Journal of the House of Representatives
of the First Session of the 111th General Assembly
of the State of South Carolina
being the Regular Session Beginning Tuesday, January 10, 1995

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| Printed Page 3580, May 17 | Printed Page 3600, May 18 |
Printed Page 3590 . . . . . Wednesday, May 17, 1995
Further proceedings were interrupted by adjournment, the pending question being the motion to reconsider the vote whereby Amendment No. 3 was rejected.

RETURNED WITH CONCURRENCE

The Senate returned to the House with concurrence the following:

H. 3717 -- Reps. Carnell, Klauber, McAbee, Stille and Tucker: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO WELCOME AMY HETTICH OF LARAMIE, WYOMING, THE 1995 MISS RODEO USA, TO SOUTH CAROLINA IN CONJUNCTION WITH HER APPEARANCE AT AN UPSTATE RODEO IN MAY AND TO EXTEND TO HER THE PRIVILEGE OF THE HOUSE FLOOR ON THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1995.

H. 4213 -- Rep. Lanford: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE THE ANNUAL FAMILY-ORIENTED CELEBRATION OF BROTHERHOOD AND GOOD HUMOR, BUBBAFEST, AND TO ENCOURAGE SOUTH CAROLINIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN BUBBAFEST '95, SEPTEMBER 8 AND 9 AT MCKINNEY PARK IN WOODRUFF AND ENJOY THE SIGNATURE EVENT OF THE THIRD ANNUAL BUBBAFEST, THE BUBBA-Q COOK-OFF.

H. 4214 -- Rep. Meacham: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO DR. ALLEN D. EDWARDS OF ROCK HILL UPON BEING NAMED THE "1995 OUTSTANDING OLDER SOUTH CAROLINIAN".

H. 4222 -- Rep. Govan: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING THE KIWANIS CLUB OF ORANGEBURG ON SERVING THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE CITIZENS OF ORANGEBURG FOR FIFTY YEARS.


Printed Page 3591 . . . . . Wednesday, May 17, 1995
ADJOURNMENT

At 12:30 P.M. the House in accordance with the motion of Rep. COTTY adjourned in memory of W. Leslie Robertson of Columbia, to meet at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow.

* * *

Printed Page 3592 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
Thursday, May 18, 1995

(Statewide Session)

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The House assembled at 10:00 A.M.

Deliberations were opened with prayer by the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Rev. Dr. Alton C. Clark as follows:

O God, the Giver of all good gifts, grant us the ability to know what is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, and to praise that which pleases You, to hold fast to that which is precious to You, and to reject that which is evil in Your sight. Teach us to value things according to their true worth, and enable us to honor You by our obedience to Your will. May we willingly accept the discipline of our work and through it confidently to declare our faith. Direct us with Your most gracious favor, and further us with Your continual help.

Thank You, Lord, for this privilege of prayer. Amen.

Pursuant to Rule 6.3, the House of Representatives was led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America by the SPEAKER.

After corrections to the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday, the SPEAKER ordered it confirmed.

REPORT RECEIVED

BANKING AND INSURANCE COMMITTEE

TO: The Clerk of the Senate

The Clerk of the House
FROM: C. Tyrone Courtney, Chairman

Jt. Legislative Screening Committee to Review Candidates

for the SC Consumer Affairs Commission
DATE: May 17, 1995

In compliance with the provisions of Act No. 119, 1975 S.C. Acts 122, it is respectfully requested that the following information be printed in the Journals of the Senate and the House.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/Senator C. Tyrone Courtney, Chairman
/s/Senator Robert W. Hayes, Jr.

Printed Page 3593 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
/s/Senator Glenn G. Reese
/s/Senator Dick Elliott
/s/Representative George Bailey
/s/Representative James N. Law
/s/Representative Teddy N. Trotter
/s/Representative Lucille S. Whipper

The Screening Process

Pursuant to Act No. 119 of 1975 and Act. No. 181 of 1993, this Committee has considered the qualifications of candidates seeking election to vacancy No. 3 of the South Carolina Consumer Affairs Commission.

