Senators Protect Base Funding for the Conservation Bank
This week the Senate debated the FY 2008-2009 Budget and unanimously voted to maintain the base funding for the Conservation Bank, which is projected to be approximately $12-14 million. The Bank’s base funding was in jeopardy of being diverted to other state needs since its enacting legislation required all Conservation Bank funding to cease in years that the state has severe budget shortfalls. Since the state is $180 million short this year, by law the Bank could not receive ANY funds the next fiscal year unless the General Assembly suspended this clause. This proviso must also be approved by the House during budget conference committee deliberations.
To ensure the Bank’s base funding will not be in jeopardy in future years, Senator Chip Campsen and 25 Senators have sponsored a bill, S. 1302, to permanently eliminate this harmful language from the law. S.1302 will be considered next Wednesday in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Energy Efficiency Bills will be Heard in the Senate
Next week the Senate Finance Sales Tax Subcommittee, chaired by Senator Billy O’Dell (R-Abbeville), will reconsider several energy efficiency bills from Senator Glenn McConnell’s (R-Charleston) “Energizing the Future” package. Last week the Subcommittee did not approve the bills due to concerns the state could not afford to offer additional rebates, sales tax relief, or tax credits due to South Carolina’s recent economic downturn. However, Subcommittee members, recognizing the importance of this legislation to South Carolina, have agreed to reconsider the bills with amendments to address their concerns over the fiscal impacts.
•S.1141 would establish an incentive program for the purchase of ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes in South Carolina by providing a $750 rebate payment and a sales tax exemption to consumers. • S.1142 provides a state income tax credit equal to 20% of the federal credit for qualified expenditures on photovoltaic, solar and fuel cell property and provides a sales tax exemption for the purchase of equipment that produces electricity from a renewable energy source. • S.1143 provides two one-month sales tax holidays for the purchase of energy efficiency appliances, ranging from water heaters to programmable thermostats during October, National Energy Efficiency Month, and April, National Earth Month.
Also next week, the Senate Agriculture Committee will consider S.1140, by Senator Glenn McConnell. The bill would establish energy efficiency and renewable energy goals for state government, and direct our state’s agencies to procure energy efficient products and to require all state agencies to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs by July 1, 2011.
Students One Step Closer to Healthier Meals
This week the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved the “South Carolina Farm to School Program Act.”H. 4833 by Representatives Dan Cooper (R-Anderson), Laurie Slade Funderburk (D-Kershaw) and others will foster relationships between SC farms and schools in order to provide schools with fresh and minimally processed foods in their school meals. The bill will also help develop healthy eating habits, improve farmers’ incomes and direct access to markets, and to provide students with hands on learning opportunities.
I still roll my eyes at S.1140 — it’s either sad or funny that we need a three year timespan to change our light bulbs.
That’s how long was too long a setbreak for local funk band Magic Bronson at the Rock and Roll Roadhouse Cafe on Folly Beach last Saturday. After a rocking first set, the bar’s owner “fired them mid-show for taking too long a break,” according to two bartenders. They also report that he made the call from home, watching on his webcam. Over thirty patrons there for the show quickly filtered out of the bar.
The County is sponsoring a Build-A-Dune day on Folly Beach on April 26, and they need volunteers. Dunes are a barrier island’s lifeline in a hurricane. The bigger they are, the more vegetation, the more roots, and the more protection for the rest of the island.
Here’s the release if you want to help…
Charleston County’s Project Impact initiative is sponsoring a Build-a-Dune Project at the Folly Beach County Park. Volunteers are being asked to help install sand dune fencing on Saturday, April 26, beginning at 9 a.m. near the far end of the park’s parking lot.
“The enhanced dune system provides protection for the barrier islands and inland areas against coastal storm-related flood losses,” said Joni Rennhack, who coordinates Charleston County’s Project Impact initiative. “The first part of the project will be the sand fencing, which is installed in a pattern that is conducive to sea turtle nesting.”
The Build-a-Dune Project will cover approximately 875 linear feet with a new dune system.
There are several steps to building the dune:
- Site location selection
- Permitting process
- Installation of posts in proper locations
- Installation of sand fencing
- Sign placement by dunes to advise the public to stay away from the area under construction
- Sea oat planting
Sea oats are planted on the dune system to stabilize the new dunes. The sea oat planting typically occurs approximately a year after the sand fencing is installed and the sand has had a chance to accumulate from the wind on the fencing units.
Anyone interested in volunteering may contact Joni Rennhack with Project Impact at (843) 202-6940 or jrennhack@charlestoncounty.org.
400 people came out to the Environmental Impact Statement hearing last week, and the opposition seemed to outnumber the proponents.
