MORNING HEADLINES | It’s the last day of the regular session of the South Carolina General Assembly, which means lawmakers will be buzzing this way and that to try to get final deals on lagging bills. Examples: a proposed state hate crimes law and a measure to close a deadly gun purchase loophole.
Legislators are in a last-minute rush to cut income taxes after failing a few weeks back. And late Tuesday, they came to an agreement on liquor liability insurance reform that should help bars and restaurants stay in business.
But what has people talking is a sweeping energy bill without consumer protections that passed Wednesday. The measure, now headed to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster for his signature, would provide more power generation capacity for the state, but also is expected to lead to increased rates and a controversial new natural gas plant in Colleton County.
State Sen. Shane Massey, the Edgefield Republican who is majority leader in the Senate, warned colleagues about the bill: “Your constituents are going to be paying more for energy. … You’re going to regret this.”
An advocate against the bill, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), said it was disappointed the bill lacked protections against “monopoly utilities” that take advantage of regular people.
“South Carolinians don’t want our communities and natural environments littered with dirty, dangerous gas plants and pipelines, and we don’t want to spend our hard-earned money on expensive power bills—especially if we’re covering corporate data centers’ tabs,” SELC senior attorney Kate Mixson said in a statement. “We intend to keep fighting for what people really want: basic private property rights, clean air and water, and affordable electricity.”
In other headlines:
CP FOOD, 11 for 11th: Fantastic ways to treat mom to Charleston brunches, events, gifts. It’s not too late to make a brunch reservation for the mom in your life, to buy her a foodie gift or take her to a special Mother’s Day event.
Activists call Charleston’s protest restrictions unconstitutional. Four years after the city of Charleston passed an ordinance requiring protests with 25 or more demonstrators to get a police permit in advance, area activists say the law is an unconstitutional infringement on their right to free speech.
- Charleston County’s Caw Caw Interpretive Center adds 35 acres
- Charleston leaders celebrate Ashley Landing kickoff
- Daniel Island adjusts to grocery store closure
- Ohio-based bank expanding to West Ashley
Lowcountry officials warn of Breach Inlet dangers after two drown. Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island officials are cautioning swimmers about the dangers of Breech Inlet, which is notorious for its powerful currents, after two people drowned on Tuesday. “We don’t want to have another incident like this again,” Sullivan’s Island Town Administrator Joe Henderson said.
First day of REAL ID enforcement goes smoothly for S.C. airports, officials say. According to federal Transportation Security Administration officials, only 3% of flyers showed up at major S.C. airports Wednesday without acceptable identification under the new REAL ID standard. S.C.’s top TSA official called the smooth implementation a ‘welcome surprise.’
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