The Committee's report includes the Transcript of the Proceedings before the Screening Committee on May 10, 1995. The Transcript does not include all exhibits offered by candidates or witnesses at the hearing because of the length of some exhibits. Exhibits which are not reproduced as a part of the Transcript may be viewed in the Office of the Banking and Insurance Committee (Room 203 of the Gressette Building), since these exhibits were reviewed and considered by the Committee in making its findings.

TRANSCRIPT OF HEARING OF MAY 10, 1995

THE CHAIRMAN: Okay, we're going to go ahead and start our meeting here and we want to welcome all of your here and appreciate your coming. We appreciate your being willing to serve. When we do these screening committees, I want you to understand that we're not trying to rate you as far as your ability and so forth, merely to see that you're qualified to be a candidate. And it's not going to be something that you're going to feel like you've been put through the fire today. We've looked at your applications and each one of you look to be very well qualified and very good people. What we want to do though is ask you some questions. Most of the questions are kind of formal. We will ask you some questions, we hope they won't offend you, we've got to ask you if you have a criminal record and things like that. We have to ask everybody those questions. I hope you understand that. To be fair to everyone, we'd like to take them in alphabetical order and then have the others outside the room while we're asking one so you don't hear the questions and so forth, which would be an unfair advantage. Room 203, around the corner here, I think the Sergeant maybe can show you where that is. We will let the others stay there as we question.
Printed Page 3594 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
Ms. Bloom, you're first in the alphabet, so we'll take you first and go through on that line. Have a seat around there, we'll be with you very soon.
COURT REPORTER: I need to know his name, please.
THE CHAIRMAN: His name is James Law, House Member.
Ms. Bloom, I need to put you under oath, would you raise your right hand for me, please?
MS. BLOOM, being duly sworn testifies as follows:

PERSONAL DATA QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

1. Lillian C. Bloom

Home Address:

2207 Wade Hampton Blvd, Apt. C-205

Greenville, S.C. 29615

2. She was born in New York, New York on 11/12/20. She is presently 74 years old. Social Security Number: ***-**-****.

5. She was married to Jack L. Bloom on October 19, 1963.

7. Education: Hunter College, A.B. 1941 (New York City).

New York University, M.A. 1952 (New York City).

8. She is presently serving on the S.C. Consumer Affairs Commission and wishes to seek re-election. She was elected by the General Assembly on May 27, 1992. Her term expires June 30, 1995.

9. CIVIC, CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: Greenville Hospital Center Advisory Committee, Board member (1974-1979), Chairman (1979-1982); Senior Center, Board Member (1979-1982); Greenville County Council For Community Action (Now, Share), Board Member (1970-1976); Head Start Health Advisory Committee, Chairman (1972-1979); United Way, Budget Allocation panel (1975-1980); CETA, Member (1981-1983), Served By Appointment of Governor; Greenville Free Medical Clinic, Board Member (1987-1990); Greenville Chapter American Red Cross, Board Member, Secretary (1990-Present); SC Appalachian Council of Governments, Member, Area Advisory Council On Aging (1998-Present); Greenville Literacy Association, Member, Tutor

Printed Page 3595 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
(1988- Present); Mental Health Association, Greenville County, Board Member (1982-1988), Y.W.C.A., Board Member (1970-1976) Member, Public Policy Committee(1990-Present), Congregation Beth Israel, Board Member (1985-1989); Greenville Section, National Council of Jewish Women, Board member (1965-Present); Furman University Learning In Retirement, Curriculum Chairman (1993-Present).

10. CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
Medical Records Librarian - Beth Israel Hospital, New York City, 1942-1950.
Administrative Assistant - New York University Medical Center, 1950-1956.
Field Representative - National Council of Jewish Women, 1956-1966.
Director, Neighborhood Youth Corps - In School Program, Greenville county, 1966-1969.
Liaison Teacher Counselor, Children's Re-Education Center, Marshall I. Pickens Hospital, 1969-1970.

