Journal of the Senate
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 380 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
of putting families first. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure
to present my cabinet nominees and I ask them to stand to be recognized. Each has
pledged to re-evaluate every program and policy within their respective agencies,
being especially mindful of the impact on businesses and families. I am asking my
cabinet, with the exception of the departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice,
to develop a plan to reduce expenditures five percent over the next two years. We
will abandon policies that inhibit growth and eliminate wasteful programs, yet
maintain the high level of service our citizens deserve, and I urge you to reduce
non-cabinet agencies, with the exception of the Department of Education, by five
percent, as well. The idea behind restructuring is to coordinate services and I will
insist on cooperation in my cabinet. My departments of Commerce and Parks,
Recreation and Tourism have a common goal, to bring jobs and dollars to South
Carolina. Already, they are working to coordinate international marketing efforts.
My departments of Juvenile Justice and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services are
pooling resources to help teenagers and their families address substance abuse
problems through community-based prevention initiatives. As we continue this process
of restructuring, other issues will become apparent that we will need to address.
One is bringing accountability to all state agencies. Hands-on management of state
agencies by someone responsible directly to the people is the greatest benefit of
restructuring, and in your efforts to make the rest of state government more
accountable, you will hear much weeping and wailing from special interests. They are
motivated by turf protection after so many years at the public trough and I urge you
to say no to them. An issue that has captured the imagination of the public and put
elected officials on notice is term limits. In the spirit of government reform, the
House Judiciary Committee sent a term limits bill to the floor last week, and in that
same spirit, I will sign a reasonable bill that is not watered down in debate. I am
as ready as you are to ban street money on election day. As we are redefining state
government, there is a national movement to stop our federal government from
interfering in local matters. The nation's governors agree that Washington infringes
on our sovereignty when it orders us to comply with laws but provides no funding. The
Motor Voter Law is a prime example, and we agree that voter registration should be
easy. The issue is who will govern South Carolina: us or them? I say us; but let's
not be hypocritical. We, too, should refrain from sending state mandates to local
governments unless we pay for them. American democracy was founded on a system of
checks and balances, but government today is writing entirely too many checks. It's
time to balance with the people. Tonight I propose the
Printed Page 381 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
largest tax cut in South Carolina's history to eliminate residential
property taxes. We can put the dream of owning a home within reach for young families
across the State without raising taxes. Our current budget is 400 million dollars
more than last year and a property tax relief proposal was rejected. We expect
approximately 370 million dollars more in available revenue this year. Government
should tighten its belt and make a 200 million dollar down payment this year on the
American dream for South Carolina's families. After that, we can eliminate
residential property taxes by committing half of each year's projected growth to a
Property Tax Relief Fund. Like other state reserve funds, it would be a mandated
budget commitment until the phaseout is complete. In Greenville County alone,
eliminating residential property taxes will return 68 million dollars to family
budgets. In Aiken County -- 20 point-five million dollars, in York County -- more
than 26 million dollars, and in Beaufort and Charleston counties, where military
downsizing continues to threaten local economies, the total impact would be more than
55 million dollars. The Board of Economic Advisors projects steady revenue growth
over the next five years. We will never have a better opportunity to give this money
back to the taxpayers. Let's not kid ourselves; it won't be easy. We'll have to make
some tough choices, but a tax increase sends the wrong signal to the people and to
the business community. They don't want more taxes. They want less government and
more take-home pay. Since property taxes make up the bulk of local government
funding, my Department of Revenue will develop an equitable formula for returning
money to local governments. I will insist that school boards and local governments
have full authority over spending their money, and let me be clear: if we eliminate
residential property taxes, they are gone forever and cannot be reinstated, and just
to make sure our system of checks and balances continues to work like the framers of
the Constitution intended, I propose one more check to our system by calling for the
people's right to vote on proposed tax increases. Of course, the best way to raise
new revenue is to create new jobs and opportunities. As a member of this General
Assembly, I worked closely with many of you to pass job-creating incentives that have
worked so well. We had an edge on the competition for awhile, and we became a model
for Southeastern states. They adopted many of our incentives and have been
innovative in developing their own. To remain competitive, we will reorganize the
Department of Commerce. We will stimulate small business development and growth of
existing industries. We will emphasize government's role as a partner in the job
creation process. We will listen to you, the business community. We will ask you to
help us educate our children so they will have the skills needed
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1995
to lead your business someday. We will insist on your involvement in
curriculum development. We will develop incentives for donations of computers and
other tools students will use in the work place. We will streamline the business
start-up process and ask for legislation to extend job creation tax credits and other
incentives to small businesses. Within the department, we will also focus on trade.
