South Carolina Counties Score Low in Transparency

In 2009 the General Assembly passed legislation (H 3352) requiring all school districts to post a transaction register online, as well as a copy of the district’s monthly credit card statement. Initially, school districts had until October 2009 to comply with the new law, but the deadline was extended to June 30, 2010, after some districts asked for more time.

Constitutionality of Roll Call Voting Requirement

This memorandum addresses, specifically, whether S.C. House Bill H. 3047 (hereinafter “H 3047″) is constitutional and, more generally, whether the changes to the method of recording votes in both houses of the South Carolina General Assembly are constitutional.

Roll Call Voting in South Carolina Fact Sheet

In 2008, the South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC) released research showing that the S.C. General Assembly passed bills with a recorded vote only 5 percent of the time.[1] In January 2009, both bodies adopted rules changes:

Three Steps Toward Transparency: Protecting Taxpayer Investments in South Carolina’s Economy

It goes without saying our political leaders should treat public tax dollars with the same care and consideration they would their own finances. This maxim has never been more necessary when we consider the state’s recent experiment with government-driven economic development. As illustrated by the Boeing incentives package, there is little transparency regarding the financial details of these agreements, as well as the process by which lawmakers approve such incentives.

A Review of Transparency Policy for 2009-2010

The Best & Worst to Come: A Review of Transparency Policy for 2009-2010 As we review the best and worst transparency legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. The Policy Council is a longtime advocate of transparency, calling repeatedly for such reforms as recorded [...]

Local Transparency

Online check registers are an essential tool to make government spending decisions transparent and allow the public to see how their tax dollars are spent by government officials. In February, the Policy Council released a comprehensive transparency reportidentifying needed reforms in South Carolina government. The report found the current practice of forcing citizens to file [...]

Budget and Control Board Billing Should be Transparent, Competitive

As the Budget & Control Board prepares to meet next week to discuss how to respond to the state’s current revenue shortfall of $92 million, they might consider making some cuts closer to home – namely at the BCB itself. In fact, a thorough audit of the Board’s activities and expenditures would uncover several ways [...]

Significant Legislation Passed by Voice Vote in 2009

In spite of a change in rules in January 2009 requiring recorded votes on contested pieces of legislation, the S.C. General Assembly did not record votes on most of the legislation passed during the 2009 session. In fact, 3 out of 4 bills did not receive a recorded vote, leaving taxpayers in the dark over [...]

2009 General Assembly Voted Anonymously 75 Percent of the Time

2009 General Assembly Voted Anonymously 75 Percent of the Time The South Carolina General Assembly recorded its votes on 532 out of 2,116 bills considered during the 2009 legislative session, according to the final vote count tracked by the Policy Council. This total excludes votes on congratulatory resolutions that did not impact actual legislation. 74.9 [...]

House Rules Change Not Transparency; Most Bills Exempt From Recorded Vote

The South Carolina House of Representatives voted 77-34 today to adopt a House rules change that expands the range of matters subject to a vote on the record, but the rules change exempts most legislation from a recorded vote. In response to today’s rules change, Policy Council President Ashley Landess released the following statement: “We’ve [...]