NO. 57
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
The Senate assembled at 12:00 Noon, the hour to which it stood adjourned, and was called to order by the PRESIDENT.
A quorum being present, the proceedings were opened with a devotion by the Chaplain as follows:
Joshua 24:15
Joshua challenged his people, saying to them:
" '. . .choose this day whom you will serve. . .' " and then he declared, " 'as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.' "
Let us pray: Most Holy Lord, likely few of us consciously think each day about how many times we have to make choices. A great deal of those decisions, naturally, are about lightweight, minor things. Yet others truly are about major issues which demand serious, wise, and caring thought. So we pray, dear God, that You will unfailingly lead each one of these forty-six Senators as they make those decisions which frequently impact the people and the institutions of South Carolina in truly significant ways. And as they guide and hopefully bring blessings to the people of our State, may these servant leaders also bring great blessings upon You, dear Lord. So we pray in Your loving name. Amen.
The PRESIDENT called for Petitions, Memorials, Presentments of Grand Juries and such like papers.
At 12:04 P.M., Senator PEELER made the point that a quorum was not present. It was ascertained that a quorum was not present.
Senator PEELER moved that a Call of the Senate be made. The following Senators answered the Call:
Adams Alexander Allen Bennett Campsen Cash Climer Corbin Cromer Davis Fanning Garrett Grooms Gustafson Harpootlian Hutto Jackson Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Michael Kimbrell Kimpson Loftis Malloy Martin Massey Matthews McElveen Peeler Rankin Reichenbach Rice Sabb Scott Senn Setzler Stephens Talley Turner Verdin Williams Young
A quorum being present, the Senate resumed.
The following appointment was transmitted by the Honorable Henry Dargan McMaster:
Initial Appointment, South Carolina State Accident Fund, with the term to commence June 11, 2022, and to expire June 11, 2028
Director:
Erin Farrell Farthing, 213 Leventis Lane, Lexington, SC 29072-3961 VICE Amy Cofield
Referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senator McLEOD introduced Dr. Patricia Witherspoon and Dr. Daniella Hall of Columbia, S.C., Doctor of the Day.
The following co-sponsors were added to the respective Bills:
S. 95 (Word version) Sen. Garrett
S. 280 (Word version) Sen. Young
S. 367 (Word version) Sen. Gustafson
S. 590 (Word version) Sen. Hembree
S. 610 (Word version) Sen. Climer
S. 714 (Word version) -- Senators Bennett and Gambrell: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE JULY 22, 2023, AS "FRAGILE X DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN ORDER TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CONDITION AND THE NEED FOR INCREASED RESEARCH FUNDING AND TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH FRAGILE X.
Senator VERDIN asked unanimous consent to make a motion to recall the Concurrent Resolution from the Committee on Medical Affairs.
The Concurrent Resolution was recalled from the Committee on Medical Affairs and ordered placed on the Calendar for consideration tomorrow.
S. 717 (Word version) -- Senator Williams: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 2023 AS "CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO ENCOURAGE ALL SOUTH CAROLINIANS TO SUPPORT THIS CAUSE THAT SO DEEPLY IMPACTS FAMILIES IN EVERY COMMUNITY ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION.
Senator VERDIN asked unanimous consent to make a motion to recall the Senate Resolution from the Committee on Medical Affairs.
The Senate Resolution was recalled from the Committee on Medical Affairs and ordered placed on the Calendar for consideration tomorrow.
The following were introduced:
S. 734 (Word version) -- Senator Stephens: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE MR. DENNIS EDWARDS UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT, TO COMMEND HIM FOR HIS FORTY-THREE YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, AND TO WISH HIM MUCH HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
sr-0367km-vc23.docx : 90664d19-84d5-41dc-a924-282848cbcd1a
The Senate Resolution was adopted.
S. 735 (Word version) -- Senator Sabb: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DARIUS RUSH FOR HIS EXCELLENCE AS AN ATHLETE AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
sr-0366km-hw23.docx : af1da55e-d19c-4499-bc61-1b7e8903e28b
The Senate Resolution was adopted.
S. 736 (Word version) -- Senator Talley: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE MAX K. METCALF FOR BEING THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2023 ROGER MILLIKEN DEFENDER OF MANUFACTURING AWARD.
sr-0373km-vc23.docx : add6567f-0768-4a94-9409-3d13496d378d
The Senate Resolution was adopted.
S. 737 (Word version) -- Senator Shealy: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS PROFOUND SORROW UPON THE PASSING OF HANNAH RUTH TIMMONS AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
sr-0372km-vc23.docx : 835d913a-f055-40d1-9745-fafeecce5293
The Senate Resolution was adopted.
S. 738 (Word version) -- Senator K. Johnson: A BILL TO DELINEATE THE NINE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS FROM WHICH MEMBERS OF THE CLARENDON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MUST BE ELECTED BEGINNING WITH THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION, AND TO PROVIDE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION REGARDING THESE DISTRICTS.
lc-0213hdb23.docx : 20c709a8-6e15-4e8f-ac25-e099dd5dd7a5
Read the first time and ordered placed on the Calendar without reference.
S. 739 (Word version) -- Senator Setzler: A JOINT RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR A ONE-TIME AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF CERTAIN REMAINING SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TAX CREDITS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO SECTION 1.B.1 OF ACT 202 OF 2022, CERTAIN REMAINING SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TAX CREDITS AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12-6-3795 FOR THE TAX YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023, AND NOT EXCEEDING $25 MILLION IN ONE-TIME, NON-RECURRING FUNDING FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TRUST FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 4 OF CHAPTER 13, TITLE 31 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE, ALL FOR THE LIMITED PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ADDRESS ESCALATIONS AND OTHER COSTS FOR CERTAIN MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
sf-0023ch23.docx : db1996b6-a62d-4985-aaad-68b1e6920e1c
Read the first time and referred to the Committee on Finance.
S. 740 (Word version) -- Senator Martin: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE APRIL 19, 2023, AS "STO PROGRAMS DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
sr-0358km-vc23.docx : adefc705-3892-4b1c-81fa-1238d5930396
The Senate Resolution was adopted.
Senator CLIMER from the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources submitted a favorable with amendment report on:
H. 3951 (Word version) -- Reps. Haddon, G.M. Smith, Bannister, Hiott, Ligon, Hixon, Leber, Erickson, Forrest, Brewer, Murphy, Robbins, Willis, Calhoon, Pope, Davis and M.M. Smith: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "WORKING AGRICULTURAL LANDS PRESERVATION ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 57 TO TITLE 46 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS, ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE, AND OUTLINE PROGRAM CRITERIA, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
S. 704 (Word version) -- Senators McElveen, Gustafson, Adams, Alexander, Allen, Bennett, Matthews, Campsen, Cash, Climer, Corbin, Cromer, Davis, Fanning, Gambrell, Garrett, Goldfinch, Grooms, Harpootlian, Hembree, Hutto, Jackson, K. Johnson, M. Johnson, Kimbrell, Kimpson, Loftis, Malloy, Martin, Massey, McLeod, Peeler, Rankin, Reichenbach, Rice, Sabb, Scott, Senn, Setzler, Shealy, Stephens, Talley, Turner, Verdin, Williams and Young: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLEVELAND SCHOOL FIRE AND TO RECOGNIZE MAY 17, 2023, AS "CLEVELAND SCHOOL FIRE MEMORIAL DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Returned with concurrence.
Received as information.
S. 719 (Word version) -- Senator McElveen: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE THE FEATHERHORN YOUNG GUNS SHOOTING TEAM OF FEATHERHORN FARMS ON AN OUTSTANDING SEASON AND TO HONOR THEM FOR WINNING THE 2023 GOVERNOR'S CUP.
Returned with concurrence.
Received as information.
S. 724 (Word version) -- Senator Cromer: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE THE NEWBERRY COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS ON AN OUTSTANDING SEASON AND TO HONOR THEM FOR WINNING THE SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP.
Returned with concurrence.
Received as information.
S. 725 (Word version) -- Senator Cromer: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE THE NEWBERRY COLLEGE MEN'S GOLF TEAM FOR EARNING THE TOP TEAM GRADE POINT AVERAGE IN THE COUNTRY.
Returned with concurrence.
Received as information.
S. 733 (Word version) -- Senators McElveen, Adams, Alexander, Allen, Bennett, Campsen, Cash, Climer, Corbin, Cromer, Davis, Fanning, Gambrell, Garrett, Goldfinch, Grooms, Gustafson, Harpootlian, Hembree, Hutto, Jackson, K. Johnson, Kimbrell, Kimpson, Loftis, M. Johnson, Malloy, Martin, Massey, Matthews, McLeod, Peeler, Rankin, Reichenbach, Rice, Sabb, Scott, Senn, Setzler, Shealy, Stephens, Talley, Turner, Verdin, Williams and Young: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO ACKNOWLEDGE, WITH GREAT PRIDE AND GREATER GRATITUDE, THE ENORMITY OF THE SACRIFICE AND PERSONAL CONVICTION EXPRESSED BY THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR ON THE PLAINS AND VALLEYS, RIVERS AND COAST, MOUNTAINS AND SWAMPS, FIELDS AND FORESTS, THROUGHOUT THE BACKCOUNTRY AND LOWLANDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO PROCLAIM APRIL 22, 2023, "CAMDEN BURIALS DAY" THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
Returned with concurrence.
Received as information.
THE SENATE PROCEEDED TO A CALL OF THE UNCONTESTED LOCAL AND STATEWIDE CALENDAR.
The following Bill was read the third time and ordered sent to the House:
S. 147 (Word version) -- Senators Shealy, Gustafson, Senn, Goldfinch and Campsen: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 16-25-130 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM WHEREBY A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, STALKING, HARASSMENT, OR SEXUAL OFFENSES MAY USE A DESIGNATED ADDRESS RATHER THAN HIS RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO CONCEAL HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE FROM HIS ASSAILANTS OR PROBABLE ASSAILANTS, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERSON MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-1656 SO AS TO REQUIRE NONPROFIT VICTIM ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, STALKING, HARASSMENT, OR SEXUAL OFFENSES TO PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY OF CLIENTS, WITH EXCEPTIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 19-11-110 SO AS TO PROHIBIT EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR VOLUNTEERS OF SUCH ORGANIZATIONS FROM TESTIFYING IN ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS MADE BY A CLIENT OR RECORDS KEPT DURING THE COURSE OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE CLIENT, WITH EXCEPTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Senator SHEALY explained the Bill.
The following Bill was read the third time and ordered returned to the House with amendments.
H. 3605 (Word version) -- Reps. G.M. Smith, Sandifer, Carter, Kirby, Oremus, Magnuson, Pace, Long, Elliott, Burns, May, Beach, Forrest, Blackwell, B. Newton, Caskey and Ligon: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-80, RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS OF LICENSEES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR TO SEND INFORMATION REGARDING AN INVESTIGATION TO THE LICENSEE; BY ADDING SECTION 40-1-85 SO AS TO ESTABLISH INFORMAL CONFERENCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-90, RELATING TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A LICENSEE TO REQUEST CERTIFICATION OF AN INVESTIGATION FROM THE DIRECTOR; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-140, RELATING TO EFFECT OF PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS OF APPLICANTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE DENIAL OF A LICENSE BASED SOLELY OR IN PART ON A PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
The following Resolution was read the third time and ordered sent to the House:
S. 698 (Word version) -- Education Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, RELATING TO PARKING, TRAFFIC, AND PUBLIC SAFETY REGULATIONS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5108, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
The following Bill was read the third time and ordered returned to the House with amendments.
H. 4099 (Word version) -- Reps. B. Newton, Neese, Mitchell and Yow: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 7-7-350, RELATING TO DESIGNATION OF VOTING PRECINCTS IN LANCASTER COUNTY, SO AS TO ADD ONE PRECINCT AND TO REDESIGNATE THE MAP NUMBER ON WHICH THESE PRECINCTS MAY BE FOUND ON FILE WITH THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE.
S. 640 (Word version) -- Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, RELATING TO WATER CLASSIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5119, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
On motion of Senator SETZLER, the Resolution was carried over.
S. 641 (Word version) -- Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION - BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS; PRACTICE STANDARDS FOR LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIANS AND UNLICENSED VETERINARY AIDES; LICENSURE AND EXAMINATIONS FOR VETERINARIANS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5121, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
On motion of Senator CLIMER, the Resolution was recommitted to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
S. 95 (Word version) -- Senators Campsen, Senn, Verdin, M. Johnson, Kimbrell, Gustafson, Young, Grooms, Fanning, Loftis and Garrett: A JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7, ARTICLE VI OF THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS OF THIS STATE, SO AS TO DELETE THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL FROM THE LIST OF STATE OFFICERS WHICH THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES TO BE ELECTED AND PROVIDE THAT THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL MUST BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR UPON THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE FOR A TERM COTERMINOUS WITH THE GOVERNOR UPON THE EXPIRATION OF THE TERM OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL SERVING IN OFFICE ON THE DATE OF THE RATIFICATION OF THIS PROVISION.
Senator MALLOY objected to consideration of the Resolution.
H. 3209 (Word version) -- Reps. Jordan, Murphy, Brewer, Williams, Henegan and Alexander: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL APPROVALS AFFECTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE STATE.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the Resolution.
Senator TALLEY explained the Resolution.
The question then being second reading of the Resolution.
The "ayes" and "nays" were demanded and taken, resulting as follows:
Adams Alexander Allen Bennett Campsen Cash Climer Corbin Cromer Davis Fanning Gambrell Garrett Grooms Gustafson Harpootlian Hembree Hutto Jackson Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Michael Kimbrell Kimpson Loftis Malloy Martin Massey Matthews McElveen McLeod Peeler Rankin Reichenbach Rice Sabb Scott Senn Setzler Shealy Stephens Talley Turner Verdin Williams Young
The Resolution was read the second time, passed and ordered to a third reading.