21. Five (5) letters of recommendation: (1) Dr. Sarah Fletcher - FULIR Coordinator, Furman University, (2) Michael J. Stogner - Director Area Agency on Aging, (3) Ann M. Sutton -American Red Cross, Greenville Chapter, (4) Joanne E. Batson- Executive Director of YWCA in Greenville, (5) Bessie M. Lee -Executive Director of Greenville, Literacy Association, Inc., (6) Elaine Hallaert - Southern National Bank.

MS. BLOOM BEING EXAMINED BY MR. COURTNEY:
Q: Ms. Bloom, you are currently on the board at this time and probably have been through this before, but we'll just go through the formal questions and see if any of the members of the committee here have any questions for you. First of all, do you or any members of your family own any contracts or do business with the state or federal government?
A: No.
Q: And do you or any family member own or operate any business that receives funds from the Consumer Affairs Department?
A: No.
Q: Have you ever been arrested, charged by any Federal or State law enforcement?
A: No.

Printed Page 3596 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
Q: Have you, to your knowledge, been under any Federal, State or local investigation for possible violation of any statutory laws?
A: No.
Q: Have you ever been disciplined or cited for any breach of ethics or unprofessional conduct by any court or association?
A: No.
Q: Are you now or have you now or have you ever been employed as a lobbyist or acted as a lobbyist principal?
A: No.
Q: Is there any reason that you know of that would cause you difficulty in performing your duties as a member of the Consumer Affairs Commission?
A: No, I have performed them for the last three years now. I have a perfect record of attendance.
Q: I note that on here and I would like, at this time, to give you a few minutes to tell us about your experiences on the Commission and why you would like to continue.
A: It's been a wonderful experience for me and I think at the beginning I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into but now I do know and I guess I'd like to have it even more now than I did at that time. I'm particularly interested in the education aspect of it, I guess that is my own sphere of expertise. A lot of it is very legalistic and we've got a wonderful department to carry out the functions of the legal aspect of the department, but it is in the area of education that I can be of great help. As a matter of fact, the course of the last three years that I served, I brought the public relations person to Greenville, I developed a course for... at Furman, for retirees, bringing all the staff members together to tell them their area of expertise and what the Consumer Affairs is all about. I'm on the senior advisory committee for counsel of governments and we've had the public affairs professional come and address that group. We always find that the aged are very vulnerable. It was a particularly good presentation she made so that the cog there is composed of six different counties and after that she was invited to various counties to make a presentation.
Q: When you say you're working in education, are you talking about educating the public?
A: Educating the public in regard to the problems that they may be confronted with as a consumer. And I think it's been a wonderful experience for me. I was very, I think, adept at up-dating the by-laws of the department, because it seemed to me to have... itself
Printed Page 3597 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
on in terms of by-laws. And it has been a very, I think, good experience for me and I think that the Consumer Affairs Commission and the department has profited by my being part of it.
Q: I'm sure. What do you see as the primary purpose of the Consumer Affairs Commission? What is it's purpose?
A: Well, probably the... I see several aspects, the advocacy role, the informational aspects of it, the receiving of the various complaints from the public which they try to adjudicate.
Q: How does it function in it's advocacy role?
A: Well, for example, they represent the public in front the utilities. The BellSouth right now, they're trying to see if they can reduce the rates in terms of what BellSouth has earned and trying to return to the public some of the funds. So that there are very many aspects of it and, of course, they license athletic clubs, they license mortgage brokers, the continuing care facilities and this is a very important aspect of the staff we've seen which is rather new, licensing as aspect of it. So that if it's statutory or whatever the legislature gives to the Consumer Affairs, they try to carry out their duties.
Q: The commission, I think, is doing an admirable job over the years. How do you feel that it's doing now and the changes?
A: I think it's doing tremendously well, I think. The newly elected executive director has been with the commission at the least, I would imagine, since the middle of the eighties. He was Steve Hamm's associate. He was a consumer advocate and last year he as been the acting co-director, and I think he's done an admirable job.
Q: Anything else that you want to tell us before we start into the questions?
A: No, I don't think so. Be glad to answer what anybody's asking.
