Transparency, Ethics, & Protecting our Citizens

This week the work of the House of Representatives was described by House Republican Majority Leader Bruce Bannister as a “sprint in the midst of a legislative marathon.” We made significant strides toward increasing transparency in government, ensuring our state is adequately prepared to deal with natural disasters, and adding significant protections for the unborn – a busy week.

As part of our larger series of highly-focused ethics legislation, this week the House passed three more important reforms (all of which I supported). The first strengthens campaign finance reporting laws shortening the “black-out period” of ethics reports filed prior to elections from 2 weeks to 72 hours. The second clarifies how campaign funds should be attributed to primaries and primary run-off campaigns. The third provides certain exemptions to encourage state-funded university employees to develop intellectual property that benefits institutions of higher learning, making South Carolina more competitive in the effort to attract and retain top quality researchers.

On Wednesday, a House Judiciary panel gave initial approval to several more pieces of “sunshine legislation” aimed at increasing transparency while simultaneously decreasing the amount of time and red tape associated with obtaining public records. It sets an important precedent by adding more sunshine to the processes of government.

The House took preemptive action this week by giving initial approval to a bill that would guarantee the State of South Carolina is adequately equipped to deal with emergency situations. Preparation for emergency scenarios is a vital aspect of protecting South Carolinians for decades to come, which we can ensure by giving our state law enforcement agencies the ability to obtain necessary resources in our times of greatest need. It has been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and emergency arrangements should not be made in the midst of a crisis.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act once again (a similar bill made it through the House last year, but died in the Senate) made its way through the committee approval process. Providing statutory protections for the unborn remains a top priority for many House members. We will begin debate on this important issue next week on the House Floor.

This was also the last week of budget hearings, and the House Ways and Means Committee now begins the mammoth task of writing the state budget. Unlike Congress, we produce a balanced budget in South Carolina each year. I’ll be sharing more on that with you in the coming weeks.

I want to thank the many citizens who have shared their ideas with me on how we should proceed as a state on fixing our roads and bridges. Your feedback is valuable and necessary as part of our democratic process, and I look forward to continuing these conversations as I carefully examine the best path forward.

As always, thank you for the privilege of serving you in Columbia. If I can ever be of assistance to you, or if you have ideas on issues you want me to share with the rest of the General Assembly, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (864) 366-4112 or via email at craiggagnon@schouse.gov.