S. 710 (Word version) -- Banking and Insurance Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS - CONSUMER FINANCE DIVISION, RELATING TO CHECK-CASHING SERVICE: PURCHASE OF GOODS OR SERVICES, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5141, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
On motion of Senator MARTIN, the Resolution was carried over.
S. 711 (Word version) -- Banking and Insurance Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS - CONSUMER FINANCE DIVISION, RELATING TO CHECK-CASHING SERVICE, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5140, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
On motion of Senator MARTIN, the Resolution was carried over.
S. 244 (Word version) -- Senator Kimbrell: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-19-40, RELATING TO CERTAIN SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ELECTIONS FOR SCHOOL TRUSTEES MUST BE HELD AT THE SAME TIME AS THE GENERAL ELECTION IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS.
Senator STEPHENS objected to consideration of the Bill.
S. 305 (Word version) -- Senators Young, M. Johnson, Kimbrell, Turner, Fanning, Climer and Stephens: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-60 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE MAY BE AWARDED ON AN INITIAL TEACHING CERTIFICATE IF THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS IN OR RELATED TO THE CONTENT FIELD OF THE CERTIFICATE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT EXISTING CERTIFICATE HOLDERS MAY ALSO RECEIVE THE SAME CREDIT FOR PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE.
On motion of Senator YOUNG, the Bill was carried over.
H. 3797 (Word version) -- Reps. B.J. Cox, G.M. Smith, Beach, W. Newton, Williams, McCravy, Long, Hixon, Taylor, Oremus, Blackwell, Erickson and Bradley: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "MILITARY TEMPORARY REMOTE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-33 SO AS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS COMPLY WITH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS IF THEIR PARENTS ARE TRANSFERRED TO OR ARE PENDING TRANSFER TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THIS STATE WHILE ON ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY PURSUANT TO OFFICIAL MILITARY ORDERS, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR ENROLLMENT AND COURSE REGISTRATION FROM SUCH PUPILS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS, TO PROVIDE PARENTS OF SUCH STUDENTS SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN PROOF OF RESIDENCE WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER THE ARRIVAL DATE, TO PROVIDE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANOTHER PROVISION OF LAW, TO PROVIDE AMBIGUITIES IN CONSTRUING THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT MUST BE RESOLVED IN FAVOR OF ENROLLMENT, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMINOLOGY.
On motion of Senator HEMBREE, the Bill was carried over.
S. 732 (Word version) -- Education Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, RELATING TO DEFINED PROGRAM, GRADES 9-12 AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5130, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
On motion of Senator HEMBREE, the Resolution was carried over.
THE SENATE PROCEEDED TO A CONSIDERATION OF H. 4300, THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
H. 4300 (Word version) -- Ways and Means Committee: A BILL TO MAKE APPROPRIATIONS AND TO PROVIDE REVENUES TO MEET THE ORDINARY EXPENSES OF STATE GOVERNMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2023, TO REGULATE THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH FUNDS, AND TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THE OPERATION OF STATE GOVERNMENT DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
The Senate proceeded to a consideration of the Bill.
Senator PEELER spoke on the Bill.
Senator BENNETT, Chairman of the Subcommittee on K-12 Education, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator MARTIN, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Judicial and Criminal Justice, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator CROMER, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator CAMPSEN assumed the Chair.
Senator ALEXANDER, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
At 1:29 P.M., the PRESIDENT assumed the Chair.
Senator SETZLER, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Economic Development, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator GROOMS, on behalf of the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Constitutional and Administrative Laws, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator JACKSON, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Regulatory Laws, was recognized to report to the Senate regarding the work of the subcommittee.
Senator PEELER spoke on the Bill.
Senator BENNETT proposed the following amendment (SM CASH FOR SCHOOL EVENT ADMISSIONS), which was adopted (#1):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 1, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, page 300, after line 21, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (SDE: Cash for Admissions) For the current fiscal year, any school district or school that receives funds appropriated in this act must accept cash as a payment option for admission to extracurricular activities. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator BENNETT explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator MALLOY proposed the following amendment (AM FLORENCE-DARLINGTON MARION CAMPUS), which was adopted (#2):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 25, STATE BOARD FOR TECHNICAL & COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION, page 348, proviso 25.5, lines 8 - 10, by striking the proviso in its entirety, and inserting:
/ 25.5. (TEC: Florence-Darlington Marion Campus) Nonrecurring funds appropriated in this act or the Capital Reserve Fund to Florence-Darlington Technical College for Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement may be used to conduct a feasibility study and engineering related to the construction of a Marion County Campus. These funds may also be used for the completion of construction of the Darlington County Campus. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator MALLOY explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator HEMBREE proposed the following amendment (AGM QUOTA ELIMINATION), which was adopted (#3):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 65, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, page 424, proviso 65.19, by striking the proviso in its entirety, and inserting:
/ 65.19. (CORR: Quota Elimination) Pursuant to Section 24-3-60 of the 1976 Code, upon notification by the county, the Department of Corrections shall accept newly sentenced inmates from each local jail and detention center.
For sentenced inmates who the county is willing to transport, the department may limit the acceptance at the Kirkland Correctional Institution to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, and at the Perry and Lieber Correctional Institutions to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday Thursday, excluding holidays, and at the Camille Graham Correctional Institution to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, excluding holidays.
By mutual agreement between the Department of Corrections and a local jail or detention center, the department may establish an alternate admissions schedule for receiving inmates at the Reception and Evaluation Center.
At the time of least one day prior to the date for transfer of the inmate to the department, the county shall provide the sentencing order, and if available copies of all available medical history and screening records, booking reports, and other documents required to assist the department in its intake processing. Counties that have not completed additional medical screenings at the time of transfer shall not be required to do so. Counties shall not be allowed to have an inmate admitted to the department until after the sentencing order and medical history and screening records in their possession are transferred to the department.
In the event there are inadequate beds within the Reception and Evaluation Center, the Department of Corrections may create a "jail" within the Kirkland Correctional Institution using one or more of the available 192-bed housing units to accept newly sentenced state inmates who are awaiting R & E processing. The department may operate such "jail," to the extent feasible, in accordance with standards applicable to the local jails.
The department shall use the funds appropriated in this act for "Quota Elimination" to accomplish this initiative and to open a 96-bed unit at the MacDougall Correctional Institution and the 192-bed housing units at Kirkland Correctional Institution. The funds may not be transferred to any other program or used for any other purpose. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator HEMBREE explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator CORBIN proposed the following amendment (4300R006.JG.TDC.DOCX), which was adopted (#4):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 117, GENERAL PROVISIONS, page 493, proviso 117.21, by striking line 17, by inserting:
/ organizations or purposes which practice discrimination against person by virtue of race, creed, color or national origin. For the purposes of this paragraph, "nonprofit organization" means an organization recognized by the South Carolina Department of Revenue and the United States Internal Revenue Service as exempt from federal and state income taxation pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6), 501(c)(7), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), 501(c)(19), or 501(d). Each nonprofit organization that receives a contribution from an entity that receives an appropriation in this act shall submit to the Executive Budget Office and the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, by the end of this fiscal year, a detailed statement explaining the nature and function of the nonprofit organization, including programming descriptions; staffing information, including full and part time positions and the number of positions available versus positions filled; salaries for each position and any supporting documentation; and other information detailing the use of appropriated funds expended by the organization, as well as a detailed statement explaining the use that was made of the contribution. The statements must be available at the Executive Budget Office and the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office for public inspection and must be provided to a member of the General Assembly upon request. A contribution must not be made to an organization until it agrees in writing to allow the State Auditor to audit or cause to be audited the contributed funds./
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator CORBIN explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
On motion of Senator ADAMS, with unanimous consent, Amendment No. 8 was withdrawn.
Senator CROMER proposed the following amendment (AM PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE DEFINITION), which was adopted (#5):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 117, GENERAL PROVISIONS, page 546, after line 23, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (GP: Definition of Physician's Office) For the purposes of meeting the requirements of Section 12-36-2120(80) for insertable medicine used in the prevention, treatment, or cure of ophthalmologic diseases or conditions, the definition of a physician's office includes an independent surgery center and a hospital-based outpatient department. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator CROMER explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator YOUNG proposed the following amendment (AM JROTC PROGRAM), which was adopted (#6):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 117, GENERAL PROVISIONS, page 546, after line 23, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (JROTC Program) By February 1, 2024, the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Adjutant General, and the Education Oversight Committee, shall submit a report to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the State Board of Education on the status of JROTC program offerings in South Carolina public schools. The report shall include recommendations for expanding JROTC program offerings to more South Carolina students. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator YOUNG explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator ALEXANDER proposed the following amendment (DG\4300C001.NBD.DG23.DOCX), which was adopted (#7):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 117, GENERAL PROVISIONS, page 546, after line 23, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (GP: Festival craftsmen) In the current fiscal year, a person including, but not limited to, artists, craftsmen, or hobbyists, who makes sales not more than four times in the fiscal year at a fair, festival, carnival, or event that operates for a period of less than twelve consecutive days is not engaged in business or making sales at retail. However, this proviso does not apply to persons who are engaged in the business of making sales at retail for which they are required to obtain a license. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.
Senator SETZLER explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator DAVIS proposed the following amendment (AM HEALTHCARE), which was adopted (#8):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 33, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, page 361, after line 23, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (DHHS: Healthcare) From the funds appropriated and authorized to the Department of Health and Human Services, the department shall partner with safety net providers to ensure that high quality reproductive healthcare is incorporated into primary care services and practice and available to all safety net patients. The department shall allocate up to $7,500,000 to ensure that patients eligible for Medicaid and other safety net patients are served by participating providers. In order to administer the program, the department shall partner with a non-profit to administer the program. The department may leverage any and all available federal funds to implement this program. /
Renumber sections to conform.
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Senator DAVIS explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator YOUNG proposed the following amendment (AM USC MRR), which was adopted (#9):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 20, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, page 345, proviso 20.4, lines 27 - 29, by striking the proviso in its entirety, and inserting:
/ 20.4. (USC: Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement) Funds appropriated in this act and the Capital Reserve Fund to University of South Carolina-Aiken for Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement, and any amounts remaining after the completion of other capital projects, may be used to offset impacts on its campus caused by the construction of any building for the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. /
Renumber sections to conform.
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Senator YOUNG explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senators HUTTO, MARTIN and McELVEEN proposed the following amendment (SM DEER PROCESSING PILOT PROGRAM), which was carried over:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 47, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, page 396, after line 34, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (DNR: Deer Processing Pilot Program) Funds appropriated to the Department of Natural Resources shall be used for the creation and implementation of a deer processing pilot program. This program shall be designated to incentivize the harvesting of deer in areas that are having impacts on the agriculture sector of the State's economy. The grants to processors will allow hunters to deliver deer to the processors without a fee if the deer is donated or at a reduced fee if a portion is to be donated as established by the department in the grant. The department is authorized to create a program and provide grants year-round to deer processors in this state. Grants shall only be provided to deer processors who agree to donate a portion of the processed meats to non-profits organizations. The department shall establish the amount of processed meat to be donated by the processor before awarding each grant. A report shall be provided by the department to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees by June 30, 2023, on the implementation of the pilot program and the grants awarded. /
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Senator HUTTO explained the amendment.
The amendment was carried over.
Senator MALLOY proposed the following amendment (SM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REALLOCATION), which was adopted (#10):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 50, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, page 403, after line 27, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ (CMRC: Economic Development Alliance Reallocation) Of the funds appropriated to the Department of Commerce for local economic development alliances, $745,000 allocated for the Northeastern Strategic Alliance shall be reallocated to be distributed evenly among the municipalities of Darlington County for economic development. /
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Senator MALLOY explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
Senator PEELER asked unanimous consent to make a motion to give the Bill a second reading, carry over all amendments and waive the provisions of Rule 26B in order to allow amendments to be considered on third reading.
There was no objection.
The Bill was read the second time, passed and ordered to a third reading.
H. 4301 (Word version) -- Ways and Means Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROPRIATE MONIES FROM THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023, AND TO ALLOW UNEXPENDED FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO BE CARRIED FORWARD TO SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEARS AND EXPENDED FOR THE SAME PURPOSES.
The Senate proceeded to a consideration of the Resolution.