But the Charleston press has not given attention to the Coastal Conservation League and Concerned Citizens of the Sea Island’s calls for the S.C. DOT to include the Glatting Jackson alternative plan for improving traffic conditions in their study.
If you oppose the interstate extension, read the talking points at the link above. The DOT will take comments until April 24, and you can leave them here. I haven’t seen a pro-extension group to sign up for emails from, but if someone has “build it” talking points they want to send me, I’ll post them too.
There wasn’t much of a lot scene at Friday night’s RatDog show at the PAC — the Deadheads were sharing the parking area with the Walking with Dinosaurs crowd at the Coliseum. Fortunately, neither the quiet beginnings or the only half-full room appeared to have any effect on the musicians’ performance. Weir and crew found their stride around first set closer “Liberty,” which led into a second set segueway that included “Blackbird,” “Mexicali Blews,” “Terrapin Station,” and “St. Stephen.” Mark Karan’s guitar sounded eerily close to Jerry’s lingering leads throughout the night, and Bobby’s voice is fresh as ever. The highlight may well have been the whole room singing along to “Mississippi Half-Step’s” closing lines, “across the Rio Grand-ee-oo, across the lazy river,” a scenario repeated during the “Ripple” encore.
Here’s the full set
I: Jam > Feel Like a Stranger > Easy Answers, She Belongs to Me, Crazy Fingers > Maggie’s Farm > She Says > Liberty
II: Blackbird@, Mexicali Blues@ > Corrina@ > Jus’ Like Mama Said > Mississippi Half-Step > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Stuff > Black Peter > St. Stephen > The Eleven
I missed the meeting this morning to write about Steve Earle and the Disco Biscuits, and I’m bummed, because it sounds like some pretty good back and forth went down between the different sides of the “should we allow private sewers” debate.
My understanding of what happened (and I haven’t gotten anyone from the COG on the phone yet):
The Special Issues Wastewater Committee approved a recommendation to prohibit private ownership of wastewater facilities, excluding industrial sites. So they can exist and be built by developers, but an agreement has to be there to turn over ownership and operation to a public utility or municipality. An amendment to exclude Awendaw, who have proposed a $28 million dollar private plant to serve the town, was voted down 8-6. Private contractors could work out a deal with a municipality to co-manage, but the plan would leave the public agency responsible if a private company goes out of business.
If the COG approves the recommendation, it’s good news for environmentalists and anti-sprawl folks, bad for developers in places like Awendaw.
This may be the most important meeting on I-526 yet. It’s an open affair to let the public voice their concerns and feelings about the expansion of the interstate onto Johns and James Islands.
Here’s the info
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In association with Federal Highways Administration (FHWA), Charleston County and the SIB, the SCDOT will develop the EIS, a process that will include looking at roadway alternatives and comparing the impacts on both the natural environment and local communities. Due to the significant roles that state and federal resource and regulatory agencies play, the project team will work closely with them in completing the environmental review process. Additional efforts will be focused on public involvement and communication to ensure the successful development of the environmental process.
A Public Scoping Meeting will be held on April 10, 2008 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
This is an open-house meeting that will be held a Murray-LaSaine Elementary School located at 691 Riverland Drive on James Island. The purpose of this meeting is to:
Introduce the project to the public
Gather initial comments from the public
Identify the needs for the project
Identify concerns the public may have about the project or its impact to the human and natural environment
The public is encouraged to attend in order to meet the project team and provide input into this important project.
How can I comment on the project?
Comments will be accepted from the public during a public scoping meeting held at the beginning of the project with a 15-day comment period following. The Public Scoping meeting is scheduled for April 10th (6:00p.m.-8:00p.m.) at the Murray-LaSaine Elementary School, 691 Riverland Drive, Charleston.
Informal Public information meetings will be held periodically throughout the length of the project. These meetings will be advertised in newspapers and mail notifications. After each meeting there will be a 15-day comment period on the project.
Formal Public Hearings will be held upon completion of the Draft EIS and Final EIS. There will be a 45-day comment period, at the time of the public hearings, during which the public may submit comments to SCDOT and FHWA concerning the Draft EIS.
Use the contact form (http://www.scdot.org/i526/default.shtml#comment) to request information about the project.
Hotline: 1-888-MCE-I526
The project hotline will include a recorded message that will provide information on upcoming project events, a brief project status and other contact information. When you call, you may leave a project-related message that will be incorporated into the project file.
Whatever your opinion on the extension, it’ll change Charleston forever. No more biking or running on the Connector. It’ll mean more dense development on Johns Island, James Island, and farther south on Highway 17. And after all that comes, studies show it may make traffic worse than it is now.
