SC House Committee Crafting Cybersecurity Bill
Harrell Congratulates Baptist Hill Students for all Their Hard Work
Speaker Bobby Harrell spoke with students at Baptist Hill in Hollywood, South Carolina at a pep-rally celebrating all the hard work the students have put into preparing for their upcoming End-of-Course Exams. Harrell encouraged the middle and high school students to dream big and continue working hard!
S.C. unemployment rate hits lowest mark in 5 years
Staff Report
South Carolina’s jobless rate in April dropped to its lowest level in nearly five years, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce reported today.
April’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate slipped to 8%, down from 8.4% in March. Nationally, the unemployment rate in April was 7.5%.
“The 0.4% decrease from March marks the largest month-to-month drop since May 1987, and the number of South Carolinians finding work continues to increase each month,” said John Finan, the agency’s administrator. [Read more...]
Release – SC House: Time for Government Restructuring to Become Law
For 5th time in 5 years, House again approves a DOA Bill
To hear an audio quote on DOA Restructuring from Speaker Harrell, click here
****NOTE: Chart detailing the House’s DOA plan: here****
(Columbia, SC) – Today, the SC House of Representatives (in a 91 to 23 bipartisan vote) again approved a Department of Administration (DOA) bill, marking the 5th time the House has passed this government restructuring reform over the last 5 years.
If the House’s DOA plan makes it into law this year, it would institute the broadest government restructuring effort to be undertaken in South Carolina in decades. Breaking up the quasi-Executive/Legislative Budget & Control Board, the House’s reform measure places Executive Branch functions directly under the Governor, adds stronger accountability oversight and will save taxpayers money by eliminating waste and duplication.
House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued this statement about the House’s DOA reform plan:
“Fundamentally changing the way government operates by challenging the status quo never comes easy – or quickly, considering this is the fifth time a DOA bill has passed the House – but our state’s system of government is in need of major reform.
“The House’s DOA reform plan adds direct accountability oversight, streamlines operations by removing duplication, and ultimately, saves taxpayers money. [Read more...]
House Honors SC Medal of Honor Recipient’s Work
The SC House of Representatives was able to pay tribute to a true American Hero today. We recognized Major General James Livingston, a SC native and Medal of Honor recipient, for everything he is doing to establish an Official National Medal of Honor Museum at Patriots Point. These heroes more than deserve a place they can forever call their own and the preservation of their acts of valor will serve to inspire generations to come.
Always great to visit with my friend General Livingston. We are proud of his work and were eager to support his efforts.
Here is a copy of the remarks I gave from the House Floor today as we presented General Livingston and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society with a Resolution (H. 3979) showing the General Assembly’s support: [Read more...]
Speaker Harrell Welcomes Boeing’s Huge New Expansion
By, Brendan Kearney
Friday’s ceremony in North Charleston was supposed to be about “Phase 2” of Boeing’s local expansion — a $1.1 billion investment and 2,000 more jobs in exchange for a government incentives package that includes $120 million from the state.
And it was, as a series of top elected and Boeing officials, looking out over the complex from an observation deck, marveled at how the 787 Dreamliner plant has progressed since the first major government-backed expansion here in 2009, and what the next round will include.
Boeing South Carolina Vice President and General Manager Jack Jones welcomes House Speaker Bobby Harrell to the podium at Friday’s celebration of the legislative deal wherein the plane maker agreed to invest another $1.1 billion in its local factory complex in exchange for $120 million of infrastructure support from the state. (Brendan Kearney/postandcourier.com)
Then Michael Luttig, Boeing’s general counsel and a part-time Kiawah Island resident, articulated what many outside the company have suspected about its long-term plans for the Lowcountry. [Read more...]
SC Tourism Spending Hits Record High – $16.5 billion
CHARLESTON, S.C. — (AP) – South Carolina’s tourism industry has bounced back after the Great Recession with tourism spending reaching a record $16.5 billion, according to figures released Saturday by the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
“We’re pretty well back now,” said Duane Parrish, director of the state agency. The numbers released to the Associated Press show that, during 2011, tourism spending was up almost 10 percent and has surpassed the previous record $15 billion of 2008.
“I think pent-up demand is part of it,” Parrish said “People get to the point where they either feel better about the economy or decide they are in a new economy but they are going to travel anyway.” [Read more...]
Help wanted: Amazon to add hundreds of Midlands area jobs
By TIM FLACH
COLUMBIA, SC — Online retailer Amazon is ramping up hiring at its Cayce distribution center, saying it plans to hire hundreds of full-time workers to pick, pack and ship customer orders.
Amazon officials won’t specify the number of jobs that will be added and the current staff level, calling that proprietary information.
A year ago, company officials said the facility had a payroll of 1,000 full-time employees. [Read more...]
S.C. Palmetto College enrolls first online students
Staff Report
South Carolina residents now can earn a University of South Carolina degree through the online programs of South Carolina Palmetto College.
USC officials and legislators announced that enrollment for Palmetto College is officially underway Thursday at a gathering of government officials, representatives from USC’s senior and regional campuses, and some first-enrolled students.
President Harris Pastides said making a college degree more accessible and affordable for citizens in South Carolina is at the core of Palmetto College. [Read more...]
InnoVenture helps Upstate economy grow
Entrepreneurs help to drive the Upstate’s growing high-tech economy, and the annual InnoVenture Conference has brought those entrepreneurs together with businesses and investors that have the wherewithal to bring ideas to market as successful businesses.
This 10th anniversary of InnoVenture is significant because the conference has proven to be successful; it is enduring, and now is a fixture on the Upstate’s business calendar. Furthermore, and most important, the fruits of the conference have been evident here for nearly as long as the conference itself. The InnoVenture 2013 Conference will be May 8-9 at the TD Convention Center, and more information including on how to register can be found at innoventureconference.com/2013.
Ideas presented at InnoVenture have spawned successful businesses. Investors and entrepreneurs that were brought together at the conference have become partners. The conference has become an incubator for success and is part of the broader InnoVenture community that includes the InnoVenture.com website where ideas are presented and viewed throughout the year in an effort to spark innovation throughout the region. [Read more...]
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