The Committee on Finance proposed the following amendment (LC-4301.SA0001S):
Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 1 and inserting:
SECTION X. In accordance with the provisions of Section 36(B)(2) and (3), Article III, Constitution of South Carolina, 1895, and Section 11-11-320(C) and (D) of the S. C. Code, there is appropriated from the monies available in the Capital Reserve Fund for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 the following amounts:
(1) H090 The Citadel
Engineering Building $10,000,000
(2) H120 Clemson University
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $10,000,000
(3) H150 University of Charleston
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $9,000,000
(4) H170 Coastal Carolina
(a) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $3,500,000
(b) Edwards Humanities Building Renovation $4,000,000
(5) H180 Francis Marion University
(a) Founders Hall Renovation $9,000,000
(b) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $1
(6) H210 Lander University
(a) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $3,500,000
(b) Nursing Building $4,000,000
(7) H240 South Carolina State University
(a) Turner Hall Replacement $10,000,000
(b) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $1
(8) H270 USC Columbia
(a) Rural Brain Health Network and Brain Health
Institute $10,000,000
(b) Law Library Digitization $1
(c) Science and Technology Center $10,000,000
(9) H290 USC Aiken
(a) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $2,000,000
(b) Etherredge Center HVAC Upgrades $5,500,000
(10) H340 USC Upstate
(a) Health Education Complex Mechanical Repairs $5,000,000
(b) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $2,500,000
(11) H360 USC Beaufort
Convocation Center $8,500,000
(12) H370 USC Lancaster
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $6,000,000
(13) H380 USC Salkehatchie
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $5,000,000
(14) H390 USC Sumter
(a) Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $3,000,000
(b) Administrative Building HVAC $1,500,000
(c) Business Administration Building Maintenance
and Renovation $1,000,000
(15) H400 USC Union
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $5,000,000
(16) H470 Winthrop University
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $2,500,000
(17) H510 Medical University of South Carolina
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement $5,000,000
(18) H590 Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
Maintenance, Renovation, and Replacement
(a) Aiken Technical College $3,194,426
(b) Central Carolina Technical College $4,000,000
(c) Denmark Technical College $500,000
(d) Florence-Darlington Technical College $3,000,000
(e) Greenville Technical College $7,000,000
(f) Horry-Georgetown Technical College $3,000,000
(g) Midlands Technical College $15,000,000
(h) Northeastern Technical College $1,000,000
(i) Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College $2,000,000
(j) Piedmont Technical College $6,500,000
(k) Spartanburg Community College $6,000,000
(l) Technical College of the Lowcountry $1,500,000
(m) Tri-County Technical College $7,000,000
(n) Trident Technical College $7,000,000
(o) Williamsburg Technical College $1,000,000
(p) York Technical College $4,000,000
(q) Central Carolina Technical College -
Sumter County $1
(19) H590 Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
(a) Trident Technical College Electric Vehicle
Institute $1
(b) ReadySC $2,000,000
Renumber sections to conform.
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Senator CROMER explained the amendment.
The amendment was adopted.
The question then was second reading of the Joint Resolution.
The "ayes" and "nays" were demanded and taken, resulting as follows:
Adams Alexander Allen Bennett Campsen Cash Climer Corbin Cromer Davis Fanning Gambrell Garrett Grooms Gustafson Harpootlian Hembree Hutto Jackson Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Michael Kimbrell Kimpson Loftis Malloy Martin Massey Matthews McElveen McLeod Peeler Rankin Reichenbach Rice Sabb Scott Senn Setzler Shealy Stephens Talley Turner Verdin Williams Young
The Resolution was read the second time, passed and ordered to a third reading.
On motion of Senator MASSEY, the Senate agreed that if and when the Senate stands adjourned today, that it will adjourn to meet tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M.
The College and University Trustee Screening Commission found the following individuals qualified and nominated for the Trustee seats to which they applied. These individuals will be released to receive commitments on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. noon. The Joint Assembly to elect the trustees is currently set for Wednesday, May 3, 2023, immediately following the Joint Assembly to honor David M. Beasley scheduled at 12:00 p.m. (noon). A complete transcript of the hearings for these candidates will be printed in today's Senate and House Journals.
TRANSCRIPT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 12:44 p.m.
Location: 110 Blatt Building
1105 Pendleton Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
APPEARANCES:
Chairman: William R. Whitmire
Senate Members:
Thomas C. Alexander
John L. Scott
Daniel B. "Danny" Verdin, III
Richard A. "Dick" Harpootlian
House Members:
John King
Seth Rose
Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis
Committee Staff:
Macey Webb, Esquire
MR. CHAIRMAN: We're convening the Commission and at this time I will recognize President Alexander.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would move that we go into Executive Session pursuant to Code Section dealing with personal information.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor say aye. (Ayes are heard.) MR. Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. We are now going into Executive Session so anybody except these two (indicating) I guess you've got to leave. EXECUTIVE SESSION
MR. CHAIRMAN: We'll go ahead and get started this afternoon. Thanks for putting up with the short meeting we had. There was no action taken during the Executive Session we just had. At this time I'd like introduce the committee members to my right. President Alexander and Senator Scott, Senator Verdin, and Senator Harpootlian. On my left is Representative King, Representative McGinnis, Representative Rose and I am representative Whitmire I am the chairman from Oconee County. Macey Webb is our analyst and she is will be handling all the leg work for us. At this time I'll recognize Macey.
MS. WEBB: Hi, good afternoon. Just to clarify for the record for College of Charleston and SC State pertaining to the 1st Congressional District, which is what we were meeting about during Executive Session, just to clarify, under the law for the 1st Congressional District we are unfortunately not going to be able to screen those seats today. So when those candidates had applied for the 1st Congressional District that have new been drawn out they will continue to serve in their positions until we are able to reopen those seats and screen and put someone else in that position at that time. We will proceed with screening, just for everyone else. Just for the clarification for the record.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Sure. Come on up.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON:
MS. BURKE: Hi, I'm Beth Burke. You can probably hear me. I'm one of the 1st Congressional District candidates so I have you all here I'd like to ask, understand that I'll be able to --
MR. CHAIRMAN: I don't think your mic is on.
MS. BURKE: Okay. Thank you all for giving me just a moment to talk with you. I am Beth Burke. I'm serving in the 1st Congressional District and I understand that I'll continue to run in my seat until you're able to reopen my seat and so others could run for it. Well I have an opportunity to run for a seat that I now qualify for. I was living in the 1st Congressional District until the lines changed and now I'm qualified for the 6th or an at-large seat. So my question is is will another seat that I could run for be opened? That's all. If you know, and you may not know.
MR. CHAIRMAN: We don't know at this time, we'll get back with you.
MS. BURKE: All right, thank you so much, good luck today I hope y'all are out of here before 10:00 o'clock.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Hope so too.
MS. BURKE: And I can make carpool line, headed back to Charleston.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. First up for the College of Charleston screening will be the 1st Congressional District that was you. So now we'll go 2nd Congressional District, Derrick Williams. If you'll come up and let me -- if you'd raise your right hand and let me swear you in? DERRICK WILLIAMS, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll just state your name and give us a brief statement on why you're running.
MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you, Derrick Williams. I live in Columbia, South Carolina. All right, can you hear me? I live in Columbia South, Carolina. I'm a 1990 grad of the College of Charleston, also graduated from honors college there. Married, have two wonderful daughters, have served on various boards but still serve on the alumni board now as the Past Alumni President for the College of Charleston until last May and happy to be here today.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions from the Committee? Okay. Go ahead. I'll recognize Macey, she's got four questions for you.
MR. WILLIAMS: Yes, sir.
MS. WEBB: Yes and just so everyone's aware I'll ask these standard, you know, few questions to each candidate that comes forward today. So, for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. WILLIAMS: Yes, Derrick Williams.
MS. WEBB: All right and then can you please tell me the address that you live at?
MR. WILLIAMS: Sure. 3800 Trenholm Road, Columbia South Carolina 29206.
MS. WEBB: Thank you and is this where you pay your four percent property tax?
MR. WILLIAMS: That's correct.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then since submitting your application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MR. WILLIAMS: No, none that I'm aware of.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting your application, are there any changes that you feel the Commission needs to know about?
MR. WILLIAMS: One change and I believe I submitted a letter, I was previously employed at a law firm named Mickle and Bass. I started my own law firm on January 4th, it's now Williams and Roche. So I get to pay even more taxes in all. But still I'm practicing here in the Columbia area.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions? Hearing none, what's the desire of the committee. You have a question?
SENATOR SCOTT: Motion for favor.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Motion for favor. All those in favor signify by saying aye? Do we need to raise our hands? (Ayes are heard.)
MS. WEBB: Well you can say aye.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos? (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Ayes have it. Congratulations.
MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for your willingness to serve.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right next up is -- find my place here. That's it. 3rd Congressional District Shawn Holland. You'll raise your right hand let me swear you in. SHAWN HOLLAND, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: State your name and give a brief statement why you're running.
MR. HOLLAND: All right. Shawn Holland from Anderson, South Carolina. I look back, it's been an honor to serve on this board for the last four years and I look forward to continue working with these folks behind me. I'm very fortunate to have the support of my family to do this, my wife and my family. I'm raising two boys, Beckett and Chapel. I've got home life support, very important. As long as work I have the support of my employees that allowed me to make our business down in Charleston, hop on conference calls and hold on and operate City Glass Company in downtown Anderson. It's a commercial glass company we operate about a hundred miles around Anderson, Oconee County, Greenville County, Anderson County. I'm very proud to be on this board. We've accomplished a bunch over the last four years under President Hsu's leadership and just very proud to be a part of it and I look forward to continue to serve and thank you all for allowing me to be here.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And can you please state your name for the record?
MR. HOLLAND: Shawn Holland.
MS. WEBB: All right. And then where is the address that you live?
MR. HOLLAND: 2906 Dobbins Bridge Road, Anderson, South Carolina, 29626.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And is this where you pay your four percent property tax?
MR. HOLLAND: It is. I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. And since submitting your application are there any new campaign contributions that you have made to any members of the General Assembly that you're aware of?
MR. HOLLAND: No, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right and are there any changes to your application that you would like the commission to be aware of? MR. HOLLAND: No.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions for Mr. Holland? Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you. Mr. Holland, you mentioned something that was -- that's very important. You said y'all have accomplished a lot under the president, which I'm very impressed with. Tell me a little bit about that four years and some of the things that make up lot that y'all have accomplished that you seem to be so excited about.
MR. HOLLAND: Well we're excited to, one, bring president Hsu on board. You know, when we first -- some of us just when we first started as our first task in hiring a president and due diligence and committees and listen to the campus. And that was our first task, hiring President Hsu. And that's was probably the number one thing. And then, you know, battling life with covid you know so we -- but we shared the number of calls how to operate, how to keep the students best interests in mind, strategic plans, you know but we've -- we develop our students strategic plan under President Hsu with his vision and leadership. And our support, we're moving forward. It's kind of what Dabo says, the best is yet to come that's why I look forward to the next four years, you know. Kind of keep doing the right direction.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. HOLLAND: Yes, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: One -- and thank you for your service and your willingness to continue to serve and I see that you are a graduate of 2002. Since we -- I was just curious briefly, since being on the board what has been the biggest positive surprise or experience you had compared to when you were there on campus?
MR. HOLLAND: Good question. Just seeing life as an adult versus being a college student. You know, maybe realizing some things that I didn't realize when I was an 18, 20 year old boy running around campus. Campus is -- it's beautiful and as a student you probably don't realize it, how beautiful it was. But definitely know, you know -- we got Patriots Point's baseball field, we got TD arena now. And we didn't have all that I went out of there so you know, we -- it's great to see it grow.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple questions for you. What do you think you all have to do as a board to make students feel safe and welcomed on campus regardless of what their backgrounds may be?
MR. HOLLAND: Well, it's a constant communication. And it's a communication with our student affairs folks, it's having people on campus with programs that where we're allotting out and it's making sure these students know they've got someone to go to in a time of need.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: What are you all doing to help students who have gone through the covid pandemic that we've gone through and other things that we have faced in reference to mental health and their mental health well being?
MR. HOLLAND: We have an on-site therapist full time, Alicia Cadell in the student affairs department has constantly got her door open. And the constant communication with faculty and staff and in our incoming freshmen so along with tenured students.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: How do you -- how important is the diversity, equity and inclusion, something that we debated doing the budget, how important is that to exist on your campus and having a DEI officer on campus?
MR. HOLLAND: I -- it's very important and it's something that President Hsu and us take very seriously. You know, me having the baseball background I knew the importance of having a diverse baseball team from different spectrums of the world and things like that. I know the importance of that, you learn from them. You know, we got to -- Courtney Howard is our new DI, uh --
REPRESENTATIVE: DEI.
MR. HOLLAND: Yeah, sorry. On board with us. She's six months new so I know she's constantly working, relaying information to us. And it's ongoing conversation and it will be.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Do you all take DEI training as board members and have conversations as board members like do like a retreat on it or what do you all --
MR. HOLLAND: I don't know if we had a retreat on it but we did have some -- I have taken a course. And a lot of us did an on-site course after meeting.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? Desire of the committee for approval. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MR. HOLLAND: Thank y'all.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for your willingness to serve.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. Next is 4th Congressional District, Matthew Klein. Come on up and raise your right hand, let me swear you in MATTHEW C. KLEIN, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Would you state your name and a brief statement of why you'd like to serve -- continue serving on the board.
MR. KLEIN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Matthew Klein, and members of the Committee. I graduated from the College of Charleston and have benefitted immensely from the liberal arts education in my personal and professional life. My wife is also a graduate. I'm confident my academic background and business experience will help my fellow board members and provide a unique perspective. In the past, I've served on the advisory board for the center for entrepreneurship. And I've served as a guest lecturer for the classes in the college - - school of business, excuse me. And so the combination of these past experiences has reinforced my commitment to serving on the board of trustees. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Oh, yeah. She's got four questions.
MS. WEBB: Sorry. And just bear with me, this is just for clarification for the record and since it's been a while since we did these applications. Can you please state your name for the record?
MR. KLEIN: Matthew Klein.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your address?
MR. KLEIN: 116 Crescent Avenue in Greenville, South Carolina 29605.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And is this where you pay your four percent property tax?
MR. KLEIN: Four percent, yes.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And have you made any new campaign contributions to any member since submitting your application that you're aware of? MR. KLEIN: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes with your application that you would like the Commission to know about?
MR. KLEIN: No changes.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. KLEIN: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. Now, questions. Senator Harpootlian.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: I notice you are a lecturer at Clemson; is that correct?
MR. KLEIN: That's correct.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And tell me about that, please.
MR. KLEIN: Sure. So I have a doctorate from Georgia State University and I teach in the MBA program at Clemson University in downtown Greenville and I've been doing that for the past decade.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And you are have a background in -- you're a managing partner Red Rock Capital; is that correct?
MR. KLEIN: Yes.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: So tell me about what it is you do? I'm sort of fascinated by this.