According to the Partnership for Civil Justice, the National Park Service under the Bush Administration may ban mass protests on the National Mall outside the Capitol Building. It’s been the site of the last half century’s most famous protests, from the Million Man March to anti-Iraq and Vietnam War rallies. Trying to prevent gatherings due to protecting ‘green space’ on a big lawn sounds like a joke.
The NPS has set up a “public-private” partnership that allows business interests and real estate developers — in coordination with the government — to determine the future of the Mall. The NPS has announced proposals that include creating a designated protest zone; barring any structures, like rally stages, that might temporarily block an unobstructed view from the Washington Monument to the Capitol; and making the Mall completely off-limits for undetermined periods so that the grass can rest.
I’m a few days late on posting this, but here are some excerpts from the Coastal Conservation League’s latest update on the legislation being debated in Columbia.
The who-controls-S.C.-water bill…
This week the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee sent S.428 by Senator Wes Hayes (R-York) to the full Senate for its consideration without reaching consensus on a number of key components. Senator Phil Leventis (D-Sumter) has placed a Minority Report on the bill which ensures the bill will remain on the contested calendar unless the Senate votes to move S.428 into a Special Order slot. If the bill receives this special status, it will be debated by the full Senate.
The Conservation Community opposes S.428 as approved by the Committee. Most importantly, the Committee has not agreed upon how much water should be kept in rivers and streams for the public for boating, fishing and other recreational uses and how much to allocate to future business and industry. The Committee included language offered by Senator Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) that would have established a balanced advisory committee to study minimum instream flows and make recommendations next year. Unfortunately, the intent of the Grooms amendment was changed when further amendments were made stipulating that DHEC’s minimum flow guidelines would not apply to “regulated” rivers (which includes the Pee Dee, Catawba, Santee, Broad, Saluda and Savannah), and that Senate and House members would be added to the Advisory Committee (which would upset the balance). Ultimately, the League will oppose S.428 as written because it fails to protect the best interests of the public, our communities and the natural environment. Click here to tell your Senator you oppose S.428.
Funding the Conservation Bank …
This week the Senate Finance Committee approved its 2008-’09 State Budget and allocated an additional $1 million for the Conservation Bank, which mirrors the amount approved by the House. While we had hoped that the Committee would be able to match its $5 million appropriation for the Bank last year, we understand this year’s fiscal outlook is much bleaker than last year’s. Currently, the Board of Economic Advisors is projecting the state to be more than $200 million short of meeting its funding needs, $50 million more of a shortfall than when the House debated its budget last month. Yesterday, almost all state agencies were cut approximately 2.7%, so any additional funds for the Bank this year is remarkable.
Department of Transportation project prioritization …
This week the Senate Transportation Subcommittee and Committee considered R.3165, the SC Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation that would further implement Act 114, last year’s DOT Reform Act that requires the DOT to prioritize transportation projects. Senators Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) and Greg Ryberg (R-Aiken) were not satisfied with R.3165 since language was not included to require the DOT Commission to fund projects as prioritized by the DOT. Senate staff and the Senators are working together to amend the regulation to require the DOT to fund projects as they appear on the prioritization list. R.3165 was sent back to the Senate Transportation Subcommittee Chaired by Senator Danny Verdin (R-Laurens).
Greening the State fleet …
S.368 by Senator Jim Ritchie (R-Greenville) would require our state fleet managers to give preference to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel or flex fuel vehicles when purchasing new state vehicles.
I’ve never been a fan of blue laws. From a sober spring break Sunday in Myrtle Beach to a three hour round trip run from Atlanta to Chattanooga for a case of Busch beverages before an Allman Brothers show, my lack of planning combined with Saturday night stamina have left me burnt on Sunday more than a few times.
As of yesterday, Columbia drinkers can buy booze on Sunday. Here’s the story from Channel 10 in Columbia. It’s worth watching the video — some of the names and quotes are priceless.
“I think the blue laws are so antiquated and outdated that they should have been abolished a long time ago,” says Za Zambeasy.
“I still say we give the Christians respect that’s in church so. Buying after 1:30 is not bad. Just being able to buy on Sunday is enough,” Charles Hills told WIS News 10.
Whether or not blue laws are going to ease now that you can buy beer or wine on Sundays is still to be determined. These customers are just going to enjoy the fact they no longer have to wait until Monday to buy beer.
“It’s cheaper, save money. Don’t have to go out and buy it illegally anymore,” said Alnzaddy Smith.
I want some friends named Za and Alnzaddy! Voice of reason Charles Hills is wearing a Budweiser shirt, btw.
Oddly enough, the beer on Sunday story was old hat to me. We discovered it yesterday, and clearly support the initiative.
"Way back in the days when the grass was still green
and the pond was still wet
and the clouds were still clean,
and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...
one morning, I came to this glorious place."
—Dr. Seuss