Q: For the benefit of the court reporter, she's needs to know who's seated where. Representative George Bailey, Representative Teddy Trotter. Do any of the members of the committee have any questions for Ms. Bloom?
MR. BAILEY: I have just a couple of comments I'd like to make.
THE CHAIRMAN: Okay, go ahead.
MS. BLOOM BEING EXAMINED BY MR. BAILEY:
Q: Ms. Lillian, I'm fortunate, I believe, to be on the committee that heard you one time before. I just want to tell you, your attendance record that I looked at earlier today was superb I wish that probably all the commissioners that we had appointed would have an attendance record such as this. And I don't mean anything
Printed Page 3598 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
derogatory, but I want to tell you something. I hope and pray that if I live to be seventy-four that I'm as active as you are.
A: Well, that's what keeps you young.
Q: That's all I've got to say. I'm impressed with your attendance record. I think that's great. It shows that you care about your job.
A: I do. I make that second Tuesday of the month, that's my prime responsibility.
MS. BLOOM BEING EXAMINED BY MS. WHIPPLE:
Q: I would certainly also like to commend you for that record. We don't see that very often so we're quite pleased. I would also like to commend you for using the information that you have gained by this experience in starting the course. About what was the average attendance?
A: At the course?
Q: Yes.
A: Well, we had... we must have had about twenty registrants and, I think, were very faithful in their attendance and that was a very bad ... the weather was terrible and it was an early scheduled course and that's what the commission wanted, but they made it there. And it was a ten week course and every week there was another member of the staff who came to address the forum, and brought materials. I thought it proved a very valuable course for them. I would like to see it... as a matter of fact, I just came back from Charleston where we had a regional convention on institutes for learning in retirement and they were very impressed with this kind of course. And I think the College of Charleston looked at it and perhaps later will be putting on something similar to that.
Q: That's what I wanted to know, if it would be something that could be continued...
A: Oh, absolutely can.
Q: ... or something that the Commission could follow through with.
A: You know, sometimes these groups aren't aware of some of the resources that we have in this state and the only way that we become aware is that someone gets to them as they go in to make some kind of presentation. As a matter of fact, there was a brochure that the department just issued and I gave it to some of them, and I said, you know, to the Georgia group for example they came to join our group, I asked them would they see if they had a similar department or commission in Georgia or if not, even the aspects that were printed in that brochure were so good, perhaps to just be able to get the individuals who can speak on these things. And, like I say, I was
Printed Page 3599 . . . . . Thursday, May 18, 1995
particularly concerned when the older adult, the elderly we become so vulnerable to some of the scams.
THE CHAIRMAN: Any other questions?
MS. BLOOM BEING RE-EXAMINED BY MR. COURTNEY:
Q: Ms. Bloom I would like to ask you, because of the position you have held, do you have any recommendations or any ways that we can improve what the Consumer Affairs Commission does?
A: I really... I'm so impressed with the staff that they do a good public information program. It's interesting that in Charleston, yesterday, or the day before, I went to Charleston then I went to Columbia yesterday for the Commission meeting and came back today. But early in the morning there was the senior report, I don't even know what station it was on, I just turned the television on in the hotel, and they were cautioning the older adult, and this was a television promotional, how to avoid some of the telemarketing scams. And I though this might be something that we could advocate to the other communities, certainly in Greenville or... and I conveyed this to our public relations staff members. I think that's one of the most important things, that not enough people in the state are aware of what the Consumer Affairs department is able to do and I think promoting that aspect is one of the most important recommendations that I would have.
THE CHAIRMAN: Any other questions?
THE BOARD: No.
THE CHAIRMAN: Ms. Bloom, we appreciate your service and appreciate your wanting to serve. The Commission will file a report at some time within the future and let you know. I think elections are scheduled for May 25th, but until the reports are filed on the floors of the House and the Senate, you cannot solicit any commitments.
A: Well can I send out letters just soliciting support. I realize I can't get any commitments.
THE CHAIRMAN: You can send out letters stating that you are a candidate, but you cannot ask for any kind of commitment or support from anyone until the report has been filed on the floor of the House and the Senate.
A: And about when does that take place?
THE CHAIRMAN: Well, we're not really sure.
A: There are only two weeks.
THE CHAIRMAN: Yes. We'll get those out as soon as we can, I promise you that.
A: All right.

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