MR. KLEIN: Sure. After graduation from College of Charleston I was in the software industry and worked for Blackbaud and Benefit Focus, two software companies you're probably aware of. And then Red Rock Capital is another software company I have started with another individual here in South Carolina and we're basically a finance company that works with structured products.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: What's a structured product?
MR. KLEIN: Tax liens and other types of investment vehicles.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. Not that I understood any of that, but thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: It's nice to know, though.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: It is, I'm just fascinated by these.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you for your willingness to serve. What has been your experience in being on the board that you want to share with us that makes your school so unique? I see that you've served on research authorities, advisory, pretty strong in the business community, a lecturer, a lot of things at the same time you were a professor at another university. Transfer some of one university behavior to the other. Tell me how that -- you made all that gel.
MR. KLEIN: Sure. I've never served on the board of trustees for the College of Charleston, just wanted to -- yeah.
SENATOR SCOTT: So it's --
MR. KLEIN: Yeah so this is new. I think there's a lot of cross-pollenations and best practices that can be shared across different boards. And so hopefully I can bring those perspectives to the College of Charleston. As well as my experience being a faculty member at Clemson.
SENATOR SCOTT: So how do you -- how do you make sure that students at one school don't live in fear because of a broken environment in the other school.
MR. KLEIN: In terms of conflicts?
SENATOR SCOTT: Well not just on the conflicts. Each president has his own plan that he sells to the board and what he's -- some plans are new, have never been tested, and some have been. And as one who's been on the education committee for so long and also on the body itself. Help to make it gel.
MR. KLEIN: Uh-huh. Well I think you have to look at each one individually.
SENATOR SCOTT: Okay.
MR. KLEIN: And everyone has a unique perspective on where they're at and what their strategy is. I mean, I teach strategy to MBA students and so I do finance. And so you have to look at it, at the entity that you're with, and how best to serve that entity.
SENATOR SCOTT: One is -- one is strategy, the other is practicality.
MR. KLEIN: Correct.
SENATOR SCOTT: Just to want to make sure the two come together better and stronger in university.
MR. KLEIN: I agree.
SENATOR SCOTT: Just want to go to put that with you because I'm sure there's going to be some times it's going to be very questionable in terms of your methodology and in terms of what you hired the president for and your knowledge base.
MR. KLEIN: Understood. Thank you Senator.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just one quick question. What commitment -- I know that you will be a new board member. What commitment do you feel financially a board member should make to the college?
MR. KLEIN: I believe a board member should contribute to the college, yes. A financial commitment as well.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any other questions?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Move for favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Move for favorable. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Ayes have it. Congratulations, Mr. Klein. I know you'll serve the College of Charleston well.
MR. KLEIN: Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Next up is the 5th Congressional District, Henry ---
MR. FUTCH: Futch.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Futch.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir. HENRY A. FUTCH, JR., being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll just give your name and a brief statement on why you would like to serve.
MR. FUTCH: Okay, yes. My name is Henry Futch, Jr. I've enjoyed my last four years as a board member. It's been very rewarding. I think the best thing that we did was hire president Hsu he really, really created the road map I think for our future success. Increased the classification on the Carnegie scale. So -- but it's been very rewarding. I'm married to Nolie, Nolie Spencer Futch. She worked at the College of Charleston, we met there years ago. We now have two kids. My daughter Spencer is a freshman at the College of Charleston so it's been very rewarding to see the policies that we vote on, the policies that we've, you know, that we approve to actually see in those doing the practice. And I witnessed it first hand with my daughter. And my son's looking -- he's got another year and he'll be a senior next year in high school but already eyeing the College of Charleston. So you never know, may have two in there within the next couple of years. But we've done some great work just raising the bar, trying to raise the level of higher education at the College of Charleston and, you know, it's just been very rewarding to help improve the lives of our students and the staff at the College of Charleston.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. For the record, can you please state your name?
MR. FUTCH: Yes, Henry Futch, Jr.
MS. WEBB: And what is your address?
MR. FUTCH: 335 College Avenue, Rock Hill 29730.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And is this where you pay your four percent property tax?
MR. FUTCH: Yes.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And since submitting this application are there any new campaign contributions that you have made to any members of the General Assembly? MR. FUTCH: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the commission to be aware of? MR. FUTCH: No.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Senator Harpootlian.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Thank you for your willingness to serve. I'm sort of intrigued by the -- some of your responses. A current in state tuition is $12,518 undergraduate $13,770 graduate. Out of state is $33,978 undergraduate and $37,376 graduate. That's a pretty big disparity. And the other thing you say is that you have an enrollment of 10,400 you want to increase enrollment by another thousand students. The magic number would be closer to 12,000 students, depending on availability. So what's the magic number -- why is that number magic? Why do you have a specific number of students as a goal?
MR. FUTCH: Well we're doing our best to obviously it's a -- you know, it's a business, you know. So there -- knowing that there are some pretty turbulent waters ahead with enrollment declining we're doing everything that we can to try and increase enrollment, increase applications, so that we can -- and we're also trying to grow. We're trying to become more of a, you know, a you know being that doctorate of professional studies so. There are a lot of powers graded out don't know exactly why that's this number has to be whatever the numbers are what they are. But we are doing everything in our power to make sure that we are inclusive of, you know, of all students and trying to give -- especially in- state students. I know it's -- you know we've had some record enrollment. We had a record enrollment year last year. Or a record number of applicants but it's -- you know, can't always hold the hand, can't always make people come to the College of Charleston. Some of them would rather go to a larger university. So we're trying to make it as appealing as we can and then provide services for ...
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: But you said you run it like a business and an out-of-state student pays three times the amount of an in-state student.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And of course we're concerned about educating our students, not Pennsylvania's or New York's.
MR. FUTCH: Right.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: So how do you -- is there a quota on how many in-state students you're going to take?
MR. FUTCH: I don't know if there is a quota know that, you know, we certainly -- we've done everything we can to minimize the increase in tuition for in-state students. So we feel like we're --
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: But if you limit -- and bravo for doing that, but you've got a business to run and you need more money, correct?
MR. FUTCH: Correct.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: You're not funded adequately, are you?
MR. FUTCH: Excuse me?
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Are you getting enough money?
MR. FUTCH: Well, you know. Probably never get enough money, you know how that --
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: The shortfall is made up by this tremendous difference in in-state and out-of- state tuition, right?
MR. FUTCH: Yes.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: I mean you're not -- I'm suggesting College of Charleston the only one that does that. I'm just sort of intrigued as to whether we're here to educate the students from New York, New Jersey, California, wherever.
MR. FUTCH: Right.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Or whether we're here to educate our kids.
MR. FUTCH: Well we would -- we would want to educate our kids in South Carolina, as many of them that want to come to the College of Charleston. We are committed to. But it is also I think we like to make the -- it's a college, you know, and we try to increase the standards and make the College of Charleston as good of a college as it can be for the state. So it's -- I guess you can look at the numbers and it may look like the college is, you know, has some room, a lot of a room for improvement. But I could assure you that all of those -- all those metrics are being met, you know. We meet them head on, you know, throughout the year. And we're doing it -- we're up for any suggestions, too, to -- how to balance that -- how to balance bringing in more students and also maintaining the integrity of the state institution.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: You indicated that you recognize there's going to be a demographic change in the number of kids able -- I mean, let's say able to align to go to college. I mean the number of college age kids is decreasing; is that correct? The so-called waterfall.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's coming.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And so it's coming, 25', 26' is what they're talking about.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir. True.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And I'm just wondering how you meet that shortfall given fixed -- you have fixed cost, right?
MR. FUTCH: Yes.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Whether you've got a hundred students or ten thousand students. Right?
MR. FUTCH: Right, yes, sir.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And do you just take more out- of-state students?
MR. FUTCH: Well, I guess that's one way to do it.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Okay, well that's -- let me suggest this to you. I'm not sure that the legislature's interested in you educating the kids from New Jersey at the cost of the kids from Greenville.
MR. FUTCH: Okay.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Laurens, or Columbia.
MR. FUTCH: Fair enough, yes, sir.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: And I'm not scolding you. I'm just saying as y'all make those decisions understand we're concerned about that.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Thank you.
MR. FUTCH: We are too.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? Senator Scott?
SENATOR SCOTT: Favorable report.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable, okay. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MR. FUTCH: Thank you very much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Continue your good service on the board.
MR. FUTCH: Yes, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Next up is the 6th Congressional District. We had two candidates originally and the first was Demetria Clemons withdrew on March 24th. The other is Darryl Fyall, I believe that's correct. If you'll come on up. DARRYL J. FYALL, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: State your name and brief statement why you'd like to serve, please, sir.
MR. FYALL: Yes, sir. Good afternoon my name is Darryl Fyall. I'm a native Charlestonian born and raised right downtown in Charleston. Graduated from the College of Charleston in 2001 with a degree in economics. After graduation, I stayed involved. I served on the alumni board for about five years, two as vice president. Also recently served on the econ board for the school of business. I started school -- I finished up at the College of Charleston at age 36 is when I started so I took a non-traditional path. And really appreciated how they treated me and the care that they took to make sure that I graduated. And so that's why I want to serve.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And for the record again can you please state your first and last name?
MR. FYALL: Darryl Fyall.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your address?
MR. FYALL: I have a dual address, 15 Bogard and 3204 Claudia Place in Atlanta, or Peach Tree Corners.
MS. WEBB: Okay and which is the address that you pay your four percent property tax at?
MR. FYALL: In South Carolina I'm technically a renter. I pay property taxes in Georgia.
MS. WEBB: Okay. Okay. So when you filled out your application you put that your home address is 15 Bogard Street Charleston, South Carolina 29403?
MR. FYALL: Correct.
MS. WEBB: Do you recall?
MR. FYALL: That's where I stay most of the year.
MS. WEBB: Okay. And do you own that home?
MR. FYALL: No. It's owned by my sister.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So do you live -- for purposes of residency, do you live in the state of South Carolina?
MR. FYALL: I do. I do. I'm in South Carolina about three weeks out of the month and then I go to Georgia one week out of the month. My wife and I have a business out there.
MS. WEBB: Do you pay our four percent property tax anywhere in the state of South Carolina?
MR. FYALL: I used to at the time of the application, I had a property in Myrtle Beach, but that has since been sold.
MS. WEBB: So you do not currently pay any property tax in the state of South Carolina?
MR. FYALL: Not on real property, no.
MS. WEBB: Okay. If you'll just please give us one second.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Are you registered to vote in South Carolina?
MR. FYALL: Yes.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Do you have a South Carolina driver's license?
MR. FYALL: I do, yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And what is the address on the drivers license?
MR. FYALL: 15 Bogard Street.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting the application are there any new campaign contributions that you have made to members of the General Assembly that you're aware of?
MR. FYALL: No. No.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the Commission to be aware of since the time of filing this application?
MR. FYALL: Just the sale of the Myrtle Beach property since I submitted. I disclosed that I had property in Myrtle Beach, that's since been sold.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. When you did your application there was a question about ways to improve the College of Charleston and you spoke about the percentage of students graduating from diverse ethnic groups can improve. Can you elaborate on what you meant by that?
MR. FYALL: Yeah, I think we have an opportunity to do a better job on recruitment. And one of the things that I want to do put forth suggestions and strategies to improve the enrollment across the board. Black, white -- Asian or black, Asian, Hispanic, etcetera.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And you've answered the questions for our president as well as myself in reference to being a registered voter in South Carolina and your driver's license. So how long have you been a registered voter in South Carolina?
MR. FYALL: So military 18 up until -- actually when I moved back 1999 is when I registered to vote here in South Carolina.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. FYALL: I have to had then.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? We're going to ask you to pause for a second, we've got we're checking on your residency just to make sure. We don't want to report you out if there's some question if you don't mind.
MR. FYALL: Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Sure. President Alexander.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And good afternoon. And thank you for your willingness to serve and so if I understood you correctly, three weeks out of the month basically you're in South Carolina. One month -- one week out of the month in Georgia.
MR. FYALL: One week out of the month, yes, sir. Typically in Georgia.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And have you looked at board meetings you'd be able to work around your schedule I guessed of ten would that be any impact on your ability to --
MR. FYALL: That won't be a problem. My schedule is flexible. I'm basically self employed so I set my own hours.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Just wanted to have that for the record. Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? All right we're going to pause for a minute and we've never had this situation come up before. (Off the Record)
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right come on back up. Well you confused us.
MR. FYALL: Sorry.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I talked to the members of the Commission and I'll recognize Senator Scott first and then we'll take a vote.
SENATOR SCOTT: One quick question. Do you pay South Carolina income tax?
MR. FYALL: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: How long have you been paying South Carolina income tax?
MR. FYALL: Since '99, when I moved back home.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Is there a motion by the committee?
SENATOR SCOTT: Favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There is a motion for favorable. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Those no. Congratulations. Next up is the 7th Congressional District, Henrietta Golding HENRIETTA U. GOLDING, having been duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Just state your name and why you're -- a brief statement why you're running for the college.
MS. GOLDING: Thank you. I'm Henrietta Golding. I live in Horry County. I'm a Myrtle Beach resident. I'm a graduate of the College of Charleston in 1974. I went to law school University of South Carolina in 1977 and at that point in time I was fortunate to find a job in Horry County with the Bellamy Law Firm. Subsequently, 20 years later, I became a partner with McNair law firm. I served on the college board of foundation in 1990s for approximately eight years. Since 2013 I have been a member of the College of Charleston board of trustees. I sincerely believe in the College of Charleston. I know that the College of Charleston, were it not for the education I received and the personal guidance I received, I would not have been as successful a human being as I am. I want to be to continue to be part of an active, fully engaged board of trustees for the college and see the college grow every year. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: I thank you. Once again for the record, can you please state your name?
MS. GOLDING: Henrietta Golding.
MS. WEBB: Thank you and what is your address.
