said, “We are seeing once again D.C. sending us backwards. We are recruiting international companies every day. One of the things they focus on are utility rates. When you see these mandates on utility companies like this, it’s not only hurting the state, it’s hurting the country.”

In response to questions about the carbon rules, Haley said, “This is the time we need D.C. to step back. Let us allow the economy to improve. Let us allow businesses to do what they want. So many of our companies are green friendly anyway. They are constantly trying to come up with new things. We don’t need more mandates to keep jobs away.” 

Haley’s remarks follow comments earlier in the week from the state-owned Santee Cooper power company, the state’s electric cooperatives and Attorney General Alan Wilson. All expressed concern that the rules were too tough on South Carolina and could increase electricity rates for customers. 

Efforts to reach Haley’s office and campaign office for comment Friday were unsuccessful. 

Nationally, the government is proposing a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide pollution from power plants during the next 20 years. The plan is to cut the greenhouse gas to levels below the amount released in 2005 in an effort to fight climate change. 

The rule, however, contains different reduction targets for different states. South Carolina is looking at a 51 percent cut in the rate at which power plants release carbon dioxide. But the Conservation Voters and other environmental groups say the 51 percent reduction required of South Carolina power plants is misleading. 

The addition of two nuclear plants in Fairfield County should shave the net percent cut to 28 percent, said Hamilton Davis, energy policy director at the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.

South Carolina also can make further improvements through energy efficiency programs and increases in solar energy, both of which would reduce the demand for coal-generated electricity, he said. South Carolina has closed several coal plants that may not have been factored into the 51 percent, Davis said. The state already has cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 30 percent since 2005, according to the Conservation Voters and the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.

Environmental groups have applauded the rules as a way to fight climate change, which is predicted to cause an array of problems in coming years. A recent national report said some of the climate change impacts already are happening. 

One of the issues of concern in South Carolina is sea-level rise because so many buildings have been constructed close to the ocean in a state with an extensive beach tourism industry. The Debordieu community in Georgetown County has little beach on its southern end because of erosion and waves are smacking a seawall daily. Legislators stepped in this past week to help homeowners.

26,000 Absentee Ballots Cast in S.C. GOP Primary

South Carolina election officials say more than 26,000 votes have been cast in next week's primaries.
    
The State Election Commission said as of Friday afternoon, voters have requested almost 34,000 absentee ballots for Tuesday's primaries, with more than three-quarters of them already returned.
    
Officials say about 16,500 of the 21,200 absentee ballots requested for the Republican primary have been returned. About 9,700 of the 12,500 ballots sent out for the Democratic primary are already in hand.
    
The turnout is a little slower than the 2010 primaries when 39,000 absentee votes were cast. Those primaries had contested governor races in both parties, while this year, there are primaries for the U.S. Senate seats occupied by both Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott.

Community Leader Mickey Walker Dies

Mickey Walker, a leader in the Anderson community for many years, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2014 at his home after an extended illness.  He was 81 years old. Born in Marion, NC, he was the son of the late Joseph Arthur and Iva Walker.

He is survived by his wife Betty Shirley Walker; sons, David (Jackie) Walker and Danny (Susan) Walker; daughter, Susan (Keith) Timmerman. He was "Big Buddy" to his grandchildren: Dr. Jackson (Dr. Lauren) Walker, Boone Walker, Clarke Walker, Dr. Amanda (Austin) Walker, Allie Walker, Cameron Walker, Reed Timmerman and Wade (Kayla) Timmerman. He is also survived by his sister, Loretta (Jim) Ellis and sister-in-law, Carolyn Walker; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Bill Walker and his sister, Jane Brinkley. 

Mickey attended the Marion public schools and Stetson University. After graduating from Furman University he served in the 2nd Armor Division in Mannheim, Germany. Following his Army duty, he returned to Marion and began his insurance career in life and health. He later represented Hardware Mutual of the Carolinas, a fire and casualty company. Mickey then decided to open an independent agency in Anderson, a career that lasted for forty-three years. He retired as a founding partner of Palmetto Insurance of Anderson. He really enjoyed the relationships formed with his customers and employees.

He played American Legion Baseball in high school and baseball at Furman. He was a Life Member of Cardinal Racquet Club, co-director of the first Anderson Tennis Classic and played tournament tennis as long as health permitted. He supported and encouraged young tennis players and made tennis a family sport for his own children. 

