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The Competitiveness Update is
sent to South Carolina Chamber of Commerce members every
Friday. To get on the Competitiveness Update mailing
list, visit the
My Chamber section of the Web site. You will
need a member login and password. To obtain your member
login and password, contact the membership department at
800-799-4601.
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September 18, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Gubernatorial
Candidates Join Business Leaders for Discussion |
| Healthcare Debate
Takes Center Stage in Washington |
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Tax Realignment
Commission Holds First Meeting |
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Ensure Access to America’s Abundant Oil and
Natural Gas Resources |
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Chamber Releases 2009 Legislative Scorecard |
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Annual Grassroots Meetings Wrap-Up |
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S.C. Chamber Names Business Leader, Public Servant of the
Year |
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July 13, 2009
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The Headlines:
| Tax Reform Signed
Into Law |
| Port Restructuring
Bill Becomes Law; New CEO Hired |
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Federal
Legislation Threatens South Carolinians |
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Ensure Access to America’s Abundant Oil and
Natural Gas Resources |
Thumbs Down:
To the South Carolina Department of Health
and Environmental Control (DHEC) for caving
in to political pressures from the Attorney
General’s office by rejecting a key permit
that met all of the legal requirements and
not recognizing the need for low-cost,
reliable energy to continue operating
hydroelectric dams on the Catawba River,
which could raise energy prices for
businesses and residents.
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June 18, 2009
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The Headlines:
| Tax Reform on the Way
to Governor’s Desk |
| Port Restructuring
Bill Becomes Law |
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Legislature
Misses Opportunities in 2009 |
Thumbs Up:
To Sen. Nikki Setzler (Lexington) and Rep.
Brian White (Anderson) for their willingness
to compromise on tax reform legislation this
week and ultimately passing a bill that will
examine the state’s tax structure.
Thumbs Up:
To Speaker Pro Tempore Harry Cato
(Greenville) and Rep. Dan Hamilton
(Greenville) for their outspoken leadership
in encouraging their fellow Upstate senators
to override the governor’s veto of port
restructuring legislation.
Thumbs Down:
To the 12 members of the General Assembly
who voted against the business community’s
interest in stabilizing the South Carolina
State Ports Authority Board by voting to
sustain the governor’s veto of S.351. |
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The Headlines:
| Tax Reform to Be
Considered In June |
| Port Restructuring
Legislation on Way to Governor |
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Senate Stalls
Legislation Protecting Workers |
| Governor Issues Budget
Vetoes, Sues Legislature |
| Business Leaders
Encourage Infrastructure Investment |
| New Unemployment
Numbers Released |
Thumbs Up:
To Rep. Eric Bedingfield (Greenville) for
his relentless efforts to push Senate
leaders to advance legislation to protect
the rights of workers to cast secret ballots
in union elections.
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The Headlines:
| House Passes Tax
Reform, Bill Headed to Conference Committee |
| Senate Must Move
Forward on Secret Ballot Protection |
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House Passes
Port Restructuring Legislation |
| General Assembly Passes
Budget |
| In Other
News |
Thumbs Up:
To Sen. Ray Cleary (Georgetown) and the 12
other senators who are requesting a
comprehensive investigation into the
consistency of workers’ compensation awards
and the reasonableness of attorney fees
awarded by the South Carolina Workers’
Compensation Commission.
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The Headlines:
| Senate Finance Strips
Cigarette Tax Bill |
| “Card Check”
Legislation Moves to Senate Floor |
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Session Slipping
Away From Lawmakers |
Thumbs Up:
To the 17 Senate Judiciary Committee members
who voted to protect the rights of workers
to vote by secret ballot.
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The Headlines:
| Workforce Reform
Derailed |
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Port
Restructuring Legislation Moves Forward |
| Senate Finalizes
State Budget |
| Legislation Combating
�Card Check� Takes Step Forward |
| CEO
Corner Visits Governor Mark Sanford |
| In Other
News� |
Thumbs Up:
To House Judiciary Committee
Chairman Jim Harrison (Richland) for his
leadership on committee passage of
legislation to restructure the South
Carolina State Ports Authority.
Thumbs Down:
To University of South
Carolina (USC) Moore School of Business
Professor Hoyt Wheeler and USC Law School
Professor Dennis Nolan for testifying
against the rights of workers to cast a
secret ballot in union elections. |
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The Headlines:
| House Leadership
Stalls Tax Reform |
| Senate Budget Debate
Carries Over |
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Hearing
Scheduled Next Week on Legislation to Protect Workers |
Thumbs Up: To the 78
House members who this week supported true,
comprehensive tax reform.
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The Headlines:
| Senate Finance
Committee Tackles Budget |
| House to Return,
Needs to Move Forward on Reforms |
| New Unemployment
Numbers Released |
| EFCA, Stimulus,
Nuclear Power Hot Topics at Washington Night |
Thumbs Down: To the
Southern Environmental Law Center, which
filed suit on behalf of the Coastal
Conservation League, Sierra Club, South
Carolina Wildlife Federation, Environmental
Defense Fund and League of Women Voters
against the South Carolina Department of
Health and Environmental Control concerning
the Pee Dee Energy Campus.
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The Headlines:
| House Passes 50-Cent
Cigarette Tax |
| House Leaders Delay
Vote on Comprehensive Tax Reform |
| Workforce Legislation
Needs to Move Forward |
| House Alters Port
Legislation |
Thumbs Down: To Sens.
Glenn Reese (Spartanburg) and Phil Leventis
(Sumter) for voting against the business
community�s workforce development
legislation, which passed the Senate LCI
Committee this week.
