By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | Four S.C. Senate committees saw leadership changes this summer, all prompted by the resignation of former S.C. Sen. John Courson in June.
Courson, R-Richland, resigned and pleaded guilty to misconduct in office as part of an ongoing corruption probe of state officials.
According to Senate rules, the most senior member of the majority party on a committee becomes chair. Courson chaired the Senate Education Committee. That role transferred to Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, who formerly headed the Senate Medical Affairs Committee.
Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, became chair of Medical Affairs, leaving his post at Agriculture and Natural Resources. Former Ethics Committee Chair Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Charleston, took the helm of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Sen. Sean Bennett, R-Dorchester, received his first chairmanship and will lead the Ethics Committee.
Next year when the Senate elects officers, there could be another shakeup of committee roles, depending on which senator becomes president pro tempore, a position currently held by Finance Chair Hugh Leatherman.
In other news this week:
Opioid deaths. South Carolina saw a third consecutive year of increases in opioid overdose deaths, according to data released by the South Carolina Opioid Emergency Response Team. The exception to the statewide increase was Horry County, which saw a decline in opioid overdose deaths (Read what makes Horry County different here). An excerpt:
“The total number of prescription drug-involved overdose deaths, which include non-opioid drugs, increased by 37 percent, from 572 deaths in 2014 to 782 in 2017. Heroin-involved overdose deaths saw a sharp increase of 153 percent, from 57 to 144 deaths. Overall, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths saw the largest increase of 432 percent, from 68 to 362 deaths from 2014 to 2017. Deaths due to methadone, however, continue to decrease from 79 in 2014 to 45 in 2017, which is consistent with national trends, as methadone is used for the treatment of opioid use disorder.”
The State newspaper loses editorial voice. Opinion writer Cindi Scoppe was caught up in McClatchy’s layoffs of 3.5 percent of its nationwide staff. Scoppe wrote for the publication, first as a reporter and then as an editorial writer, for more than 25 years. Read her farewell column here.
Statehouse Report publisher Andy Brack said Scoppe’s departure is a loss for South Carolina: “South Carolinians have relied on Cindi’s informed voice for her dive deeps into major issues impacting the state. This is a big loss for South Carolina. It’s a sad state of affairs when big media put numbers over substance and their social responsibility. They should provide more information, not less, to keep our democracy robust.”
Gubernatorial poll. Democratic gubernatorial candidate James Smith is touting the results of a recent poll that shows him within striking distance of Trump-back Republican incumbent Henry McMaster. The Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group shows Smith trailing McMaster within the poll’s margin of error. The 605 likely S.C. general election voters found 43 percent supporting Smith and 47 percent backing Henry McMaster, with 10 percent undecided and a margin of error of 4.1 percent. The poll also found that McMaster had twice the name recognition, fueling speculation from Smith’s campaign that if they can raise awareness about his candidacy, they could overtake McMaster in November. In 2014, Democratic Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Richland tried to wrest the governor’s office away from incumbent Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, who beat him by more than 14 points.
Scott sides with constituents. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, said he is siding with his constituents on the issue of offshore oil exploration, which is opposed in much of the state. He said he came to the decision despite his belief in offshore exploration as a viable energy source. Oceana South Carolina captured his answer on video. Watch here.
Gender inequality. South Carolina’s women face an uphill battle when it comes to equality, according to a new study by data analyst WalletHub. South Carolina was ranked 45th in the nation for its workplace environment, health, education and political factors. The top five best states for equality were New York, Minnesota, Maine, Nevada and Hawaii. The bottom five were Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Idaho and Utah. Read more.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!