Mickey was an encourager of young people and an enthusiastic supporter of Anderson University. He served as a trustee on the Advisory Board and was a founding member of the Trojan Club. He received the Annie Dove Denmark Award for his service.

He was very civic minded and loved his adopted hometown of Anderson. As a young man, he was active in Jaycees and Sertoma. He was past president of the Anderson Chamber of Commerce, and was co-chair of the Riley for Governor Campaign. 

For many years, he was Chairman of the Board of Haven of Rest Ministries. He was instrumental in building the children's home which is now the men's training center, which is a place to help men turn their lives around.

Most important of all to Mickey was his faith. He cherished the opportunity to become close to many church families in the Saluda Baptist Association. He served as a part-time Minister of Music at Southside, Pope Drive, Whitefield and Lebanon Baptist Churches, and as interim at several others. His home church in Anderson was First Baptist Church where he served as a deacon, choir member, and long-time Sunday School teacher. He will certainly be at home in the Heavenly choir.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church conducted by Dr. James R. Thomason. Private interment will precede the service. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday at Sullivan-King Mortuary, 3205 North Highway 81, Anderson. Family members are at their respective homes.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of choice.

S.C. Legislature Finishes Sessions with Work Undone

Bills becoming law in the Legislature's final days include those that allow epileptic patients to legally possess oil derived from marijuana, grow South Carolina's craft brewery business, and make barbecue the state's official picnic food.

The legislative session officially ended at 5 p.m. Thursday, though lawmakers will return in two weeks for a special session.

Perhaps the Legislature's biggest accomplishment this week has been finalizing its $7 billion spending plan for state taxes. Legislators approved a budget compromise Wednesday for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The last time they completed their plan before the regular session ended was 2010. 

The Legislature will wrap up its work after Gov. Nikki Haley issues her line-item budget vetoes next week.

Haley signed nearly 60 bills into law earlier this week. They include those that:

Allow people suffering from severe epilepsy to legally use oil derived from marijuana to control their seizures. It allows people certified by a doctor as suffering from severe epilepsy, or their parents, to legally possess non-psychoactive cannabidiol, known as CBD oil. Many view it as a baby step toward allowing other medical uses of marijuana in South Carolina.

Remove brewers' production limits. The law is meant to grow South Carolina's craft brewery business and make the state a destination for beer aficionados. It also allows brewers to operate a restaurant onsite and get a permit to sell other producers' beer and wine.

Amend the state's centuries-old antigambling laws to allow games of cards, dice or tiles. It specifies that social clubs or groups can now gather at someone's home or community clubhouse to play the games - naming examples of bridge, canasta and mahjong. Electronic devices and betting on the games are still banned. The bill requires another perfunctory vote to head to the House.

Allow people to grow and cultivate hemp, as long as it's used for legal purposes, including the making of cloth, fiber, seeds and seed oil.

Require anyone who catches a great white shark to immediately release it and ensure it remains in the water while doing so. A 3,500-pound great white shark named Mary Lee has visited the South Carolina coastline since being tagged in 2012.

Create a state Prisoner of War Medal that the governor can award to a South Carolina resident.

Measures approved in a flurry of activity Thursday include one aimed at boosting students' chances of success through an expansion of 4-year-old kindergarten and early intervention in reading. The "Read to Succeed" bill seeks to ensure students can read by fourth grade through a coordinated focus that includes reading coaches, summer reading camps and teacher training. Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, students still struggling to read by the end of third grade would be held back for intensive help. That bill heads to Haley's desk.

The budget compromise includes money for additional reading coaches and summer camps, as well as a partial expansion of the state program for poor 4-year-olds, by increasing access in 10 districts. That means the program will be available in 61 of the state's 81 districts.

Lt. Gov. Candidates Debate Set

The four Republicans who want to become South Carolina's last elected lieutenant governor are scheduled to debate in Columbia.

The debate is set for 7 p.m. Thursday and will be carried live by South Carolina Educational Television. It will include all four candidates - Mike Campbell, the son of former Gov. Carroll Campbell, retired Kiawah Island developer Pat McKinney, former state attorney general Henry McMaster and retired Army chaplain Ray Moore.

All four vow to help Gov. Nikki Haley. This is the last year South Carolina voters will choose a lieutenant governor. Starting in 2018, candidates for governor will choose who they want as their lieutenant governor and run on the same ticket.

The winner of Tuesday's Republican primary will face Democratic state Rep. Bakari Sellers in the fall.

