Senate Summary Week of May 13 - 15, 2008
Quote of the Week– “I have supported E-Verify from the start. I
support E-verify today. I think it is the right thing to do. This vote
on concurrence or nonoccurrence with the House is about E-Verify. It is
about playing by the rules."
Senator Jim Ritchie (R-Spartanburg) commenting on his decision to
concur with House amendments to H.3032.
Senate Expels PACT (Thursday, May 15)
The South Carolina Senate this week passed the Education Accountability
Act reform bill (H.4662). The bill specifically stipulates, “the
Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT) no longer meets the
requirements” for a statewide assessment test. The PACT becomes
invalid on July 1, 2008. Education leaders for the State Board of
Education, the Department of Education and the Education Oversight
Committee must now work to develop a new assessment test to be
administered in the spring of 2009.
Schools will no longer be required to produce a ten-page, annual report
card detailing the school’s performance. Instead, a two-page synopsis
of the report must be sent to parents and the full report must be
available online. The change will provide parents with the information
needed to evaluate their child’s school and save approximately
$500,000 annually.
Other highlights include: streamlining teacher paperwork by removing
the requirement for an individual academic plan, aligning student
performance evaluations with those of other states, and requiring a
five-year review process. The bill also changes the designation given to
under performing schools from “unsatisfactory” to “school
at-risk.”
Senator Wes Hayes (R-York) says, “This is possibly the most important
education bill that we will pass in the General Assembly this
session.”
The bill now returns to the House for final consideration.
Budget Conference Committee Work Begins (Wednesday, May 14)
Senate and House members met this week to begin working through
differences the two chambers have on spending priorities for the 2008-09
fiscal year beginning July 1. The Senate passed a budget free of special
projects in mid-April after the Board of Economic Advisors announced it
expects annual revenues to be down by $180 million. The Joint
Legislative Conference Committee is scheduled to meet again on Monday,
May 19.
Fair Scientific Debate Bill Introduced (Thursday, May 14)
Senator Mike Fair (R-Greenville) introduced the “Fair Scientific
Debate” bill (S.1386) this week. The intent of the legislation is to
allow teachers to conduct open and frank classroom discussions about
controversial scientific theories. The bill points out that students
need to understand, analyze, critique and review the scientific
strengths and weaknesses of theories like Darwinism and radical
environmentalism before accepting them as fact.
“Children are being spoon-fed theories as if they are facts and
teachers are not even allowed the freedom to debate the truth of those
theories,” says Senator Fair.
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Immigration Goes Back to Conference (Wednesday, May 14)
By a vote of 26-20, the Senate nonconcurred with the House amendments
to H.3032, the latest illegal immigration reform effort. This action
sends the issue back to conference committee for the second time this
session. Legislators from both chambers are calling for a strong
employment eligibility verification process and penalties for violators,
but have had difficulty finding common ground on enforcement
responsibilities.
Just Call Me Doctor (Friday, May 16)
Congratulations to Senate Majority Leader Senator Harvey S. Peeler, Jr.
(R-Cherokee) and Senator William O’Dell (R-Abbeville). These two
distinguished members of the South Carolina Senate received a Doctor of
Humane Letters honorary degree from the Medical University of South
Carolina this week. The university’s board of trustees chose to honor
the two senators for their diligent public service and friendship to the
university.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
DPS Director Confirmation Hearings to Begin
The Senate confirmation hearing process for Department of Public Safety
Director nominee, Mark Keel, will begin on Thursday, May 22, at 1:00
p.m. (Gressette 308). Governor Mark Sanford nominated Keel, the current
Chief of Staff at the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, in
mid-April. Keel has been with SLED since 1979.
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