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House Approves Immigration Bill for Seventh Time
COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina House of Representatives has once again approved a House bill that will be among the toughest illegal immigration laws in the country.
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House to Senate: STOP GRANDSTANDING
COLUMBIA -- The House was prevented from voting on illegal immigration legislation Wednesday after the three Senators who agreed to a compromise Tuesday night could not be found to sign the document Wednesday morning.
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House Completes Second Leg of Government Restructuring
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives approved legislation Tuesday that will create a new Department of Administration -- making five state agencies accountable directly to the governor.
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House Approves DOT Funding, Republicans Complete Agenda
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus completed work on its major agenda items by approving a dedicated stream of revenue to improve our state's roads and bridges.
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House Balances Budget, Cuts Spending, Does Not Raise Taxes in State Budget
COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina House of Representatives gave key approval to the 2008-2009 state budget today, reducing spending by 4.5 percent.
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House GOP Reforms PACT, Holds the Line on Education Accountabilirty
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives has unanimously approved a the first significant changes in the Education Accountability Act since it was enacted in 1998 -- reforming the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test while not weakening our state's education standards.
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House Rejects Senate Immigration Bill, Heads to Conference Committee
COLUMBIA -- House Republicans voted to "non-concur" with Senate amendments to the illegal immigration bill today, rejecting changes to a bill that created giant loopholes.
"The Senate is hiding behind a smokescreen of press releases after last week's faux debate," said Majority Leader Jim Merrill. "What is most surprising is that a number of Senators who are most deft at passing legislation shockingly could not convince their colleagues on the importance of a tough law."
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House GOP Disappointed in Senate's Soft DUI Reforms
COLUMBIA -- House Republican leaders said they were disappointed by delays on passing stricter DUI legislation, but welcomed a chance to approve the new DUI laws our state desperately needs.
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Social Studies Teachers Thank House Members For Not Throwing Them Overboard
Columbia, SC -- Yesterday afternoon, the South Carolina Council for the Social Studies delivered tea bags to all the members of the House to thank them for supporting our teachers.
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House GOP Bill Reforms PACT, Strenghtens Education Standards
COLUMBIA -- House Republican leaders unveiled a plan to make the first significant reforms to the landmark Education Accountability Act in its ten years of existence.
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House Approves Tough GOP Immigration Bill
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus' plan to fight illegal immigration -- the top priority for the Caucus in the 2008 legislative session -- was approved by the House of Representatives Wednesday.
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House Improves Access to Healthcare
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives has approved a Republican initiative that will allow small businesses to band together to offer health insurance to their employees.
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Two More GOP Agenda Items Filed
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus filed legislation that fulfills two more of its agenda items Thursday, continuing a week of action on conservative legislation.
The first bill offers married couples an additional tax break. Married couples will see more of their income exempted from income tax â which builds on last year's income tax cut that eliminated an entire tax bracket.
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House GOP Takes Action on Earmarks
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus pushed through a sweeping reform to how the state spends taxpayer money by approving rules Wednesday that will restrict the use of anonymous earmark spending.
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House GOP Immigration Bill Heads to House Floor
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus' plan to fight illegal immigration -- the top priority for the Caucus in the 2008 legislative session -- received key approval from the full House Judiciary Committee late Tuesday.
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Five Republicans Named 'Friend of the Taxpayer'
COLUMBIA -- Five House Republicans received the "Friend of the Taxpayer" award Wednesday from the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers' president and founder Don Weaver.
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House Republican Caucus Announces 2008 Legislative Agenda
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican Caucus unveiled a legislative agenda of immigration reform, tax cuts, and spending reform.
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Rep. Cotty Will Not Seek Re-Election
COLUMBIA -- House District 79 Representative Bill Cotty announced that he has accepted a private sector job opportunity that will result in his not seeking re-election in 2008.
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Harrell, Merrill Unveil Immigration Reform Package
COLUMBIA - Today, in a series of press conferences around the state, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, House Majority Leader Jim Merrill and House Republican Caucus members gathered to release The South Carolina Plan, a comprehensive immigration reform package for our state.
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Speaker Harrell Pre-files Earmark Reform Bill
COLUMBIA -- House Speaker Bobby Harrell announced today the pre-filing of legislation that will put a stop to hidden earmark spending in our state's budget.
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Majority Leader Announces 2008 Majority Whips
COLUMBIA -- House Majority Leader Jim Merrill announced the list of Majority Whips for the 2008 legislative session today, and appointed Reps. Kenny Bingham, Jeff Duncan and Tracy Edge as Chief Whips.
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Taylor, Clemmons Re-elected to Caucus Leadership
COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina House Republican Caucus has unanimously re-elected Rep. Adam Taylor to be its Assistant Majority Leader and Rep. Alan Clemmons as Treasurer.
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Merrill Re-Elected House Majority Leader
COLUMBIA -- South Carolina's House Republicans unanimously re-elected Rep. Jim Merrill of Charleston on Tuesday to lead their Caucus.
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Legislators Announce Plan to Fund Critical Donaldson Center Improvement Project
GREENVILLE -- In a press conference held today, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Ways and Means Chairman Dan Cooper and members of the Greenville legislative delegation unveiled a plan to secure funding for a vital economic development improvement project for the Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park. The legislators were joined by representatives from Donaldson for the announcement that took place at the Donaldson Center.
