Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The Senate assembled at 11:00 A.M., the hour to which it stood adjourned and was called to order by the ACTING PRESIDENT, Senator LANDER.

The Annual Report of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging was received and ordered printed in the House Journal of Friday, May 23, 1997.

MEMORANDUM TO:   Clerk of the House

Clerk of the Senate
RE:                   Transcript of Hearings

In compliance with the provisions of Act 119 of 1975, it is respectfully requested that the following information be printed in the Journals of the Senate and the House.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/Eugene C. Stoddard
Chairman

Pursuant to Act 119 of 1975, the Committee to Screen Candidates for Boards of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities was convened to consider the qualifications of candidates seeking to fill certain positions on board of trustees of the state's colleges and universities. The committee conducts such investigation of each candidate as it deems appropriate and reports it findings to the General Assembly prior to the election. It is not the function of the committee to recommend one candidate over another or to suggest to the individual legislator for whom to vote. The purpose of the committee is instead to determine whether a candidate is qualified and under the statute, the committee's determination in that regard is not binding upon the General Assembly. The candidates are:
Coastal Carolina University (1st Congressional District, Seat 2)

Ms. Vanessa Greene (Georgetown)

Mr. Robert Lee Rabon (Aynor)

Mr. Delan Stevens (Conway)

The proceedings taken in Room 424 on May 20th, 1997, Blatt Building, Columbia, South Carolina, before Rita L. Creel, Certified Court Reporter and Notary Public in and for the State of South Carolina.

Representative Eugene C. Stoddard, Chairman
422B Blatt Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Senator Addison "Joe" G. Wilson, Vice Chairman
211 Gressette Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Senator Maggie W. Glover
613 Gressette Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Representative Curtis B. Inabinett
328D Blatt Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Senator James E. Bryan, Jr.
Gressette Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

ALSO PRESENT:
Ms. Sophia Floyd

Ms. Vanessa Greene (Georgetown)
Mr. Robert Lee Rabon (Aynor)
Mr. Delan Stevens (Conway)

CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   The committee will come to order. Committee members who are present, of course, we will have others that will be coming in, are Representative Curtis Inabinett, on my left; Senator James Bryan, on my right. I'm Eugene Stoddard. We will commence first, in alphabetical order, with Ms. Vanessa Greene.
MS. GREENE:   Where would you like me?
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Will you sit at the end, please?
MS. GREENE:   Certainly.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Will you raise your right hand, please, and let me swear you in. Do you swear that the foregoing testimony is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
MS. GREENE:   I do.
MS. GREENE - EXAMINATION BY CHAIRMAN STODDARD:
Q:   Ms. Greene, do you have any medical related problems which the Screening Committee should be made aware of that would prevent you from serving on the Board in a full capacity?
A:   No, none.
Q:   Considering your present occupation and other activities, would you be able to attend Board meetings on a regular basis?
A:   Yes.
Q:   Do you have any interests, professionally or personally, which would present a conflict of interest because of your service on the Board?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Do you now hold any public position of honor or trust that if elected to the Board would cause you to violate the dual office holding clause of the Constitution?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Any questions of the lady?
MR. BRYAN:   I don't know whether she can answer this or not. Are any of the seats designated or just by Congressional District?
A:   By Congressional District, that's my understanding.
MR. RABON:   We have some at large.
MR. INABINETT:   There are some at large.
MR. BRYAN:   All three of these are for Seat #2?
A:   Yes.
MR. RABON:   Three at large.
MR. BRYAN:   Three at large.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   All these are for the same seat.
MR. BRYAN:   First Congressional District, Seat #2.
A:   Yes.
EXAMINATION BY REPRESENTATIVE INABINETT:
Q:   Are you presently in broadcasting?
A:   Yes, I am.
Q:   What is your capacity in broadcasting?
A:   I am the general manager and eventually the owner of WLMC radio, twenty-four hour gospel radio in Georgetown.
Q:   Georgetown.
A:   Yes.
Q:   Have you served on any local educational boards?
A:   No, sir, not local educational boards. I've served on other boards, but not educational boards.
Q:   As a board member, what do you feel you would be able to do for the University?
A:   Well, I guess what I would bring with myself is a passion for education and learning. I also have a love for South Carolina. I'm very happy to be in South Carolina. I'm here by choice. My background and experience has been rural development. I've had opportunity to work in housing and development all over the southeast. We have never, until recently, had a chance to apply those skills and abilities here in South Carolina. I would like to think that I bring vision and energy, and I would like to be able to tap into whatever resources I have beyond the state to serve the people of the 1st Congressional District and Coastal Carolina. I'm very excited about the things that are going on there. There is a lot of information that comes across my desk in the form of press releases, and I'd like to be involved in that and to contribute to the continuance of that.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Any other questions? Thank you Ms. Greene.
MS. GREENE:   Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Next we have Mr. Robert Lee Rabon.
MR. RABON:   Incidentally, that's a typo. It's R-A-B-O-N, instead of D-O-N.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   I have it correct on my master.
MR. RABON:   All right, sir.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Raise your hand, please, Mr. Rabon. Do you swear the foregoing testimony is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
MR. RABON:   I do.
MR. RABON - EXAMINATION BY CHAIRMAN STODDARD:
Q:   Do you have any health related problems that the Screening Committee should be made aware of that would prevent you from serving on the Board in a full capacity?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Considering your present occupation and other activities, are you able to attend Board meetings on a regular basis?
A:   Yes, sir.
Q:   Do you have any interests, professional or personal, that would present a conflict of interest because of your service on the Board?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Do you now hold any public position of honor or trust that if elected to the Board would cause you to violate the dual office holding clause of the Constitution?
A:   Yes, sir. I'm on the Higher Education Commission, which is a local commission for Coastal and was founded in 1959 and I've served on it continuously since 1986, and I know I'll have to resign that, but I have already told the Board.
Q:   Any questions of the gentleman?
EXAMINATION BY SENATOR BRYAN:
Q:   Something I've always wanted to know. How big is Aynor?
A:   The resident population is 681.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   It depends on whether you get caught there speeding.
A:   There are only two kinds of people in the world, sir, those that are from Aynor and those who want to be. It's a great place.
Q:   How far are you from Conway?
A:   Under sixteen miles. I actually live right between the two.
SENATOR WILSON:   It's a very upscale community.
SENATOR BRYAN:   The gentleman told me something I always wanted to know, how many people live in Aynor.
EXAMINATION BY MR. INABINETT:
Q:   Do you know the Johnsons down there, who are big tobacco farmers?
A:   Yes, sir. Mr. Lee Johnson, his son, is that who you are talking about? Yes, sir.
Q:   I'd like to ask the same question that I asked of Ms. Greene. What, in your opinion, do you feel that you will bring to the Board?
A:   Well, to begin with, I'm local. I've lived in the area all my life. I attended the Aynor high schools. I went to Coastal back in 1970, '71 and '72 when it was a junior college. And back then, David Vaught and Larry Beale and myself, we got 12,000 signatures on a petition and 5,000 letters to Governor West, and there's an amendment called the Hodges Amendment, and it was decided that when Coastal got 700 students, we would be a three year college; and when we got 1,000 students, we would be a four year institution. That involved Coastal, Aiken and Spartanburg. So, I've been heavily involved with Coastal for twenty-five years. I served on County Council, we were the funding agency for the Higher Education Commission, and I was very active in Coastal at that time. And I have served continually since 1986 on the Higher Education Commission, which is the local agency for Coastal Carolina University, and its designed, and its mission is to build buildings and do the things that the State did not actually provide for it. So, I've served as chairman, I've served as co-chairman. I've served as committee chairman. And when Coastal went through the process of separation, I was the chairman when the process began, and Clark Parker followed suit. He followed me as chairman. So, we're the ones that spent a lot of time for two years raising money and doing things to help Coastal be an independent, free-standing university. So, I think I understand the needs. I know the growth Coastal has grown to, and we did the amendment, and it was written as the Hodges Amendment. The first year, we had 1,256 students. And in the 1980's, we grew about 99 percent. I know that 73 percent of the population of Coastal is Horry County students. I know that 40 percent of the teachers in Horry County are produced by Coastal. I can go on and on and on. My blood runs red. I've been involved in Coastal that long.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   We've had Senator Wilson join us, our vice chairman. Any other questions of this gentleman? Thank you, sir.
MR. RABON:   Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   This is somewhat repetitious. Mr. Stevens, raise your hand, please, sir. Mr. Stevens, do you swear the foregoing testimony is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
MR. STEVENS:   Yes, sir.
MR. STEVENS - EXAMINATION BY CHAIRMAN STODDARD:
Q:   Do you have any health related problems that the Screening Committee should be made aware of that would prevent you from serving on the Board in a full capacity?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Considering your present occupation and other activities, would you be able to attend Board meetings on a regular basis?
A:   Yes, sir.
Q:   Do you have any interests, professional or personal, that would present a conflict of interest because of your service on the Board?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Do you now hold any present positions of honor or trust that if elected to the Board would cause you to violate the dual office holding cause of the Constitution?
A:   No, sir.
Q:   Any questions of the gentleman?
A:   I'd like to say my mother is from Aynor.
SENATOR BRYAN:   It seems like you have a lot of people from Aynor. I just wondered how big it was. I hear a lot about Aynor.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Mr. Inabinett, do you have any questions?
EXAMINATION BY REPRESENTATIVE INABINETT:
Q:   I have the same questions for you, sir. What do you, in your opinion, feel that you can bring the Board that you haven't maybe already ...
A:   Well, like Mr. Rabon, I have always lived in the area. I grew up in Conway and to public schools there. I graduated from Coastal in 1979. I was fortunate enough to go on a scholarship, so I feel like the school has been good to me. It was an athletic scholarship, so I stayed really involved with the school more on probably the athletic side, doing a lot of things for C-Note and the athletic department and that type of thing. But I have done a lot of things, been involved with things ... when they first built the Craig Wall School of Business, and things like that. One of the things I would like to do is the growth in Horry County has been tremendous. I think the county has almost outgrown its plan. I'd like to see Coastal make sure that we plan for the growth ahead. One other thing I would really like to try to do is in the School of Business, we probably have one of the best business schools in the nation. A lot of people don't even realize that. I'd like for Coastal to be known for its academics, not just because it's a school that's just ten miles from Myrtle Beach. Like I say, I have seen the school grow tremendously. I remember my first year, we had a few more students than when Mr. Rabon was there, but not many. There were just a couple of buildings. And since then, like I say, it's grown tremendously. I'd like to be a part of that and, like I say, try to help to control some of the growth so we can make sure our long range plans will fit what the University needs.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Any other questions?
MR. WILSON:   Mr. Chairman, I was very impressed by the statement that you prepared, and also Ms. Greene's and Mr. Rabon's. And I would like to move that the statements be included in the report for the benefit of the other members of the General Assembly.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   We have read your mind, Senator. The motion is carried. Anything further? Thank you. We now have Senator Glover.
SENATOR WILSON:   I move we accept the candidates.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Motion made.
SENATOR BRYAN:   I second the motion.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Seconded by Senator Bryan. All in favor say aye, opposed no. The ayes have it.
SENATOR WILSON:   Three fine candidates.
CHAIRMAN STODDARD:   Anything further for the Committee? Meeting adjourned.