Our exports total nearly five billion dollars today, yet fewer than half of our
existing industries export our quality South Carolina products to world markets. For
every billion dollars we increase exports, we can create 20 thousand new jobs, 10
times the number BMW will create in the upstate. As we accelerate into the fast lane
of the Information Superhighway, we will use the latest database marketing techniques
to link South Carolina companies and buyers around the world. In this era of growth
the Department of Commerce must be more than an industry recruiter. It must develop
communities. Our most important economic development asset is leadership. Through
the department we will assist in recruiting and training tomorrow's community
leaders. We will expand technology where it's needed and extend the business base
beyond county lines. After all, businesses ultimately locate in communities in
states that promote a pro-growth atmosphere. I come from a rural area where every job
is precious and every business depends on the success of neighboring businesses. Our
rural areas, and some metropolitan areas, contain pockets of depression where new
jobs and hope are desperately needed. Last month Williamsburg County and the
Charleston area were named federal enterprise areas to provide an infusion of money
and incentives for job creation. They are but two of 17 South Carolina areas that
applied. Tonight I propose the South Carolina Enterprise Zone Act. It encourages
hiring from distressed areas or from low income households. It allows businesses to
reinvest a portion of employees' state income tax, negotiate a lower property tax and
qualify for job tax credits. Every time we provide a new incentive and cut taxes we
put South Carolinians to work and we strengthen families. We believe loving families
provide the nurturing atmosphere in which South Carolina's children can best grow and
develop. We believe parents should support their children, and taxpayers are a last
resort, and we believe we can strengthen families by encouraging employment. It is
the role of government to create an atmosphere of opportunity in which families can
thrive. Since the 1930's America has spent five trillion dollars on public assistance
programs... more than the cost of World War II. People want to work, but we have
given them more than 300 federal entitlement programs instead of a reason to get a
job. Today the Department of Social Services is a welfare agency with minor emphasis
on employment and
Printed Page 383 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
training. It should be an employment and training agency that
provides public assistance when it is needed. Our system encourages illegitimacy,
discourages work and leads to hopelessness, despair and the breakdown of families. I
join governors and congressional leaders in calling for more autonomy at the state
level. Give us general guidelines. We cannot and will not accept more mandates. The
debate will rage in Washington, but we can begin tonight in South Carolina by placing
a two-year limit on welfare benefits. I ask you to require work and enrollment in job
training programs for those getting our tax dollars. If they refuse, they can say
farewell to welfare. I ask you to extend job tax credits to companies hiring
able-bodied AFDC recipients and replace cash grants with income-eligible child care
and health care. I ask you to stop paying more to those who continue having children
while on welfare, especially teenagers. That doesn't mean we won't help. We can help
by enforcing responsibility. We should require the father's name on birth
certificates. We should enforce child support payments by tracking the father
through a statewide network of court, welfare and employment records. Even if a young
man is not working today, he will eventually. We should track employment, suspend
driver and professional licenses, intercept unemployment benefits and dock his pay
for child support. These proposals may sound harsh to some, but responsibility goes
with being a citizen of this State. I can assure you that I want to help the least
of society. But there are limits. The laws of God and the laws of man clearly define
socially acceptable behavior. Yet, in our haste to become politically correct, we
have clouded the difference between right and wrong. We allow crime to be blamed on
anyone and everyone, except the person who commits it. Criminals whine to judges
that their rights are violated and judges too often agree with them. A South Carolina
judge sent a bill to taxpayers recently. It itemized defense costs we must pay for a
murder suspect as follows: two private investigators, four thousand dollars each; a
social historian, three thousand dollars; a social worker, another three thousand
dollars; a jury selection expert, two thousand dollars plus travel expenses; two
expert witnesses totaling three thousand dollars; and 200 dollars for an image
consultant, plus 500 dollars to buy the defendant a suit. Since when do we do
make-overs for murder suspects? At what point in the evolution of our society did we
forget about the rights of the true victims of crime? Criminals are not afraid of
us. We have laws to put them behind bars, but they often walk out of prison before
victims leave the hospital. I commend the House for its quick work in passing a
truth-in-sentencing bill. As work continues in the Senate on this bill, I urge you
to totally eliminate parole for murderers, rapists and other
Printed Page 384 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
violent criminals and provide for life without parole for a second
violent conviction, and when they go to prison, they should work and they should work
hard. We must make prison a place for punishment, a place to which no one would ever
want to return. Inmates should pay for their room and board with any money they earn.