Poll: Jeb Bush GOP Choice for S.C.

Gallup calculates South Carolina as the seventh most conservative state in the union, with 45 percent of residents self-identifying as conservative.

But it’s the Republican candidates sporting more moderate hues who are performing best in the early goings of the 2016 presidential primary marathon there.

A new Palmetto poll by Clemson University finds former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush leading a hypothetical six-person field for the GOP nomination with 22 percent of the vote.

Trailing in second place is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who registers 10 percent.

The rest of the field lags in single digits.

A December survey of the Palmetto State primary field by Gravis Marketing found Mike Huckabee barely edging Bush, 18 percent to 17 percent. (Huckabee is a strong social conservative but is routinely blasted by the Club for Growth for his spending legacy as governor.)

The glaring difference is that the recent Palmetto poll by Clemson did not include Huckabee in its survey. Each pollster must make a gut call on which candidates to include or leave out, but there’s little science to use when attempting to gauge who might ultimately run. Additionally, the price of a poll can rise as more options are included.

Polling in the first in the south primary has been sparse and a large swath of the electorate is understandably undecided. To illustrate that fact, 48 percent of those surveyed in the recent Palmetto poll said they were undecided.

But there are still a couple of key take-aways from this data taken together.

First, geography still matters in South Carolina. Sure, name identification is important and both Bush and Huckabee have it. But it can’t be overlooked that both men governed southern states not far away.

Newt Gingrich, who represented neighboring Georgia in Congress, triumphed in the 2012 South Carolina primary over Mitt Romney. In 2008, Sen. John McCain was victorious, but he was helped by the fact that Huckabee and Fred Thompson, who had previously served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, split the vote.

Secondly, while South Carolina wields a conservative reputation, it also has a strong base of establishment Republicans.

Dive back into the Palmetto poll and it shows Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cruising to a primary victory next Tuesday likely without having to endure a runoff.

Graham, a foreign policy hawk who has staked out more moderate stands on immigration policy and President Barack Obama’s judges, is ahead of his nearest primary foe by 40 points.

It’s why none of the 2016ers – even those hailing from the tea party wing – decided to align themselves with one of Graham’s right-leaning opponents.

S.C. Senate President Pro Tem Steps Done

Sen. John Courson abruptly stepped down from his South Carolina Senate leadership post Wednesday, a move he hoped would forestall Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell's planned resignation later this week.

Courson, R-Columbia, said he decided to step down as Senate president pro tem - but not leave his Senate seat - after learning that McConnell still planned to resign his office Thursday. Senate members have asked McConnell to wait until the Legislature wraps up its work in two weeks. McConnell becomes president of the College of Charleston next month.

Courson has repeatedly said he won't leave his Senate seat to temporarily occupy the state's No. 2 spot, noting voters will elect McConnell's replacement in just five months.

Courson said he hopes his decision, which he said McConnell forced him to make, changes McConnell's mind. Without a lieutenant governor or Senate president pro tem, bills wrapped up in the legislative session's waning days may not reach Gov. Nikki Haley's desk because there will be no presiding officer in the Senate to sign them.

And there appears to be no senator willing to become president pro tem while the possibility of becoming lieutenant governor looms.

Every bill must be ratified. That means the House speaker and the Senate leader must verify through their signatures their chambers approved a measure. If the lieutenant governor is not available to sign off, the Senate president pro tem does so. But if Courson lends his signature while the office is vacant, that could mean he's automatically lieutenant governor. Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin said that's how he interprets the state constitution.

Courson's resignation may have stalled McConnell's resignation as hoped. Martin said late Wednesday that McConnell told him he would stay so as not to cause a constitutional crisis in the session's waning days.

Museum to Feature Garden Club Exhibit Saturday

The Anderson Council of Garden Clubs will celebrate National Garden Week with an exhibit at the Anderson County Museum. "Pride of the Piedmont" will open with a reception on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Showcasing the eleven Anderson County Garden Clubs, the exhibit will highlight the contribution the garden clubs have made in Anderson County over the years. "The Anderson Garden Club began in 1930 and is celebrating its 84th birthday this year" said Dee LeMay, President of the Anderson Council of Garden Clubs. The exhibit will be on display through the month of June in the ACM temporary gallery.

For more information on becoming a member of a Garden Club contact Dee LeMay at (315) 480-5447 or via e-mail andersongardencouncil@aol.com