The Committee to Screen Candidates for Boards of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities finds the following candidates for Boards of Trustees qualified. Background reports from the State Law Enforcement Division show no felony charges against any of the candidates.
Coastal Carolina University (1 seat)

Ms. Vanessa Greene (Georgetown)

Mr. Robert Lee Rabon (Aynor)

Mr. Delan Stevens (Conway)

Respectfully submitted,
/s/Eugene S. Stoddard, Chrm.     /s/Addison "Joe" Wilson, V-Chrm.
/s/Curtis B. Inabinett, Sec.       /s/Warren K. Giese
/s/Lanny F. Littlejohn           /s/Maggie W. Glover
/s/Olin Phillips                 /s/James E. Bryan, Jr.

The following Bills were read the third time and having received three readings in both Houses, it was ordered that the titles be changed to that of Acts and enrolled for Ratification:

H. 4147 -- Rep. Littlejohn: A BILL TO AMEND ACT 189 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE SPARTANBURG COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO ALLOW A CANDIDATE FOR A SEAT ON THE SPARTANBURG COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO QUALIFY HIS CANDIDACY FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT BY THE FILING OF A STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY.

(By prior motion of Senator COURTNEY)

H. 4156 -- Rep. Littlejohn: A BILL TO AMEND ACT 898 OF 1966, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE PACOLET STATION FIRE DISTRICT IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF FIRE CONTROL FOR THE DISTRICT FROM FIVE TO SEVEN.

(By prior motion of Senator COURTNEY)

The following Bill and Joint Resolution were read the third time and ordered returned to the House of Representatives:

H. 3548 -- Rep. Boan: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 12-8-1520, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO FILING OF RETURNS AND PAYMENT BY A WITHHOLDING AGENT, SO AS TO DELETE REFERENCE TO "MAKE A RETURN"; TO AMEND SECTION 12-8-1530, RELATING TO FILING OF QUARTERLY RETURNS BY A WITHHOLDING AGENT, SO AS TO PROVIDE A DEADLINE FOR FILING THE FOURTH QUARTER RETURN; TO AMEND SECTION 12-8-1550, RELATING TO FILING OF STATEMENTS BY A WITHHOLDING AGENT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION MAY BE FILED ON MAGNETIC MEDIA.

(By prior motion of Senator PEELER, with unanimous consent)

H. 3641 -- Rep. Harvin: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DAYS MISSED ON SEPTEMBER 5 AND 6, 1996, BY THE STUDENTS OF CLARENDON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS 1, 2, AND 3 IN CLARENDON COUNTY FOR SCHOOL YEAR 1996-97 WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED DUE TO HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXEMPTED FROM THE MAKE-UP REQUIREMENT OF THE DEFINED MINIMUM PLAN THAT FULL SCHOOL DAYS MISSED DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES BE MADE UP.

(By prior motion of Senator LAND, with unanimous consent)

At 11:35 A.M., on motion of Senator RYBERG, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, May 27, 1997, at 12:00 Noon.

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