They should help support their families to keep them off welfare, and, above all,
they should pay restitution to victims. The General Assembly last year approved
alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders. They take up half of South
Carolina's prison beds. Their punishment should include full restitution to victims
and community-based public service programs. That can clear a lot of room to put
violent offenders and three-time non-violent felons away for good. We can start
cracking down now or lose the next generation to this moral meltdown of America which
was precipitated by the breakdown of the family. Our fastest growing criminal segment
is our nation's children. Law enforcement professionals and sociologists say it has
nothing to do with race or social class. South Carolina's shocking truth is that a
third of the victims and a third of those arrested for murder, a third of those
arrested for rape, a third of those arrested for aggravated assault and nearly half
of those arrested for robbery are under the age of 21. What are we saying to a young
thug who appears in family court and almost literally gets away with murder? What
are we saying when a judge orders a child to attend school and can't enforce the
order? And what will we say to the next victim of a violent juvenile? The Wall
Street Journal correctly stated that today's juvenile offender isn't getting the
message that crime doesn't pay. He may not even get the message that what he's done
is wrong. Violent juveniles and those who commit a second felony should be tried and
sentenced as adults. When they come of age, they can graduate to the adult prison
population to serve their time. Juveniles in minor trouble need to be targeted with
punishment, especially restitution for property crimes, and if we hold parents
responsible for their child's behavior, we might be on the way to solving prison
overcrowding problems. We, as parents, are our children's first and most important
teachers. If we truly believe in putting families first, we need to remind ourselves
that government is not a babysitter and schools are not daycare centers. There's no
doubt that I have more control over my three small children today than I will when
they are 16, but there are certain things we, as parents, should know. We ought to
know where our children are on a school night. We ought to know if our children are
buying drugs, and we ought to know if our children are carrying weapons to school.
We have a right to expect that our children will be safe in a school building or on a
school bus. Have we become so jaded that a metal detector in a
Printed Page 385 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
classroom door seems normal? Tonight I call for an amendment to the
Safe Schools Act to require an immediate six months in shock incarceration boot camp
for any student carrying a weapon on school grounds. Each of us is responsible for
the development of South Carolina's children. We are right to worry about their
future but wrong if we don't nurture them today. Discipline will keep our children
safer than a metal detector. Respect for authority will put teachers back in control
of classrooms. We cannot forget that what we teach today's child is the substance of
tomorrow's adult. It is through the family that children learn discipline and respect
and compassion and enterprise. These indispensable lessons of life should be taught
in the home and practiced in public. For children whose own families have failed to
nurture and protect them, new families must be built. We must not wait until a child
dies to examine our priorities. To that end I am announcing the creation of a
children's advocate on my staff who will have two missions: to analyze every
government program that serves children and to recommend to you and me how we can
serve them better within the context of traditional values. I will instruct my
children's advocate to ignore agency boundaries. The question will not be what's
best for the agencies but what's best for the children. Tonight I have outlined a
plan that in many ways takes us back to time-proven basics. We know jobs provide
opportunity, so let's stay on the cutting edge of economic and community development.
We know our children can do better academically, so let's raise our expectations in
the classroom. We know government is fat, so let's trim it. We know it's harder for
our citizens to make ends meet, so let's cut taxes. We know that virtues, such as
personal responsibility and the work ethic, build up society, so let's reinstate them
in our laws. A sense of community is reemerging all across the State. Citizens
aren't waiting for government solutions. They are uniting to address common problems
for the common good in churches, civic groups, neighborhoods, schools and private
charity organizations. Mary Wood and I will spend much of the next four years
visiting these citizens, learning from them and encouraging greater involvement. It
is our great honor to serve a people who, to use Faulkner's words, possess `a spirit
capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.' Our challenge as public servants
is not to control this spirit but to catch it. This spirit feeds the mighty rivers
of hope which flow to every person and family in South Carolina. What you and I do in
these halls is important but no more important than the work carried out day after
day with little fanfare in our communities. Let us work and learn together. Let us
forge a government which reflects the compassion and sacrifice and endurance and hope
of the people who sent us here. For all
Printed Page 386 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
of us who have made a commitment to public service, it is our
challenge, it is our moment to provide the leadership. Thank you and God bless you
all."
The purpose of the Joint Assembly having been accomplished, the PRESIDENT declared it
adjourned, whereupon the Senate returned to its Chamber and was called to order by
the PRESIDENT.