MS. GOLDING: 3801 Hasty Point, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent -- or do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MS. GOLDING: I do.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then since submitting this application have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MS. GOLDING: I have not, I have not.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then since submitting your application, are there any changes that you would like for the commission to be aware of?
MS. GOLDING: No changes.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So you've been on the board for since what?
MS. GOLDING: 2013.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So to ask maybe the same questions, in that years of service what has been the most interesting concept of what you've seen compared to when you were there as a student?
MS. GOLDING: Well, I graduated 1974.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Yes, ma'am.
MS. GOLDING: My freshman class was 400, right. This year it's in the thousands. So there's a significant difference when I became a freshman in 1970 the College of Charleston just became state supported. So President Stern was our president, he was the one that guided the college from a private institution to a state-supported institution. And needless to say the campus is completely different, but all to the better.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, ma'am.
MS. GOLDING: Yes, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anybody else? Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you so very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you for your willingness to serve. Can you tell me your take on diversity inclusion, equity and inclusion and the importance that it has on the campus?
MS. GOLDING: We have a board committee, one of our standing board committees that is called access, equity and inclusion. And I think that probably we were the first in the state of South Carolina to have that board committee. And it's responsibility is to present and go forward with diversity. Now diversity is something that means to me acceptance and opportunity. And we take that step. I think someone earlier asked questions about South Carolina students. Every South Carolina senior who wants to come to the College of Charleston, who is eligible, can come to the College of Charleston. While there are other institutions in this state, you know, that we have to vie for, Clemson, University of South Carolina. But we make it our mission to have diversity, we seek diversity, and we actually have a committee that reports at every one of our committee meetings and every one of our board meetings on our equity and diversity programs.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much for your willingness to serve. What is your percentage of minorities, minority students? If you know off the top of your head.
MS. GOLDING: We have -- I believe the percentage is. with respect to the student body, it's nineteen percent of minority.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any others? Desire of the committee for favorable. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed no. Congratulations. (No reply is heard.)
MS. GOLDING: Thank you very much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for your willingness to serve. By the way, my two kids graduated from College of Charleston. There was no room 20 years ago down there, not any now. All right. Next page. Okay. I'm sorry it was on another page, is Ashley Nance here? Then we'll skip over and go to at-large seat 15. Renee Romberger. RENEE B. ROMBERGER, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations, and just tell me who you are and your -- a brief statement.
MS. ROMBERGER: Sure. My name is Renee Buyck Romberger I have been on the board since 2013, I am a proud graduate of the College of Charleston and a lifelong resident of South Carolina. I am serving on the board and wish to continue serving on the board because I love this state. I love my alma mater and I love higher education and I feel like the skills and the professional experience that I have allow me to make an effective contribution to the College of Charleston. And I would love to continue serving because I can think of no better way than to use my skills to make a difference for people in this state. So I appreciate the opportunity that you've given me and I hope to continue having that opportunity, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. For the record once again, can you please state your first and last name?
MS. ROMBERGER: Renee Buyck Romberger.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is the -- what is your address?
MS. WEBB: 225 Dataw Drive, Saint Helena Island, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And have you had any new campaign contributions to members since submitting your application that you are aware of?
MS. ROMBERGER: I believe that I have. I believe at his request I made a contribution to our former basketball star Jermaine Johnson in his election.
MS. WEBB: Okay. I would just ask that you send me an email.
MS. ROMBERGER: Okay.
MS. WEBB: That states that you contributed to his campaign and what it was that you -- the financial amount that you.
MS. ROMBERGER: Happy to do that, thank you.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like the Commission to be aware of since your submittal?
MS. ROMBERGER: Yes. I was widowed for some time and recently this past summer got married and so I'm now married to Kevin Hennick and we are living in Beaufort. So I've moved from Greenville to Beaufort.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Boy are you senators in trouble on that softball game. Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Back to - - I guess it relates back to Senator Harpootlian's questions in reference to out-of- state students. One of the weaknesses that you've said in your application was the lack of scholarships for -- and support and financial aid for students. What percentage of scholarships do you think are going to out-of-state students and if there are many how could we remedy that to increase the number of scholarships that go to in-state students to make sure -- ensure that in state students have those priority scholarships?
MS. ROMBERGER: Well I think that's a great question. Often times our scholarships are driven by the donors. So the donor has a specific direction that he wants -- he or she wants to use as far as allocating those funds and so we can't always contribute to that. But for example, we right now are focusing on how can we increase the number of dollars that are available to minority students and so our foundation and our philanthropic office has a focused approach of reaching out to minorities who have means to say would you be willing to. Or people who have an interest in seeing a more diverse campus help us build our scholarship program. We have something called a 1967 legacy program of which funding is being used to support minorities.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: So, Ms. Romberger, I know you know my questions have always been asked about minorities.
MS. ROMBERGER: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: But unfortunately my question this time is how do we increase the number of South Carolinians through scholarships?
MS. ROMBERGER: Yeah.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Granted, I do know that you know we want to increase the number of minorities and African Americans at the college but South Carolina is first and foremost my focus in reference to this question.
MS. ROMBERGER: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: As to how do we foster a -- or how do we get more South Carolinians with scholarships to go to the College of Charleston?
MS. ROMBERGER: Well one of the things we're focusing on is not only trying to attract more dollars to the College of Charleston but more undesignated dollars. And so we know that we are losing -- when you talk about the minorities in South Carolina and why our yield rate is so low but our acceptance rate is so high, we have a higher acceptance rate than we've ever had from minority students yet we're missing out on the yield and I think it is because we don't have enough dollars to supplement that -- the tuition. And so we are trying to increase the number of undesignated dollars and move those into need-based scholarships. The second thing we're doing it's indirectly in response to your question but it's not enough to just get a kid to come to the college. One of my big concerns is that we tend to -- our retention rate is not as high as we'd like to see it. And to me the worst thing is to get a kid excited about coming the College of Charleston and see them leave a year later. I think we own responsibility when a kid leaves the College of Charleston. I think maybe we haven't done our job well enough and so one of the big programs that we're starting to focus on through our strategic plan now is to increase the amount of resources we're putting into the area of advising and counseling. We're developing more affinity groups so that people feel more accepted and included and more connected. If people haven't picked a major then we want to make sure that we have resources there to help them explore opportunities because kids leave when they don't feel accepted or they don't feel like they're part of the group. If they leave because of financial means, I think that's even worse.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: My last question is what percentage of your students are South Carolinians and what percentage is out-of-state students?
MS. ROMBERGER: Right now we're sixty-five/thirty-five overall as a college. For our freshmen coming in this year we're fifty/fifty. So what you typically see is in second and third year you have more in state students transferring to the college and out of state students leaving the college. So that's why it balances out. But I do agree with Senator Harpootlian earlier when he said I think our first responsibility is to the kids in South Carolina. We want to see our South Carolina students educated. Out-of-state students do pay a higher tuition. The cost of going to the college is about seventeen five, and so our in-state students are paying twelve five in tuition and the out-of-state students help subsidize that. But we are very sensitive to not wanting to make sure that we become an out-of- state school in an in-state college.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: President Alexander.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: No, I'm good.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Oh, you're good? Any other questions. All right. Representative McGinnis.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: Thank you and thank you for serving. My question is just real quick one of the priorities of, you know, I think some of the leadership in our house and around the state in education is getting people to work and workforce ready.
MS. ROMBERGER: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: And I know that the College of Charleston offers, you know, a lot of degrees that aren't necessarily going to go into the work force and that's fine. But is there any kind of emphasis that is being put on having students who may be undecided trying to push them into workforce ready degrees and how do you view a college's mission when it comes down to being able to supply the companies who want to come here jobs?
MS. ROMBERGER: I think that's a huge priority for us. We want to make sure that as a South Carolina university that we are serving South Carolina industry. And so we have brought on a gentleman named Knudt Flor who is a former CEO of BMW. And he is serving as our senior vice president. I ruin title all the time. But he's something like senior vice president. But what he's trying to do is help us better connect with the industry leaders in South Carolina. We want to know what they need and then we find it our responsibility to produce those kids. I think one of the coolest things about the College of Charleston as a large public arts/liberal arts school is that we're taking a liberal arts approach to business and industry. So when you take that liberal arts mind set and then you marry that with engineering or management or marketing or any of those kinds of tools we think it helps them be adaptable and adjustable in an ever changing environment. So Knudt is helping lead that effort for us to make sure we're in touch with industry and secondly we are, through our strategic plan, focusing on not only innovation but interdisciplinary studies so these kids are getting a background of science with art, or English with math. Because we know that that critical thinking is important in business, it helps translate in business. And lastly we're focusing on increasing the amount of experiential learning that each one of our students has. Our goal is that the majority of our students will have an experiential learning experience and that needs to start in the industries in the Charleston area on the coast of South Carolina.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Move for favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable is the motion. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MS. ROMBERGER: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: On your willingness to serve. I've just been informed that Ashley Nance was rear- ended right outside, I think, the Senate office building so I don't know who hit him but I think he'll be here in about twenty minutes so we'll go ahead and hear from our at-large seat seventeen Steve Swanson first and then we'll pick up Mr. Nance after that. STEVE D. SWANSON, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll state your name and a brief statement of why you are serving.
MR. SWANSON: My name is Steve Swanson. I'm a graduate of the College of Charleston from 1989, graduated mathematics and in the honors program. Directly after graduation I started a company called Automated Trading Desk. And we built that company throughout the 80s and 90s and into the 2000's and ultimately sold it to Citigroup in 2007. Since then I stayed with Citigroup for several years but have involved with a number of different startups throughout the community and today I'm happy to be retired and focused on philanthropic efforts throughout our community. The College of Charleston changed my life quite frankly. It positioned me to be a leader of my company. And when we were growing as an organization, we hired several people from the College of Charleston and it worked out wonderfully over the years. I have also served on the board of South Carolina State when we were going through the transition there. And today I can report that with President Hsu in place the college is in as good a position as I think it's ever been since I've been involved with it. And I appreciate the time here with you today.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. Once again, for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. CHAIRMAN: Steven Swanson.
MS. WEBB: All right thank you. And what is your address?
MR. SWANSON: It is 615 Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MR. SWANSON: We do.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And since submitting your application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members that you are aware of?
MR. SWANSON: I have. I have also made a contribution to Representative Jermaine Johnson.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So I would just ask the same of you, if you can send a statement to me just an email saying that the amount that was given.
MR. SWANSON: I will.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And then have there been any other changes to your application that you would like for the Commission to be aware of?
MR. SWANSON: None to report.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and you -- and again thank you for your service. And you made the comment that College of Charleston certainly changed your life and I hear that and what you did but also I see that the College of Charleston gave you an honorary degree in 2015; is that correct?
MR. SWANSON: It did.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And was that in a specific process involvement for the college?
MR. SWANSON: Probably I spent thirteen years on the foundation board and my wife and I made significant contributions to scholarships. I was a full scholarship recipient of the college so we love giving back to the college, both through scholarships and other mechanisms at the school.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And I believe from that standpoint I've seen where y'all were involved in a fund foundation effort and you raised a hundred total raised a hundred and thirty five million dollars for the college?
MR. SWANSON: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Outstanding.
MR. SWANSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: How many students currently attend the college?
MR. SWANSON: Just shy of eleven thousand when you include both undergrad and graduate.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Has that been pretty steady throughout the years or are you growing?
MR. SWANSON: I mean if you looked if you went back prior to President Hsu coming on board we were actually in decline. So we had -- we were losing I would say several hundred students, a hundred or so students a year. So it wasn't so much that it was dramatically changing but we were steadily losing students. And so as he came onboard he really did focus on admissions and getting our applications back up and getting, you know, in the past two years we've had two of the largest classes, freshman classes, coming in. So I definitely feel like we have changed that tide and are certainly well positioned for the admissions cliff that we're going to see over the course of the next several years.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I mentioned this earlier. Is there any way that you can grow your campus out or are you just stuck?
MR. SWANSON: I mean, you could always do branch campuses but I think the idea really is to first of all we need more housing. I mean, that's right now we're very much harnessed by how many beds we have frankly in the downtown area to accommodate students so I think in coming years we probably will do more to build more housing for our students and possibly then consider increasing the size of the school. But right now we're pretty much harnessed to downtown Charleston.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Your school is -- really has a tougher, you know. Like I'm near Clemson, they can expand out.
MR. SWANSON: Absolutely.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And a lot of others can to, but you guys can't, so.
MR. SWANSON: And land is very, very expensive down town.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Oh yes, oh yes.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Question from Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was reading your answer in reference to diversity on campus. You said that racial diversity also continues to be low. Today it's seven percent of the school is African American. Why do you feel that the numbers are low? Are you all trying to recruit, or what are your recruiting efforts like?
MR. SWANSON: Sure. Every year we're trying something different, something new. You know, several years ago we were trying to do the top ten percent so we basically would accept every student that was within the top ten percent of every single school and while it improved our minority admissions slightly it did have far less reach than we had hoped. And I think these past couple of years I think we have -- I think we have frankly been outperformed by USC and Clemson. And we're refocusing on making sure that we're having dollars allocated towards minority students coming in. I think -- you know, that I think is the biggest thing that we have to do in coming years.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Yeah. I know Winthrop is even doing a lot better than what you all are doing. Would think that Charleston would be more enticing.
MR. SWANSON: I -- you know I guess I would also say our -- you know, quite frankly the history of the college is not particularly positive. And I -- you know, memories last long and you know we went private as an organization basically to stop integration. And so I thing there's a lot of history there that we have to overcome. And, you know, we're working on it all the time. You've heard other board members, this is something that is discussed at every single board meeting and it is a priority for us.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you for your service to the college and your giving back to the college.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much for your willingness to serve. I became even more excited when I heard what the foundation had raised in terms of dollars and cents and how difficult it is for colleges to raise money. What is to bear to that success, the foundation being able to raise those kinds of dollars?
