Immigration bill closer to vote

Myrtle Beach Sun News
By Zane Wilson
3/5/08

COLUMBIA –
House and Senate members trying to reach a compromise on their different versions of an immigration bill said Tuesday they think they can reach an agreement next week.

“I think we’re all in agreement we’d like to see something passed before we go home this year,” said Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Columbia.

The panel of three House and three Senate members took no official action, but went over a list of how their two bills differ.

Many of the differences are technical or in specific wording. The staff of the two houses was asked to review and recommend how to put the two bills in agreement.

The portions of the bills that are most in debate are the provisions the Senate added to require all employers to verify immigration status. The House bill required only those with public contracts to do so.

Another area of disagreement is how to enforce a ban on harboring an illegal immigrant. The exceptions, such as for charitable organizations, differ in the two bills.

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Lawmakers question air base closure board

Mrytle Beach Sun News
By Zane Wilson
3/14/08

COLUMBIA, SC -Horry County’s lawmakers said they wonder why they are still appointing people to the Myrtle Beach Air Base Redevelopment Authority 15 years after the base closed.

The legislative delegation gathered Wednesday at a breakfast meeting in a capital city hotel to deal with appointments to boards and to dole out recreation funds.

One of the appointments was to the base redevelopment board. The base closed March 31, 1993.

Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, said the board overseeing the closure of the Charleston Naval Base dissolved long ago.

The Navy base closed two years after Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, and its closure authority shut down about five years later.

Pat Howle, chief executive officer of Horry Electric Co-op, was at the delegation meeting because the electric co-ops paid for the breakfast. He is a member of the base redevelopment authority.

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Viers’ campaign asks for $30 donations

Myrtle Beach Sun News
“In Our Towns”

Viers’ campaign asks for $30 donations

State Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, kicked off his campaign for re-election Thursday, his 30th birthday, with a “30 for 30″ drive asking for $30 donations.

Viers is seeking a fourth two-year term. He said in a release that he is not taking campaign donations from special interests but looking for help from the voters.

He also said he has a new Web site, www.thadviers.com.

You Can Now Donate Online!

Did you know that you can now donate to my campaign right here online?

Your donation will go a very long way in helping my re-election efforts. I’m working very hard in Columbia to fight for illegal immigration reform, lower taxes, and spending caps. We can reform state government, but it takes like minded Republicans like you to get involved. That’s why I need your help today.

You can donate simply by clicking here.

Thank you for your support,

Thad

MB man found qualified for DOT commission

Myrtle Beach businessman Danny Isaac was cleared as a candidate for a seat on the state Department of Transportation Thursday, along with three others.

A fifth candidate dropped out.

Isaac is seeking the 1st Congressional District seat on the DOT commission. The unpaid positions are influential because they set policy and priorities for road projects and transportation spending. Read more

Viers chosen for panel to work on immigration

House backs cut in taxes for couples

State Rep. Thad Viers, who wrote more than a dozen immigration bills in the past two years, was appointed Tuesday to the conference committee that will work out differences in House and Senate versions of immigration reform.

Also on Tuesday, a House subcommittee approved an income tax cut for married couples and a boost to road maintenance funds. In the Senate, a key committee deferred action on bills that would allow nonprofit groups to have gambling nights and sell raffle tickets. Read more

Get your fill of party politics

If the continuing primary season doesn’t satisfy your need for party politics, here’s a sample of local party gatherings this month:

The Horry County Democratic Party will hold its county convention March 10 to select new party officers and delegates to the state convention. Anyone is welcome to attend, but only delegates selected at the recent precinct reorganization meetings can vote. Read more

Immigration bill on tap next week

The state legislature will resume discussion of its pending immigration bill this week, with a local legislative crusader against illegal immigration overseeing its final stage.

Three members each of the state House of Representatives and Senate will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday to try to resolve differences in their different versions of the immigration bill. Both chambers agree on a variety of measures to crack down on illegal immigrants through law enforcement, but disagree over the methods private employers should use to check the citizenship of new employees. Read more

Body to vote on bankrolling S.C. 31

A bill aimed at easing the tangle of red tape needed to register a boat that has been inactive or is of uncertain ownership will be up for a hearing Tuesday by a subcommittee of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

State Rep. Billy Witherspoon, R-Conway, sponsored the bill. He said it has been in the works for five years to solve situations such as the inheritance of a boat. It’s hard to get new titles for them, he said.

The proposal requires people to publish a legal ad seeking comment on the boat, and if there is none, it can receive a new title, Witherspoon said. Read more