LOCAL APPOINTMENTS
Confirmations
Having received a favorable report from the Orangeburg County Delegation, the
following appointments were confirmed in open session:
Reappointments, Members, Orangeburg County Board of Voter Registration, with terms
to commence August 25, 1994, and to expire March 15, 1996:
Mr. James Davis, Post Office Box 1000, Eutawville, S.C. 29048
Ms. Dorothy D. Kennerly, 199 Whirlwind Road, Cordova, S.C. 29039
Reappointment, Member, Orangeburg County Board of Voter Registration, with term to
commence March 15, 1994, and to expire March 15, 1996:
Ms. Adele P. Palmieri, 1469 Dogwood Drive, NE, Orangeburg, S.C. 29115
Reappointment, Member, Orangeburg County Board of Voter Registration, with term to
commence August 24, 1994, and to expire March 15, 1996:
Mr. George R. Barnes, 491 Partridge Road, Orangeburg, S.C. 29115
Having received a favorable report from the Horry County Delegation, the following
appointments were confirmed in open session:
Initial appointment, Member, Horry County Board of Voter Registration, with term
to commence March 15, 1994, and to expire March 15, 1996:
Mr. J. Michael Frazier, 731 Bucksport Road, Conway, S.C. 29527 VICE Ernest
Lawrimore (deceased)
Printed Page 387 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
Initial Appointment, Member, Horry County Board of Voter
Registration, with term to commence December 14, 1994, and to expire March 15,
1996:
At-Large:
Mr. J. Conrad Hetzer, 305 Oceanview Drive, Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29572 VICE Michael
Patrick
Having received a favorable report from the Chester County Delegation, the following
appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Chester County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1991, and to expire April 30, 1995:
The Honorable William Ralph Garris, 25 Pinecrest Avenue, Great Falls, S.C.
29055-1339 VICE Joseph P. Snead (resigned)
Having received a favorable report from the Greenville County Delegation, the
following appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Greenville County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1994, and to expire April 30, 1998:
The Honorable Ettaphine P. James-Reid, 206 Owens Lane, #2, Mauldin, S.C. 29662
VICE Harry J. Haynesworth (deceased)
Having received a favorable report from the Greenwood County Delegation, the
following appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Greenwood County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1991, and to expire April 30, 1995:
The Honorable Terri G. Warner, 107 St. Andrews Lane, Greenwood, S.C. 29646
Printed Page 388 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
Having received a favorable report from the Clarendon County
Delegation, the following appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Clarendon County Magistrate, with term to commence July 6,
1994, and to expire April 30, 1998:
The Honorable Murray Montgomery, Route 1, Box 286-B, New Zion, S.C. 29111 VICE
Reuben B. Clark (retired)
Having received a favorable report from the York County Delegation, the following
appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, York County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30, 1991,
and to expire April 30, 1995:
The Honorable Walter L. Heinsohn, Post Office Box 4287, Rock Hill, S.C. 29732
VICE Robert M. Jones (resigned)
Having received a favorable report from the Newberry County Delegation, the following
appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Newberry County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1991, and to expire April 30, 1995:
The Honorable Thomas Edward Longshore, Jr., Route 4, Box 276-E, Newberry, S.C.
29108 VICE William A. Shuler (retired)
Having received a favorable report from the Chesterfield County Delegation, the
following appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Chesterfield County Magistrate, with term to commence April
30, 1994, and to expire April 30, 1998:
The Honorable Betty M. Harris, Post Office Box 306, Chesterfield, S.C. 29709
Having received a favorable report from the Fairfield County Delegation, the
following appointment was confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Fairfield County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1991, and to expire April 30, 1995:
Mr. T.M. Cook, Route 5, Box 1505, Winnsboro, S.C. 29180 VICE Jerome Boyd
(resigned)
Printed Page 389 . . . . . Wednesday, January 25,
1995
Having received a favorable report from the Barnwell County
Delegation, the following appointments were confirmed in open session:
Initial Appointment, Barnwell County Magistrate, with term to commence April 30,
1991, and to expire April 30, 1995:
The Honorable James H. Witherspoon, Jr., Post Office Box 943, Barnwell, S.C.
29812 VICE Lawson J. Holland, Jr. (resigned)
Reappointment, Member, Barnwell County Board of Voter Registration, with term to
commence March 15, 1994, and to expire March 15, 1996:
Ms. Helen A. Joyner, 3 Mansfield Drive, Williston, S.C. 29853
MOTION ADOPTED
On motion of Senator PASSAILAIGUE, with unanimous consent, the Senate stood
adjourned out of respect to the memory of Mrs. Anne Ksenzak of Ladson, S.C.
ADJOURNMENT
At 7:45 P.M., on motion of Senator MOORE, the Senate adjourned to meet tomorrow at
11:00 A.M.
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