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A Dozen Unfortunate Vetoes
In a year when the Governor and the House had many victories together -- we passed record $221 million tax cuts ($21 million above the Governor's request), we exceeded the Governor's requests to deal with our state's unfunded liabilities by $50 million, we passed Workers' Comp reform and DOT reform, and many others -- and we tried to work closely with the Governor's office to put together a list of targeted vetoes.
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Taxpayers Finally Get DOT Reform
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Bobby Harrell, Majority Leader Jim Merrill, and Rep. Annette Young, approved a sweeping reform package for the state Department of Transportation -- marking a major victory in government accountability for the taxpayers of South Carolina.
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House Approves Tax Cut Package
COLUMBIA -- House Republicans approved a package of more than $220 million in tax cuts today, eliminating the grocery tax and exempting more income from the state income tax. The cuts were the centerpiece of the state's $7.3 billion budget approved Thursday.
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Republicans Reform Workers' Comp for S.C. Small Businesses
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives took a major step toward relieving the overwhelming burden an inefficient workers' compensation system was placing on our state's small businesses.
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Republicans Appoint 'Bulldog' Committees
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Speaker of the House Robert W. "Bobby" Harrell appointed Majority Leader Jim Merrill, Rep. Annette Young, Chairman Harry Cato and Rep. Nikki Haley to two key House conference committees.
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House Republicans Pass Workers Comp Reform
COLUMBIA -- The House Republican majority, led by Reps. Harry Cato of Travelers Rest and Michael Thompson of Anderson, approved sweeping changes Wednesday to South Carolina's workers' compensation system.
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House Majority Leader to Senate: 'Pass Meaningful Legislation Now'
COLUMBIA -- S.C. House Majority Leader Jim Merrill issued the following statement today on the state Senateâs annual propensity for inaction.
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Democrats Kill 4K Program Proposed for Neediest Children
COLUMBIA -- The House Democratic Caucus ended the chances of expanding the state's 4-year-old kindergarten pilot program to the rest of South Carolina Wednesday.
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House Approves Sweeping DOT Reforms
COLUMBIA -- South Carolina's House Republicans ushered sweeping reforms to the state Department of Transportation Tuesday, bringing needed accountability to an agency found to be wasting millions in taxpayer money.
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House Approves State Budget
COLUMBIA -- The House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Bobby Harrell and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper, approved the $7.3 billion 2007-2008 South Carolina budget Thursday -- a budget that cuts income taxes, reforms the Department of Transportation, adds more law enforcement, and increases college scholarships.
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Democrats spreading misguided myths about S.C. income tax cut
COLUMBIA -- House Democrats are misleading South Carolinians about the proposed Republican income tax cut, while pushing hundreds of irresponsible, out-of-control social program amendments to the budget, Republican leaders said Wednesday.
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Republicans Propose Local Government Spending Caps
COLUMBIA -- House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Majority Leader Jim Merrill, Rep. Garry Smith, and 19 other conservative Republicans filed legislation today to cap the out-of-control local government spending in South Carolina.
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House Republicans Increase Access to Quality Classes
COLUMBIA -- Members of the House Republican Caucus led the fight today and approved a bill expanding the state's online courses -- a move needed to extend a quality education to every school-age child.
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House Members Move to Create Statewide Wireless Broadband Network
COLUMBIA -- House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Rep. Dwight Loftis, R-Greenville, and others introduced a resolution today that creates the South Carolina Wireless Technology and Communications Commission for the purpose of implementing a statewide wireless broadband network. South Carolina would be the first state to have a ubiquitous wireless cloud.
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Republicans Usher State Spending Limit Through House
COLUMBIA -- Led by South Carolina's 73 House Republicans, the House of Representatives approved a state spending limit Thursday that forces state government to live within its means.
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Republican Leaders: Time to Consider "Backpacking"
COLUMBIA -- Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan of Clinton and House Speaker Bobby Harrell submitted a House Resolution Thursday to create a committee to study "backpacking" -- which releases schools from heavy-handed regulations about how to spend state money.
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House Expands Scholarship Opportunities
COLUMBIA -- Today the House passed a bill expanding the current LIFE, Palmetto Fellows and HOPE scholarships to include additional funding for students in math, science and engineering majors. South Carolina lags behind other Southern states when it comes to increasing the number of students majoring in these fields.
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Speaker Harrell Moves to Advance Work on Jasper Port
COLUMBIA -- Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell introduced today a bill that will help South Carolina move forward with building a port in Jasper County.
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House Republicans Begin Fight for DOT Reform
COLUMBIA -- Republicans on the House DOT Study Committee have written a sweeping bill that changes how the agency is governed and brings more accountability for spending taxpayer money.
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Rep. Hinson Re-Appointed as Republican Majority Whip
COLUMBIA -- Rep. Shirley Hinson was re-appointed today as the Republicans' Majority Whip for the 117th Legislative session by Majority Leader Jim Merrill.
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Speaker Proposes Enhancements to Scholarship Programs
COLUMBIA -- South Carolina Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell along with several other members of the House, members of the higher education community from all over the State and members of the business community, announced proposed legislation for new enhancements to our state's LIFE and Palmetto Fellows scholarships.
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