NO. 64

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 McELVEEN.

The following remarks by Senator JOHNSON were ordered printed in the Journal of April 9, 2019:

This has become important to me... more than I thought it would. Let me just begin by saying that I don't need anybody in here to lecture me about being African-American. I've been African-American since September 27, 1960. I do not need that. I do not need anybody in here to tell me that Manning sits between Summerton and Turbeville. I don't even need a map to tell me that. What I said, I will say again. Senator FANNING spends a lot of time talking against a Bill that he admitted does not affect any part of his district. It affects two school districts in my district. As I told you before -- if, ands and buts? -- I'm not interested in them. If we had local legislation, I would support it. I have mentioned several times that when we have talked about this Bill in the past as local legislation and I go into Turbeville for example, and mention consolidation, it is worse than talking about their mother. But now we have Senator YOUNG'S Bill, S. 203, and as I said, for whatever reason, we got together and Clarendon 1 and Clarendon 3 want to consolidate as one district because it is their impression that it benefits the students in their districts. How? In Clarendon 3, they don't even have art classes. Clarendon 3 has a phenomenal young lady basketball player that has been playing varsity basketball since the 8th grade, a star with all kinds of Division 1 college coaches coming to visit her, and guess what, the gym is falling apart. So, they see opportunities here to have some things that they deserve in their district that they don't have. So what, that Manning is between Turbeville and Summerton? You can get from Turbeville to Summerton in about 25-28 miles. I talked to Senator MATTHEWS the other day and from one part of his district in Orangeburg to the other part is 81 miles. Nobody has a problem with that, but they have a problem with 25 or 26 miles. I'm not falling for that. I just refuse to fall for that. In the article Cyndi Ross Scoppe wrote in the Charleston Post & Courier, she had it exactly right. This is not about race. It is about grown-ups verses young people (students). People talk about a hill to die on. Guess what? The hill I'm going to die on is doing what is best for the students in Clarendon County and if Clarendon 1, 2 and 3 want to consolidate, I'm happy. If Clarendon 1 and 3 want to consolidate, I'm happy. When they consolidate, they will have about 2,000 students and Clarendon 2 will have about 2,800. I do believe that there is going to come a time when all three are going to want to consolidate. I believe everybody in here, sitting in the Senate, probably has in their school districts what the people want. I want the same thing for my people. There are not going to be any schools closed. I've made it very clear. We are already working on the plan. There are not going to be any schools closed. If you close one of the schools, there is no place for the students to go. We're talking about a consolidation that is going to mainly end up being consolidation of administration. We are going to have through this Bill funds to help with the expense of that consolidation -- and we are told that any funds that are saved through consolidation is going where? -- back into the educational system. So why in the world would anybody have a problem with a Bill that does not affect them at all? I don't know. They say, "If it were local legislation I would support it" -- why does it matter? It is about the kids in the school district and we in Clarendon County are excited about the possibility to merge Clarendon 1 and Clarendon 3 and if I am in Fairfield or wherever else, I'm happy for them. It affects Clarendon County and we are happy and we are working toward a plan. We are excited. This is the first time on the record that our folks want to consolidate. So, yes, I could have done local legislation, but everybody would have been in an uproar and I probably would have gotten voted out (which so be it, it doesn't matter). But now we have something the people want, and if the people want it, I'm all for it!"

The following remarks by Senator GOLDFINCH were ordered printed in the Journal of April 9, 2019:

Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT. As you may have heard just a day or two ago, Representative Peter McCoy had been threatened by an online post by a member of Facebook. He had threatened to kill him -- to shoot him. I felt it incumbent to come to the well and have a discussion on this. I was assigned as the subcommittee chair to handle this open carry Bill.

I decided to postpone the meeting because of the safety of our own members. I cannot sit idly by. I have been beat up relentlessly since this started. Democrat or Republican, white or black, left or right, anti-gun or pro-gun -- it does not matter to me. I will come here and I will defend your constitutional right to do your job whether I agree with you here or not. That is exactly what I am doing for Representative Peter McCoy. I am postponing the meeting and I know there are many people in the lobby and the balcony that are interested in this issue.

When the threat is mitigated, we will have a hearing again. I think it is incumbent to stand up and speak up when one of our own is threatened. All of us have a figurative target on our backs and I will not stand here and allow any of us -- if I have anything to do with it -- to have another literal target on our back. It is unconscionable. We have to protect our own because there is nobody out there that will.

I ask you to please support me in this decision, and to support your colleagues. We cannot allow this to go any further than it already has. The incivility must end today.

The following co-sponsor was removed from the respective Bill:
S. 636 (Word version)     Sen. Young

At 11:04 A.M., on motion of Senator MASSEY, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at 2:00 P.M.

This web page was last updated on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 1:04 P.M.