The Sun News: Vote stalls on education post

The school choice issue burst into the open Wednesday as Horry County’s legislative delegation delayed an appointment to the state Board of Education in a vote that left the main candidate and some lawmakers confused.

Greg Killian of Myrtle Beach, who served on the state board from 1996-2004 and was its chairman part of that time, was the favored candidate of some lawmakers and was expected to be easily reappointed.

Killian was the only candidate until a few days ago, when Patricia Milley and Robert Zuercher filed for the appointment, but those two did not show up for Wednesday’s contentious legislative delegation meeting.
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The Sun News: Lawmakers discuss taxes, I-73

Interstate 73, tourism promotion, tax reform and immigration issues were among the top concerns aired Wednesday at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative luncheon.

About 200 people attended and listened for almost two hours as most of the county’s delegation spoke on issues they expect to be topics of legislation in the coming session and answered questions posed by chamber members.

Lawmakers were asked if they think they can get $10 million - or more - in the state budget again for tourism promotion, and if it could be a permanent allocation rather than one that has to be considered each year.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said more accommodations tax money was collected from Horry County last summer than ever before, and he believes it is related to the stepped-up tourism promotion.

That will help make a good case for permanent funding because increased revenue helps the whole state, Clemmons said.

How to get permanent funding for I-73 in the budget is another problem. A House-passed plan to do so failed last session because Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, opposed it. Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, said Leatherman supports I-73 but did not think it was the right time to spend state money on it.

Rep. Nelson Hardwick said the issue is one reason he works on developing relationships with legislators from other parts of the state.

“They enjoy divvying up our money,” he said. So he works on trying to persuade them to help Horry County make more money, such as with an interstate highway.

Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, also said it’s important to keep pressing the argument that I-73 is needed “from the state’s perspective,” and that it isn’t just to help Myrtle Beach bring in more tourists.

Clemmons commended the chamber members for lobbying other legislators about the area’s needs, especially with the annual reception for lawmakers held in the capital during the legislative session.

“You have made so much difference in how the Grand Strand is perceived in the General Assembly,” Clemmons said. Most of the delegation said they expect some action will be taken on immigration this year. More than a dozen bills on the subject were filed last year, many of them by Viers, and more will be filed this year.

“We just can’t continue to let things go on and on and on,” said Rep. Billy Witherspoon, R-Conway.

“Something’s going to happen,” but legislators will make sure it is fair to employers, Viers said.

Rankin said the state cannot allow local governments to pass their own immigration ordinances. The chamber and most other business groups do not want local governments to be able to regulate immigration, or to investigate employers.

On tax reform, Clemmons said there will be attempts to adjust the swap of sales tax for school operating taxes on owner-occupied homes. One result has been higher taxes for second homes, which affects investing and the real estate industry, he said.

Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, said economists predict a slowdown early in the year and local legislators will first have to make sure they hold onto local allocations before trying for additional money.

Lawmakers discuss taxes, I-73
By Zane Wilson - The Sun News  - Nov 29, 2007

The Sun News: MB leaders head to Ireland

Eighteen representatives of Myrtle Beach - including city and state elected officials - will head this weekend to another place known for golf but not for glorious weather.

They’ll be leaving Sunday for a week-long trip to Killarney, Ireland, Myrtle Beach’s newest sister city.

Representatives from Killarney visited Myrtle Beach earlier this year.

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The Sun News: MB Chamber skips smoking issue

The one issue left off the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s legislative agenda is one of the area’s hottest topics and the most divisive among the membership: smoking bans.

A committee on Thursday hammered out a list of topics they want the area’s state delegation to focus on in the upcoming legislative session, but it did not take a position on whether members supported a statewide smoking ban.

Several municipalities across South Carolina, including Surfside Beach, have recently outlawed smoking in public buildings, restaurants and bars. Businesses in these areas complain that it is unfair because they are competing with businesses that might be across the road - or even next door - where customers are allowed to light up.

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The Sun News: Killian may return to state Education Board

Former state Education Board member Greg Killian of Myrtle Beach appears likely to return to his old seat unless someone else contests for the slot.

Some legislators, who appoint the board, said they would like to see former Horry County Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait take the unpaid job, but she has not filed an application, and Killian has.

Neither was available for comment Friday.

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The State: State’s high court alters test results

The state’s top court has changed the grades for 20 people — including the children of a prominent state lawmaker and a longtime circuit judge — who earlier flunked the test required to practice law in South Carolina.

The S.C. Supreme Court in last week’s order said the wills, trusts and estates section of the July exam would “not be considered” in determining a test-taker’s overall score, though the justices gave no reasons for their decision.

The students include the daughters of state Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Richland, chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee; and Circuit Judge Paul Burch of Pageland, The State confirmed Thursday in interviews with the two men.

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Taxpayer Protection

Taped to my Statehouse Office door is my Taxpayer Protection Pledge. It’s the first thing visitors see because I want them to know where I stand on fiscal responsibility. I know that we are working with your hard-earned money and I’m going to do everything possible to protect you and your family.

I’m proud to have supported last year’s property tax reduction and this year’s income tax reduction and grocery sales tax elimination. This past session we cut your taxes by over $220 million – the largest tax decrease in state history. That decrease included the elimination of the 3% state grocery tax on November 1st and the removal of the bottom income-tax bracket. The income tax reduction saved South Carolina families over $86 million.

I’m proud of my Taxpayer Protection Pledge and as long as I’m your State Representative, you can count on someone to protect your hard-earned dollars.

My New Site

Hello. Welcome to my new website.

I’ll be updating this site regularly so please just check back for the latest legislative updates. As your Representative it is an honor to serve you. Most importantly, I know that I work for you so that I can push your conservative values in the state legislature.

I want you to always be able to contact me easily. You can call me at 843.903.2982, email me at tviers@yahoo.com, or fill out the contact page of this site.

It is an honor to serve you in the State House and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

WPDE - Local minuteman organization coming to Horry County

State Representative Thad Viers said the organization will function as an awareness group to the public, who will then act as lobbyists toward state leaders.

Viers said, “At the end of the day, these people here are in the country illegally and we have to deal with them and since the Federal government’s not doing their job to enforce the laws, it’s going to be up to us.”

Viers added illegal immigration is costing South Carolinians through housing violations, medical costs, schools, and overcrowding jails.

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The Sun News - Minuteman group forms in Horry

Marshaling their frustration and fury against what they see as an invasion, at least 150 people on Friday transformed the library here into a staging ground for the local fight against illegal immigrants.
“We have a big problem and our government is not going to do anything about it, so we have to make them,” said organizer Patricia Matthews.

The meeting heralded the formation of Horry County’s chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a national group that advocates for border security and sends its own members to the Mexican border to assist federal agents in their patrols.

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