MR. SWANSON: You know at the end of the day it's building a -- if you go back, you know, several different presidents ago, I mean, our development team was minuscule. And you know today there's a, you know, professional development team in place.
SENATOR SCOTT: Outside corporations coming in and raising money for you?
MR. SWANSON: You know I'm going to say that's probably any area that we have not succeeded in as much yet and so actually that's a huge opportunity. I mean, I guess I always see, you know, deficiencies as opportunities and we had a lot of opportunities to you know -- corporate donations, you know, different family trusts, those kind of things. There's a lot of opportunities that we have actually not really broken into. This past fundraising campaign was really focused on engaging alumni. And so before the campaign if you looked at where our dollars were coming from, our parents were actually our biggest source of contributions. Today I'm happy to report that alumni are consistently the biggest source of donations to the College of Charleston.
SENATOR SCOTT: More of a capital side or just over a fund raiser?
MR. SWANSON: Yes.
SENATOR SCOTT: Is it over the capital side or just where?
MR. SWANSON: Kind of across the board.
SENATOR SCOTT: Okay. Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else? What's the desire of the Commission? Desire is favorable, all those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MR. SWANSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: We have finished College of Charleston except for Mr. Nance and we will give him some leeway since he was in the wreck and we'll either take him up today or tomorrow if that's okay with the Commission. All right. We were going to take a break but we're slightly ahead if it's okay with the Commission we'll move forward and pick up part of Francis Marion since they're here, if that's all right. And first up 1st Congressional District Mark Moore.
FRANCIS MARION: MARK S. MOORE, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll state your name and a brief statement of why you would like to serve with Francis Marion, please, sir.
MR. MOORE: My name is Mark Moore and I want to first start off by thanking all of you for the opportunity to serve previously this is my tenth year on the board. I think Francis Marion is an extremely special place as far as public institutions in South Carolina go, I think Francis Marion is doing exactly what a public institution should do. Our enrollment is ninety- six percent South Carolina residents, forty-eight percent of those are minorities, and most importantly over forty percent of those are first in their family to go to college. I think that the university does a really good job of coordinating with the community, with the local political leadership, the business and industry in the area, and providing programs that will eventually lead to those students having opportunities and staying in the area and contributing back to the Pee Dee. So I think that overall it's a very important institution within the Pee Dee and I'm proud to be a part of that and a part of that team and I'd like to continue on should the Commission see fit.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: I thank you. And once again, for the record, can you just please state your first and last name?
MR. MOORE: Mark Moore.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your address?
MR. MOORE: 612 Salty Alley.
MS. WEBB: In Mount Pleasant?
MR. MOORE: In Mount Pleasant I believe that's -- I believe it's still in the 1st District.
MS. WEBB: It is, it is. I double checked. All right and then since submitting your application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MR. MOORE: No, I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the Commission to be made aware of today?
MR. MOORE: No, there are not.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions? Representative McGinnis.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: Thank you and thank you for your willingness to serve.
MR. MOORE: Thank you.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: And I know Francis Marion has been kind of suffering from decreased enrollment as of late. What are some things you think the board should be looking at to try to -- the trustees should be doing to try to get enrollment up? And I know you reference in here that, you know, you face a struggle of the poverty within the area and a lot of students can't -- don't have the access to this type of education, but where can you be looking to try to increase your enrollment?
MR. MOORE: Well I think -- I think right now enrollment is steady around four thousand. Long term, obviously we've introduced a lot of new programs there at the university, a lot of stuff geared towards engineering, health sciences. Again, going back to what I talked about earlier some of that focus is areas that we know are going to be areas of need in Pee Dee in the future. So again growing those programs, making more opportunities available for students to stay in the Pee Dee and have access to that opportunity I think will help to grow. And again I think long term that things will continue to be stable in the area and I think there's a lot of growth potential in Pee Dee.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? I have to congratulate Francis Marion on keeping our South Carolina young people in state. This has always been a pet peeve of mine with some of our other institutions that they have so many out-of-state students and they don't stick around. And some of them are foreign students. They go right back where they came from and, you know, I feel like we need to keep these people in state and I want to congratulate Francis Marion on that. You do an excellent job.
MR. MOORE: I can't take the credit for it. Obviously all these people in the room and specifically the administration, the faculty and staff there are really doing the load there and we're very proud to be associated with it.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Well I was in education myself and I really appreciate the fact that you're letting young people who would not otherwise have a chance to get a higher education degree given -- they're able to do that at Francis Marion so.
MR. MOORE: I know we all appreciate that from you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else? Is there a motion for approval.
REPRESENTATIVE MCGINNIS: Motion.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you sir.
MR. MOORE: Thank you all.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right next is 2nd Congressional seat, Beth Bauknight. BETH G. BAUKNIGHT, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MS. BAUKNIGHT: I do.
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you would state your name and a brief statement of why you would like to serve.
MS. BAUKNIGHT: Sure. My name's Beth Bauknight and I am born and raised in Florence and I went to school at Francis Marion, I was a graduate of 1991, my father was the first and first graduating class of the university. My brother also went to the school. And without that education I would not have had the successful years I've had for the past 30 years. I'm a partner in a local accounting firm, the largest in the midlands. I run the tax department of that firm and I give all that credit back to the education I had at the university.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And for the record once again can you please state your first and last name?
MS. BAUKNIGHT: Beth Bauknight.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And what is your address?
MS. BAUKNIGHT: 225 Laurent Way, Irmo.
MS. WEBB: All right thank you and do you pay your four percent at that address?
MS. BAUKNIGHT: Yes.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then since completing this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MS. BAUKNIGHT: I have not.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And are there any changes to your application since submitting that you would like for the Commission to be made aware of?
MS. BAUKNIGHT: There have been none.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And I would just like to clarify, too, that this was a vacant seat so if you look on your agenda you'll see for Beth Bauknight that her term will expire June 30th of 2024. I am sorry we are a little behind as we have said and -- but I just wanted to make that clarification for the record that you are June the 30th of 2024, whereas these others are 2026 because it was a vacancy.
MS. BAUKNIGHT: All right.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Question? Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: So what you have on the sheet is wrong?
MS. WEBB: No, what I have on the sheet is right.
MR. CHAIRMAN: It's right there.
MS. WEBB: Yeah, it's on the agenda.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Look right here.
MS. WEBB: The agenda here.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any other questions? There a motion?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: I move favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Somebody said aye. Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MS. BAUKNIGHT: All right. Thank you very much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. Next up is H. Paul Dove, Jr. from Winnsboro. That's the 5th Congressional District. H. PAUL DOVE, JR., being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll state your name and a brief statement why you'd like to continue serving.
MR. DOVE: My full name is Herbert Paul Dove, Jr., but if you call me and ask for Herbert I will assume you are a telemarketer and I will say, "he's not available." Please, I go by Paul. My address is 274 Old Harden Road in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Okay. All right, thank you. And then for the record, once again, can you please state our address that you live at?
MR. DOVE: 274 Old Harden Road in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right. And do you pay your four percent property tax there?
MR. DOVE: Yes, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of? MR. DOVE: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the Commission to be made aware of?
MR. DOVE: I have been accused of being too technical. I reviewed my application. It says 178 pounds, I now weigh 200.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: We won't hold that against you, a few of us have that problem. Any questions? Is there a motion?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I move favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Vote for favorable, all those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations, sir.
MR. DOVE: Thank you very much. And may I express appreciation to the Legislature for the support that you give our university. It is a wonderful place to be associated with and you're doing a great job of supporting us and I appreciate that.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir. We're not -- 6th Congressional District is Floyd Keels here now? (No reply is heard.) Okay. The at-large seat eight, Robert Lee, come on up. ROBERT E. LEE, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: State your name and a brief statement why you'd like to serve, sir.
MR. LEE: My name is Robert E. Lee, 1998 I graduate -- I mean I -- as a graduate -- seems like it's the twinkling of any eye, 25 years later, I've been on the board and nine of which years I've served as chair of the board. I think Francis Marion serves the goal it was established to serve. It serves the people it's established to serve and it still has more to do. And I believe that I can continue to contribute both the board and to the leadership of the board as we go forward and help the children of the Pee Dee and serve as a window to upper mobility.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions -- oh, Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. LEE: Robert Eugene Lee.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your address?
MR. LEE: 49 Ocean Creek Drive, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29571.
MS. WEBB: All right and do you pay your four percent or six percent at that address?
MR. LEE: I don't pay four percent either place I own. They are both owned by LLCs I own so I don't pay four percent either place.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So in an email that I have for you, you stated that you own a house in Marion that is your four percent residence; do you recall?
MR. LEE: I have -- I went to try to register and when the auditor and I got done I just said I'd leave it -- it's an LLC, I said I'd just pay the six percent. So I own a house 115 Whitfielder Drive, Marion which is beside my law office.
MS. WEBB: Okay.
MR. LEE: And then I own a house at the beach. Both of which are owned by LLCs, neither of which I pay four percent at.
MS. WEBB: Okay so you don't pay four percent on either of those properties?
MR. LEE: I don't pay four percent on either of them.
MS. WEBB: Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative Rose.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Sir, Mr. Lee this isn't a question it's more of a comment. I was driving to court. I'm an attorney myself. I was headed to Myrtle Beach and you have some very good billboard coverage on the way there. Just wanted to make that comment. You and Jeff Johnson are battling it out I see.
MR. LEE: Well people at my office -- the girls at my office wanted that and so I told them I said no jingles, nothing cute. And so people ask me, say, "do ever get any business from it?" And I said, no. What happens is my friends drive by and they call me and say I've been meaning to call you, I saw that billboard. So, you know, I'm not sure what it does other than make the people in my office happy which is, for lawyers, the most important thing.
MR. CHAIRMAN: One more thing, Macey.
MS. WEBB: Sorry. And then since submitting your application have you made any new campaign contributions to any members that you are aware of?
MR. LEE: No. Senator Williams and Representative Atkinson have not been by the office lately.
MS. WEBB: And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the commission to be made aware of?
MR. LEE: Not that I know of, although I'm looking through all these cases that I'm supposed to be a defendant in and finding ones that I don't remember Ralph McCullough ever suing me in Anderson as I've never made an appearance in federal court there. But other than those, which I've been a guardian of some way appointed by the court, sued by a sovereign citizen or by a former prisoner who didn't like that he had killed somebody and had to go to prison for life. But other than that we're okay.
MS. WEBB: Yes, sir. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any other questions? Is there a motion?
SENATOR VERDIN: Favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is herd.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir. And Kenneth Jackson is he here? That is the at-large seat ten. KENNETH W. JACKSON, having been duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you. State your name and brief statement of why you're running.
MR. JACKSON: My name's Kenneth W. Jackson and I have I'm a 1984 graduate of Francis Marion. I've been involved in one form or another since that time. I've been very actively involved in participating events on campus. I've been a trustee for a number of years and proud of what's been accomplished during that time and I'd like to continue for one more term, if you see fit.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And for the record once again, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. JACKSON: Kenneth W. Jackson.
MS. WEBB: All right, and what is your address?
MR. JACKSON: 1904 Grandview Court, Mount Pleasant.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. JACKSON: And I also maintain a residence in Florence.
MS. WEBB: Okay. And what is your address in Florence?
MR. JACKSON: 130-B Courthouse Square.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And then at your 1904 Grandview Court address do you pay your four percent or six percent?
MR. JACKSON: Four percent.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And have you made any new campaign contributions to any members since submitting this application that you are aware of? MR. JACKSON: No.
MS. WEBB: No. Okay, thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the Commission to be made aware of?
MR. JACKSON: Yes. I would like to take exception to the last five pages, I think there's some court cases and that -- those are not me.
MS. WEBB: Okay. And just for clarification, so that would be this SLED background check report. When SLED runs these background checks they just type in your name and if your name pops in the system it might not necessarily be you, it could be someone that has happens to have the same name as you. When I reviewed your SLED background report I did not find anything that was of concern to bring to the Commission.
MR. CHAIRMAN: You know, we need to make sure that doesn't happen again because that's very embarrassing to someone who has not have history, so yeah. We'll work on that. All right, any questions? Is there -- what's the desire, favorable? All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: All opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir.
MR. JACKSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: At-large seat twelve, W. Edward Gunn, is he here? Come on up.
MR. GUNN: Sir. W. EDWARD GUNN, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you would state your name and a brief statement of why you are running.
MR. GUNN: Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I'm Eddie Gunn, William E. Gunn, I am a seeking reelection to the Francis Marion University Board of Trustees. I grew up in Florence as a child and graduated from high school over there and saw the evolution of Francis Marion. It started out, as many of you may know, in the basement of the Florence Public Library as the Francis University of South Carolina. Yeah. It was small at the time. In the early 70s, Governor McNair and others pushed the idea to have a college, a four year college, which it did and then later on became a university. I'm serving because this is a great school. Under-served population out there, 48 percent minority, 95 percent from in- state South Carolina from the Pee Dee get a quality education, a superb education. At's very diverse. I think Dr. Carter and his staff have chosen the right fields to expand into. Health sciences, nursing and many others has been just tremendous and I'd like to continue to support it that way.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. Once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. GUNN: William E. Gunn.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is your address?
MR. GUNN: 213 Rosebank Drive in Columbia.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax there?
MR. GUNN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting your application, are there any new campaign contributions that you have made to any members of the General Assembly?
MR. GUNN: Yes, ma'am, I did. I had one when I was preparing my taxes this weekend that I had not reported and that as Representative Jay Jordan in Florence.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So I would just ask you to send me an email that says that you've made a campaign contribution to Representative Jordan.
MR. GUNN: Certainly.
