in honor of PFC Satieon "Tee" Greenlee

Pictured here is the Greenlee family, relatives of PFC Satieon "Tee" Greenlee. Tee, a SFC in the U.S. Army, was from Pendleton and gave his life in Iraq. Words cannot express our gratitude for those that put our freedom over themselves and paid the ultimate sacrifice for this great country. There was a lunch to honor the families of lost veterans in Columbia on Wednesday (05.09.07)

school choice proposal

Thursday 05.03.07 we held a press conference offering our proposal for an amendment to Jim Rex's open enrollment plan. This proposal calls for a limited voucher for children in the following circumstances:
1-at or below 200% poverty level
2-enrolled in a failing public school
3-does not have access to a satisfactory public school

Children is this category will be given a voucher to attend an independent school. The voucher may be as high as $3900 and will come from the state portion of funding. Federal and local funding remains in the local school, so in essence, per pupil funding will increase, giving these failing schools extra funding to improve. Everybody wins!

Also present were members of an organization called Clergy for Educational Options and Senators: Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) Jakie Knotts (R-Lexington) David Thomas (R-Greenville) Lewis Vaughn (R-Greenville) Danny Verdin (R-Laurens)

On Tuesday 05.08.07 the Senate voted to put the open enrollment bill on special order. This amendment will be offered and hopefully attached to the bill.

Sen. Grooms holds 25 year record chaw spittin

Officials at the annual "Hellhole Festival" in Berkeley County have discontinued the tobacco spitting contest. Interestingly, the 1982 record was set by Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley). 25 years ago he hurled a Beachnut wad 27 feet to break the record of Richard Campsen, brother of Sen. Chip Campsen (R-Charleston). Members of the William Wallace Caucus (Verdin, Grooms, Campsen, Bryant) go way back; who would have thunk? Personally, I never cared for Beech-nut, I was a Red Man man, but I have also learned much about the low country redneck.

Campsen catches 50 pound Wahoo

George Campsen IV, son of Sen. Chip Campsen reeled in a 50 lbs Wahoo this weekend. I'm told this fish will feed a dozen or so, invitations for supper to follow!

hail to the speaker & chairman

House to Senate: Its our way or the highway! In a bold move for the taxpayer, the SC House Leadership is playing some serious hardball.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, (R-Charleston), and Ways and Means chairman Dan Cooper, (R-Piedmont), said they might hold up final budget negotiations in an attempt to get the Senate to deal with Transportation Department reform and a cut in the state income tax rate.
Both Harrell and Cooper said DOT reform and the income tax cut are important enough to members to take the action. I wholeheartedly agree!

The week in the Senate: political blogs

Thursday morning (05.03.07), I am the guest on the ETV show "This Week in the Senate" with President Pro Tempore, Sen. Glenn McConnell. The topic is what's happening in the blogsphere. click here to view

James Dobson on taxes & spending

Recently, the Focus on the Family Action Newsletter written by Dr. James Dobson mentioned the pork and barrell spending at the Federal Level. Normally, groups work on either fiscal policy or moral issues. Then again, taxing and spending are at an immoral level, this action is very appropriate.
"How foolish and self-serving it is, given the financial burden that rides on the shoulders of today’s young parents, that the Democratic Party is seriously considering a series of sweeping tax increases that will make parenting even more difficult. Their proposal calls for an elimination of every tax cut in the past seven years, totaling $400 billion.3 It would be the largest tax increase in U.S. history. It would slash the child tax credit in half, reducing it from $1,000 to $500. Death taxes would rise to the highest level ever, and tax brackets would increase substantially in every bracket, even for low-income families."

then

"We were given an eye-popping look at their priorities in March when the House and Senate tacked $20 billion and $18 billion respectively in spending onto the bill to fund our troops in Iran and Afghanistan.5 It was an old fashioned “pork fest.”

click here to read the full article

Amazing Grace movie trailer

try to see this movie as it will move your soul

dot reform bill looking better

On Tuesday (05.01.07) we’re considering an amendment to the DOT reform bill. This may improve the bill that I can support.
Chief Highway Engineer
-Hired by the Department of Transportation Board
-May be removed for cause
-Must sign off on expenditures $10 million or less
Executive Director
-Appointed by the Governor with advice & consent of the Senate
-Serves at-will to the Governor
Department of Transportation Board
-7 (congressional & 1 at large)
-Appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Senate
-Hires Chief Highway Engineer
-All members must be from different counties
-creates STIP (state transportation improvement plan) with public input
-4 year staggered terms
Joint Transportation Review Committee
-Screen Board appointees - must state either qualified or unqualified within 30 days
-Annual review of activities of the Board and the Department
-Review Methodology of STIP

2004 Bryant for SC Senate DVD 7.47 minutes

This is an 8 minute video sent out during our campaign in 2004