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The Headlines:
| Cigarette Tax
Moves Forward in House |
| House Passes
Constitutional Amendment to Protect Workers |
| Creation of
Department of Workforce Advances in Senate |
| House LCI
Subcommittee Asks for Testimony on Small Business Red Tape |
Thumbs Up: To House
members who voted in favor of H.3305,
legislation to protect the rights of workers
to cast a secret ballot in union elections.
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The Headlines:
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Session of Reforms
Slowly Slipping Away |
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Senate Finance
Chairman Halts Spending Cap Legislation |
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Employee Free Choice
Act Resolution Moves Forward |
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Senate LCI Wraps Up
Testimony on Workforce Department |
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Join South Carolina�s
Congressional Delegation at Washington Night |
Thumbs Up: To Senators
Brad Hutto (Orangeburg) and Danny Verdin
(Laurens) for encouraging the Senate Medical
Affairs Committee not to pass legislation at
this time to make the South Carolina
Department of Environmental Control (DHEC) a
cabinet agency.
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The Headlines:
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House Passes $6 Billion
Budget
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Governor Asks for
Federal Stimulus Waiver
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Spending Cap Moves
Forward, Needs Tightening
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Senate Hears Testimony
on Workforce Department
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�Card Check� Legislation
Introduced in Congress
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In Other News�
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Ambassador Wilkins Joins
CEO Corner
Thumbs Up:
To Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer for removing himself
from the Board of Directors of the South
Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce,
a misleading organization that does not
represent the needs of small businesses. The
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the
state�s largest broad-based business
organization, thanks the lieutenant
governor. |
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March 6, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Senate Finance
Subcommittee Delays Budget Stabilization
Again
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House Judiciary
Committee Passes Workforce Legislation
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Tort Reform May Stall in
Senate
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Abolition of Retail
Sales Restrictions Introduced
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States Combat Proposed
Federal �Card Check�
Thumbs Up: To Sen. Thomas Alexander
(Oconee) for his support of a state spending
cap and budget stabilization fund by saying
this week, �South Carolina needs to bite the
bullet and get its fiscal house in order.� |
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February
27, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Tax Reform Commission
Passes Senate
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Sen. DeMint Introduces
Legislation to Counter Dangerous �Card
Check�
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Help Bring Stability to
Civil Justice System
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In Other News�
Thumbs Up: To Rep.
Jeff Duncan (Laurens), chairman of the House
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee,
for opposing regulations that would allow
DHEC to raise fees dealing with the
Environmental Protection Fund. |
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February
20, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Port
Restructuring Legislation Passed By
Senate
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Speaker
Harrell Proposes Cigarette Tax Increase
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House
Subcommittee Hears Testimony on ESC
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Protection of Secret Ballots Moves to
House Floor
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Chamber
Releases Economic Competitiveness
Profile
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In Other
News...
Thumbs Up: To Senate
President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell
(Charleston), Senate Majority Leader Harvey
Peeler (Cherokee) and Senators Larry Grooms
(Berkeley) and Nikki Setzler (Lexington) for
their leadership on moving forward the port
restructuring bill and their willingness to
work alongside the business community to
ensure the port is a primary economic
development engine for the state.
Thumbs Down: To
Representative Walt McLeod (Newberry) for
opposing two top South Carolina Chamber
priorities in the past two weeks: protecting
secret ballots for workers (H.3305) and
creating a Department of Workforce (H.3442). |
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February
6, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Tax
Reform Proposal Lacks Neutrality
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Spending
Caps Need Finance Hearing
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Legislation to Restructure Employment
Security Commission Introduced
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Secret
Ballot Amendment Gains Traction in S.C.
House
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Port Bill
Introduced in Senate
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In Other
News...
Thumbs Down: To Sen.
Chip Campsen (Charleston) for amending S.351
to essentially change the mission of the
South Carolina State Ports Authority from
focusing solely on economic development and
financial integrity to now considering
environmental impacts that will be addressed
in the permitting process for future
expansions. |
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January
30, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Senate
Leadership Merges Tax Reform Bills
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Senators
Join Representatives in Opposing Card
Check Legislation
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Tort
Reform Introduced in Senate
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U.S.
House Passes Federal Stimulus Plan
Thumbs Up: To Governor
Mark Sanford, who this week continued his
call for reform at the Employment Security
Commission.
Thumbs Down: To
Senator Mike Rose (Dorchester) for using
local legislation on impact fees as a
vehicle for potential statewide tax
increases. |
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January
23, 2009
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The Headlines:
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After Hearing From
Business Community, Tax Reform Moves
Forward in Senate
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Governor Gives ESC
Two Weeks to Provide Unemployment Data
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South Carolina
Chamber Calls for Port-Users Panel
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On the Federal Front:
Card Check Legislation Threatens Workers
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Reserve Your
Company's Spot for Washington Night,
April 14
Thumbs Up: To Governor
Mark Sanford, who this week continued his
call for reform at the Employment Security
Commission. |
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January 16, 2009
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The Headlines:
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Competitiveness Agenda Focuses on Tax
Reform, Energy and Healthcare Costs
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Major S.C. Chamber Initiatives Already
Introduced
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Business Speaks Kicks off First Week
of Legislative Session
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Resolution Introduced to Protect South
Carolina Workers
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Governor Discusses Tax Reform,
Government Restructuring in State of the
State
Thumbs Up: To Rep.
Eric Bedingfield (Greenville) for
introducing a resolution and constitutional
amendment this week to protect workers�
rights to cast a secret ballot in union
elections. |
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