MS. WEBB: And put the amount on there so I can have that for your file.
MR. GUNN: I'd be happy to.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then other than that, are there any changes to your application that you would like for the commission to be made aware of?
MR. GUNN: No, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Senator Harpootlian.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: More of a comment than a question. I've known Eddie since he's --
MR. GUNN: A long time.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Maybe fifty years ago, forty -- well, when Carol Campbell was governor I think we met.
MR. GUNN: That's right.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: He's been head of several different state agencies, extraordinarily committed to making this a better state and I whole heartedly endorse his reelection and they were very lucky to have him on their board.
MR. GUNN: Thank you, Senator. I appreciate that very much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Sounds like Francis Marion is very lucky to have a lot of folks on that board. Well represented. Is there a motion?
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Motion for approval.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir, for your willingness to serve.
MR. GUNN: Appreciate it.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Patricia Hartung from at-large seat 13. I'm sorry? Come on up.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Excuse me, Representative Whitmire, I just wanted you to know I just received a text for Ashley Nance and he's coming up now.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Is Patricia Hartung here?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Mr. Chairman, she is not. Mr. Keels had we checked with him and he's fixed on the time you had him to be here so that's when he's - - he lives in Lake City.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Yeah.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: And Patricia should be here any time soon.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Well we'll pick her up when she comes in. Why don't we take a five-minute break right now and we'll wait for Mr. Nance to come in and we'll try to fix these other people up. (A short break was taken at this time. )
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right we'll go ahead and get started. We're going to hear from Ashley Nance first, I assume. Sorry to hear about your misfortune earlier.
MR. NANCE: Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for your patience. I was sorry to hear about it, too. My wife and I uh literally right outside the building making a right turn and got rear ended so as fate would have it that's what happens.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There was a rumor you got hit by a Senator; is that right?
MR. NANCE: No, uh, I haven't figured that out yet but if so we'll get to the bottom of it. I know a good attorney. I know a real good attorney, so.
MR. CHAIRMAN: We got several here. All right if you'll raise your right hand I'll swear you in.
MR. NANCE: Yes, sir. ASHLEY B. NANCE, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll give me your name and a brief statement of why you'd like to serve.
MR. NANCE: Sure. Thank you Mr. Chairman, and other distinguished members of the Trustee Screening Commission. Good afternoon. My name is Ashley Nance and this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to appear before the Trustee Screening Commission. As you all may know from reviewing my application and the supporting paperwork that I have submitted, I'm a trial lawyer. And so I love openings and I love having the opportunity to speak. And so I do want to give you a little bit of a brief statement as to why I have filed a letter and notice of intent to run for the College of Charleston Board of Trustees. My wife is here with me, sitting right behind me. I'm married to Danielle Nance and have two young children, Blaker who is six years old and Eloise who is four. I practice with the law firm of King, Love, Hupfer & Nance in Florence. I'm a trial lawyer. And Florence is also where I grew up. I was born and raised in Florence. I went to the college of Charleston. Graduated in 2002. And I graduated from the Charleston School of Law in 2009. Outside of my brief stint in Charleston I have been in Florence all of my life. I'm heavily involved in the college. I love my alma mater. I am the founder, one of the founders of the Pee Dee alumni club for the college of Charleston and have served as it's president for the last five years. In addition to this role, I help to fund and establish a scholarship for our alumni club. Each year a student from the Pee Dee is able to have a scholarship to attend the college of Charleston. I'm very proud to say that I was a founder of that scholarship. I also helped fund it and I can also say it's the only scholarship of it's kind. We are the only alumni club in the entire college of Charleston network that actually offers a scholarship for a local student to attend the college. In addition to serving that role as the president of the alumni club in our area, I'm also on the board of directors for the College of Charleston alumni association. In that role I've been on the board for about three years but I served in the Get Involved Committee. And I think that fits me pretty well. It's a good hat because I am pretty well involved in a lot of different things. Over the years I've stayed involved in the college. I love taking my family down there and allowing my children to see the college and really how special of a place it is down there in Charleston. As you all are probably aware the College of Charleston was founded in 1770, making it the thirteenth oldest college in the nation. It's the oldest municipal college in the country. The colleges founders were also members of the General Assembly. College was chartered by the General Assembly in 1785 and the area that was provided for development was approximately ten acres in the heart of downtown Charleston. That heart is still our campus and is the heart of the College of Charleston campus. The Board of Trustees was established for the College of Charleston in 1795. The College of Charleston has a long history, not only in Charleston, but to the entire state of South Carolina and the people that it serves and the students that it serves. College of Charleston recently celebrated it's 253rd birthday and in -- we have, you know, a lot of involvement with that with the alumni clubs obviously in celebrating that. Most recently, if you follow sports, I'm very excited to you know congratulate the basketball team. You know, had a heck of a season under coach Pat Kelsey, finished thirty one and four, winning the Colonial Athletic Association Championship and competing against a very good San Diego State team in the NCAA tournament and unfortunately coming up just short. Few things I want to talk about the trajectory and then I'll you know let the committee members get into the questioning. But I believe the College of Charleston is on upward trajectory. And it all starts with the leadership of the school. President Andrew Hsu is undoubtedly one of the most interesting, qualified presidents that I've ever seen and he is such a unique personality and a great leader for the College of Charleston. He took the helm at 2019 as the 23rd president of the College of Charleston. And as soon as he was in that role he was welcomed by one of the biggest crises that we've ever had, and that was Covid 19. I think our colleges and universities all had very, very difficult decisions that they had to make in getting us through those trying times, but he did it well. And I think the college is under great leadership. He's now helped to create the engineering program at the college of Charleston, which has taken the College of Charleston I think to an entirely different level for what it's able to offer students. So in short I stand before you today because I'm excited to be a part of it.
MS. WEBB: Hi, thank you, once again for the record can you please state your first and last name?
MR. NANCE: Ashley Nance.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And what is your address?
MR. NANCE: My address is 1215 Wisteria Drive, Florence, South Carolina 29501.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax there?
MR. NANCE: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And since submitting this application have you made any new campaign contributions to any members that you are aware of?
MR. NANCE: Not that I am aware of, no.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then are there any changes to your application that you would like for any Commission members to know?
MR. NANCE: The only change which I think I know before you was we did purchase a new house. And we intend to move into that house, you know, once the seller has completed their lease term back to us. They leased back from us for a few months while they were getting their affairs in order but we intend to move into that house as soon as that time is up.
MS. WEBB: Yes, perfect, thank you. And I do have that letter that you submitted included in y'all's binders so thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: First, let me thank you for your willingness to serve. I noticed you gathered a lot of information. You're going to make a true great ambassador when they send you out to do all the talking for recruiting young people, getting them in, getting them to know about the College of Charleston. What would you really like to see change especially on the capital side, program side, policy side, or have you had a chance to think about that, really feel the excitement?
MR. NANCE: Senator thank you for the question, that's a great question. I'll tell you being that College of Charleston is a liberal arts school the offering of an engineering school is a very, very big step for the College of Charleston. And so, you know, when you're looking at the college landscape College of Charleston has now made itself more appealing and offers a much more diversified portfolio when someone can major in something like engineering and also minor in a language which is what you may be required to do. Personally I do have my own goals that I would like to see in serving on the board. Being that I'm an alumni -- you know, a president of an alumni club, served on the board of directs for the alumni association, alumni engagement is a very big deal to me. I happen to spend a lot of time around Clemson and USC folks and go to football games, things like that. The alumni engagement for those schools is, I mean as you all know, it's as best as it gets in South Carolina. College of Charleston is working to achieve that. And I think with the various alumni clubs that have been formed, you're now reaching into the community. You're now reaching to the alumni to get that message out. The Pee Dee has approximately 2,500 alumni living in that area and I think these are, you know, for the most part, the Pee Dee and some of these other rural areas in the state, you know, College of Charleston is probably not the first college that maybe jumps off to some of these prospective students. And I think having these alumni clubs is working to change that. So my goal is to increase alumni involvement, increase that dialogue between some of these rural areas and College of Charleston. And to get that College of Charleston name out there.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you and thank you for your willingness to serve and I'm glad you're with us today. Your economic interest was filled out back in November '21 and you have the Florence County Voter Registration Election Commission.
MR. NANCE: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Is that correct?
MR. NANCE: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: In what capacity are you affiliated there?
MR. NANCE: So I am no longer on the commission. In fact, when I sought to file my letter of intent to run for the College of Charleston of Board of Trustees, before filing my letter of intent, I resigned from that position. But I served as the chairman of the Florence County Voter Registration Election Board for roughly three, almost four years. But I served on the board for approximately almost ten years.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you.
MR. NANCE: You're welcome.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Desire of the Committee? Moving for approval? All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Thank you, sir.
MR. NANCE: Thank you. Appreciate your time today and thank you for allowing me the leeway to get up here and talk today and present to you, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Floyd Keels? He hasn't -- not here yet? Okay. Patricia Hartung, at-large seat thirteen. Yeah he was College of Charleston, you're Francis Marion again. PATRICIA C. HARTUNG, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll state your name and just tell us a brief statement. A little briefer than the last one.
MS. HARTUNG: I was contemplating that. But I don't know if I can. My name is Patricia Hartung, and I am a resident of Greenville South Carolina. And thank you for the opportunity to express my desire today to continue serving as a trustee for France Marion University. My role as a trustee has spanned nearly 23 years and I would consider it an honor to continue serving in that capacity. During this time I've worked closely with my fellow trustees, the president, faculty, staff and others to assure that the university remains a leader in our state in academic excellence, innovation, and community engagement and service. The strength I bring to the university and the board is directly tied to my career experience and the practical skills I've developed in my field. I serve as the executive director of a six-county regional planning and development agency, the Upper Savannah Council of Government. And through my work there I experienced first hand the needs of our state, our communities, our citizens and our work force in real time. I work on a regular basis with thirty local government agencies in my region as well as the state and federal governments and this interaction with government and other organizations affords me the knowledge of understanding and working with regulatory and governing institutions in a cross section of fields, particularly in helping me understanding accrediting and regulatory agencies associated with higher education. Through my office's, programs, and aging workforce and economic development, community development, local government assistance as well as interacting with our local regional educational consortium, I can focus on real world problems and I can bring this link to the table in many aspects of my role as a trustee. Through this, I see how critical it is to have college programs and graduates who focus on developing employable workforce skills. Which in turn translates into jobs that address the needs of the citizens of our state. I also understand how our businesses and companies in this state need qualified employees. Many companies in our area come to us on a regular basis asking us what are the workforce programs that our universities and our schools are engaging in to develop these skills and these students. I work with many groups also in the areas of natural resources and I know which environmental issues are relevant to our state right now and those that will continue to be in the future. And I see the struggles also through my work with upper Savannah and how our senior population and their families are experiencing great difficulties in learning how to survive and thrive after retirement. Given this background, I can make informed decisions in my role as a trustee. Whether it be in university strategic planning or curriculum development. I understand the value and significance of a diverse and inclusive environment that encourages participation from all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff and alumni. I believe it is only through the shared vision and a commitment to working together that we can achieve our goals for the university. And I am committed to continuing to work with my fellow trustees, faculty, staff and students to ensure that our institution remains at the forefront of academic excellence and innovation. And it would be an honor for me to continue serving as a trustee and contributing to the continued success and growth of Francis Marion University.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then I'll go through these same questions with you so once again for the record can you please state your first and last name?
MS. HARTUNG: Patricia Hartung.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your address?
MS. HARTUNG: 214 Welling Circle, Greenville, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MS. HARTUNG: I do.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And then since submitting this application have you had any -- have made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
MS. HARTUNG: I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And then since submitting this application, are there are any changes that you would like for the members of the Commission to know about?
MS. HARTUNG: Since the application, no change whatsoever.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Verdin.
SENATOR VERDIN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my chagrin, I have not kept up with you but you have kept up with me and I knew it, had forgotten it, and now through your resume am reminded of your duration at Upper Savannah. It's just remarkable. And I can assure you of those thirty communities I interact with many and your service and your team is invaluable to the -- cannot be valued just as I'm sure that you and your colleagues that served as incumbents and even those that are looking to join, we are here to screen, we're here to vet, but still, even in this short time, it's still impossible to measure all of the service that you and your colleagues bring with these boards and conditions so, thank you for your past service. And Mr. Chairman I would do a favorable report for Ms. Hartung for continued service on the board of Francis Marion.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you senator. All others in favor signify by saying aye? (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations, and thank you again.
MS. HARTUNG: Thank you all.
MR. PRESIDENT: Good to see you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: We've got one more Francis Marion and he hasn't made it I don't think. Right. All right, we'll go ahead and go to Lander we've got one for Lander if that persons here that's 1st Congressional District Mark Taylor to come on up.
LANDER: MARK W. TAYLOR, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Just tell us your name once again and why you -- a brief statement.
MR. TAYLOR: I'll be brief. My name is Mark Taylor I'm in Charleston, South Carolina. My educational background is that I attended Fur man University, went to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina and then I went to law school at Emory university. The reason I would like to serve at Lander is quite simple, I met President Cosentino a few years back. We had a pleasant dinner one evening. I like what he's doing at Lander. Turns out I have a family affiliation, my grandmother attended Lander in the 1920s, kind of a long time ago. And I grew up near Lander. But frankly the reason I want to serve is because he asked me. And he said he could use me, the biggest challenge to Lander for the next generation, I think, is managing their real estate and property growth, their physical plant. The students are growing very fast, they -- there are 3800 students now and a decade ago there were less than 3000, so.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And once again for the record can you please state your first and last name?
MR. TAYLOR: Mark Taylor.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And what is your address?
MR. TAYLOR: 4906 Sound View Drive in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MR. TAYLOR: Every year.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since filing this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
MR. TAYLOR: I don't recall. My application is about two years old because I got caught in the covid thing, I can't recall any additional.
MS. WEBB: Okay. All right, thank you. And then are there any changes to your application that you would like for any of the commission members to know?
MR. TAYLOR: Nothing that I know of.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone? Have a motion?
SENATOR VERDIN: Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, sir. Senator Verdin.
SENATOR VERDIN: In making this motion I would say that I just got a text from Adam Taylor that he wishes he was related to Mark but that he is not.
MR. TAYLOR: The feeling's mutual.
SENATOR VERDIN: Mr. Chairman, move in favor.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Where is Adam? He should be sitting here shouldn't he?
SENATOR VERDIN: Oh, he's --
MR. CHAIRMAN: He's watching, huh?
SENATOR VERDIN: He's catching every second, I'm sure. He told me he was on campus on Lander expecting me to come up later.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. There's a motion for approval, all those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos no. Congratulations. (No reply is heard.)
MR. TAYLOR: I'd like to say -- note a personal hello to Mr. Harpootlian, haven't seen you in a while, good to see you again.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Been a while, good to see you again.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. Keels here now? Come on up, sir. This is back to Francis Marion and this is the 6th Congressional District and this is Floyd Keels from Lake City. If you'll raise your right hand and I'll swear you in, sir.
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir. FLOYD L. KEELS, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'd just give us your name and a brief statement of why you would like to serve on the board.
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir. Good evening everyone. My name is Floyd L. Keels and I would love to serve on the board. I've been a part of the Pee Dee for some time and Francis Marion University is a great school. I'd just love to be a part of something that's going to promote the better well being of our citizens in the Pee Dee community.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. KEELS: Yes. My first name is Floyd, F-L-O-Y-D and my last name is Keels, K-E-E-L-S.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you Mr. Keels. And what is your address?
MR. KEELS: My home address is 101 Derby, as in Kentucky, Derby Lane, Lake City, South Carolina 29560.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MR. KEELS: Yes, ma'am, I do.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of.
MR. KEELS: No, ma'am. I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And since submitting this application are there any changes to your application that you would like for any of the commission members to know about?
MR. KEELS: No, ma'am. No changes that I'm aware of.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, good afternoon.
MR. KEELS: Good afternoon, sir, how are you?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Doing great, hope you are.
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir. I am, thank you.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Great, great, thank you for being with us today. I was just seeing your -- you're retired now, correct?
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And you were with Carolina Power and Light and Santee Electric Cooperatives?
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir. I split both places, I spent half my career at Carolina Power and Light and the remaining half at Santee Electric Cooperative.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And -- and from what I see here that you've been on the board there since what 2013. What has been -- what you would envision as, say, the highlight of that service of being involved on the board there at Francis Marion?
MR. KEELS: The highlight of serving on the board at Francis Marion is witnessing the growth of education throughout the Pee Dee and it's close to the people who live within the region.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Great. Thank you sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Mr. Keels, first let me thank you for your willingness to serve.
MR. KEELS: Thank you, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: With the new expansion and addition South Carolina electrical vehicles, working with cooperatives, gas companies and others. And I know looking at some of the curriculums that Francis Marion should have the knowledge and industry is going to pay dividends. Have you had a chance to think about how that's going to work in terms of what you would actually bring to the table and the board when you begin, really looking forward with electrical charging stations and getting young people more involved in that process and especially with your military background?
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: If you can elaborate a little bit on that.
MR. KEELS: Yes, sir. And thank you for that question. That's the question that we all should be asking ourselves every single day and that is how to promote energy savings for the greater community and electrical vehicles will do that. I think right now we are all -- a number of us have hybrids vehicles and we know that in states around the country are quickly moving towards abandoning the use of gasoline vehicles. So it's going to be a big thing. A big help to people as they travel, and it's going to save money for the greater good.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Motion?
SENATOR SCOTT: Favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable, all those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations sir.
MR. KEELS: Thank you all so much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Wish you luck.
MR. KEELS: Appreciate it, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right that closes out Francis Marion, correct?
MS. WEBB: Yes.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right we're done with Lander so now we're moving on to the Medical University of South Carolina. Now I'll let these people leave. First up is Donald Johnson. The 1st Congressional District. Come on up. Are you able to -- can you raise your right or not? Okay.
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA: DONALD R. JOHNSON, II, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir. Just tell us your name and a brief statement why you'd like to continue serving.
DR. JOHNSON: Sure. My name is Donald Johnson. And by way of background I'm from Summerville, went to the College of Charleston. MUSC, did an orthopedic residency at MUSC and then spent two years traveling Texas, San Francisco, University of Hong Kong, and came back to South Carolina in 1991 as the first spine surgeon in the state. I set up a private practice called the Southeastern Spine Institute, which has grown fairly large over the years, and was lucky enough to be elected for my first term at MUSC in 1994. I'm currently the longest serving board member at MUSC and have been honored to be asked to be the chairman on four separate occasions. I very much would like to continue my service.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And once again for the record can you please state your first and last name?
DR. JOHNSON: Donald Johnson.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And Mr. Johnson, what is your address?
DR. JOHNSON: Number 41 25th Avenue, Isle of Palms 29451.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
DR. JOHNSON: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of? DR. JOHNSON: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. And then since submitting this application are there any changes that have been made to your application that you would like for members of the Commission to be made aware of? DR. JOHNSON: No.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for your service on MUSC. Have a question for you in reference to diversity of the student body in the medical program. I've noticed that the number of African Americans are not equivalent to what our state population is and what I typically like to see. What are you all doing to increase the numbers of African Americans entering into medical school?
DR. JOHNSON: So I would say that our program has been actually one of the best in the country if you would look at the history of what we've done at MUSC, we've actually been given national awards for that. We take that as a -- as a need. It's something that we focused on significantly. We look at it from admissions all the way through. I think we've done great. I don't think the job is over but I think we've done great jobs, particularly with the under-representative minorities getting into medical school. I agree with your concerns but we'll tell you it is an area of emphasis for the university.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And what are your recruitment efforts? What are you all doing to recruit or do you have like a bridge program?
DR. JOHNSON: We do. We have a bridge program that involves the College of Charleston, actually. We've had that for a number of years. We actually go recruit for the under -- the URMs if you will. And our numbers, as I said, have gone up dramatically particularly over the last ten years or so.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And my last question, are -- is there any effort to have a bridge program with any of the HBCUs in this state? Especially South Carolina State University.
DR. JOHNSON: I'm unaware of that. But I think that's a great thought and one that I'll bring back to the university. I think that would be a perfect bridge. I think it's been done for College of Charleston historically because there's a lot of cross pollination, if you will, between the teachers, the curriculum and whatnot. So that's where it was initially set up. But I think you make a very good point there.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: The reason why I ask that question is the College of Charleston is not even performing in my opinion with the number of African Americans. They have one of the lowest African American populations on their campus. And the reason why I asked about the HBCUs is because that's where you're going to find the higher concentration of African American students that are in college. And so that's why I was asking would you all consider -- because I heard you say you're the board chair.
DR. JOHNSON: I have been on four occasions.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Four occasions.
DR. JOHNSON: Currently. I have a better job now than the I'm the board chair.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Well I will hope that you all would consider, you know, partnering with some HBCUs.
DR. JOHNSON: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And especially our public institution of South Carolina State.
DR. JOHNSON: And I'm sorry I think may I confuse you when said a bridge program. This is a program where students come in from across the state. And it's felt that they need to have a year preparing the life sciences. So they could be from South Carolina State or from any other university. And that program which is housed over at the College of Charleston is what I'm referring to as a bridge program. It's not specifically part of the College of Charleston.
DR. CHAIRMAN: Other questions? Yes, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon.
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: It's good to see you. What's the biggest challenge that the Medical University is facing today?
DR. JOHNSON: I think digesting the large number of hospitals that we have either taken over as ownership or have equity ownership over the last two to three years. As I've said, I've been on the board for a long time, I've been the chairman for a long time. And this activity which has been involves now sixteen to seventeen different facilities. I think our biggest challenge going forward now is to take a break or take a rest would be my opinion and try to digest and make sure that, you know, that we run all these facilities that we've that we've become involved in more intimately to the standards that we've like to have them run.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And I guess that's where I was going. The number of hospitals and health care facilities that y'all have taken over, did y'all go seeking those or did most of those come seeking you?
DR. JOHNSON: Most of them came to seek us.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And was that because they were making so much money they wanted to share that money with MUSC?
DR. JOHNSON: I don't think so, no, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: No, sir. So were most of them in financial distress to some extent?
DR. JOHNSON: I think many of them were, yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So how have y'all been able to accomplish being able to address that aspect of those? Are you making them be on a standalone, each one having to stand on their own or are you doing them collectively?
DR. JOHNSON: I will tell you they are -- we are making them be stand alone. In fact it was one of the emphatic points that our board had. We don't want to bleed from Charleston to support these other systems. And so we've actually as you know we've -- we had them segregated with separate CEOs that we purposely try to make sure and they have thus far anyway stand on their own. And how do they do that? Which was your question, well, to be real blunt with you the first step would be if you're a not for profit regardless of what your business is and you take over a for profit, you've already got some savings on the bottom line, correct?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Yes, sir.
DR. JOHNSON: And secondly from there the reimbursement systems, the way insurance is set up across the country, the more bargaining power that you have, the higher your rates are that you're able to get. As an example, in private practice even with the practice as big as Southeastern Spine and private practice myself and my doctors we could never get the reimbursements that we could if we were members of the MUSC. That speaks to the bargaining power of having more physicians, a bigger system and whatnot. So and third I think would be the management. We are very good managers, health care managers, and so I think there is some -- there's always some savings and efficiencies that can be attained if your management is better.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So are you aware are there other pending -- I wont' say takeover. Relationships that you're envisioning that MUSC to be entering into over the short term or long term?
DR. JOHNSON: There is not. And if -- if there was one or more than one that came to the board again my thoughts would be that we need to sit where we are right now.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. JOHNSON: Represent -- excuse me, Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you, Dr. Johnson, for your willingness to serve.
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: As much as I would like to be in agreement with you about hospital systems, real hospital systems, you take those systems over you take a different type challenges.
DR. JOHNSON: For sure.
SENATOR SCOTT: Most of the funding is through some type of federal help aid or assistance, or state aid or assistance. And given what MUSC has done through tele-medicine, looking at working with these rural hospitals so we don't get a real closure outside of -- you know, glad you did say manage system. Because sometimes managed systems don't work without financial systems until you get it stronger. But there are some systems that you do have in place that also looking at additional staff to be able to staff those hospitals and understanding the growth trend and if you looked at that, especially with rejected growth trends. Have you looked at it yet?
DR. JOHNSON: We have. And thank you for mentioning tele-health. You probably know we one of two of the best tele-health systems in the country and that's thanks to all of y'all and this financial support you've given us.
SENATOR SCOTT: So I want to make sure that those things are inclusive as we look at Charleston's system which is part of the Prisma system, the Horry County system, I think is a whole other kind of system, and coming into the Richland System there's three different hospitals here all working hopefully for the same good. Not just for the hospital but for the clients. And so how do you foresee with additional health care needs that have not been met in the state? And especially coming into the Richland system, like in Providence, downtown hospital and Northeast Hospital and they're also in Fairfield County. Make sure don't want to misunderstand your words "stand still." Does that means you improve those systems that are there? Providing what the data shows in terms of getting patient care and need and being able to utilize that hospital more?
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, certainly. First of all I -- you know, I would say I don't want to say that anything that I've said is an absolute. If there was something that the medical university had to do of course we would do it. But we're now part of I know sixteen hospitals.
SENATOR SCOTT: Correct.
DR. JOHNSON: It's over a very short period of time. You know, we are not deaf, we understand there's some controversy involved in that. A senator has been kind enough to come talk to us very bluntly about that on several occasions. And I got to tell you I always agree with you. And we do need to sit tight and kind of get our arms around what we are now and where we are. And there's some great benefits to the state I'll just give you -- there could be many but I'll give you one. All our students need clinical rotations. And the clinical rotations are just not available in tri- county area, downtown. So, you know, we -- this gives us an opportunity to have medical students, to have nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, doing clinical rotations in all these hospitals across the state. And when you do that, when you -- as a hospital when you bring students in it brings the game up for everybody. Medical education you know requires that everybody that touches those students actually become better at what they're doing. So that's one of the many things that, you know, that the statewide push that we've done for the most part I agree with it but it's been a lot and as I've said multiple times, I think we need to just stop and digest what we have right now.
SENATOR SCOTT: Private dollars come in with private insurance -- I think the private dollars are private insurance and that's what driving the pay, especially to subsidize those who get other type of federal assistance for insurance. I think that's going to be very key to it.
DR. JOHNSON: I agree with you.
SENATOR SCOTT: Especially with the hospital so -- I don't know if you could say you got a system that you can say a hospital standalone in the system, just depend upon where we put industry, the economic development part of it. So as you move through your concept of let's wait and see let's also make sure we ask the dimensions to it such as private companies come in. Use Allendale as a good example. I'm pretty sure coming back into Charleston y'all would provide some services. Thousand of jobs is going to change the whole game plan, especially with hospital service and patients.
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: Just want to make sure you don't lock yourself in and you say well, you know, we just going to just wait and see because the service doesn't quite work that way. Thank you chair.
MR. CHAIRMAN: You're welcome. Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Quick question something we would be dealing with is certificate of need. Give me your take on the certificate of need?
DR. JOHNSON: I'm sorry. I have to smile because I have for years probably had a contrary view on certificate of need. And probably that comes from thirty plus years in a large private practice. Also used it as a board chairman and to me quite simply what it's been is anti- competition for the hospitals against any entity that's not a hospital. Hospitals like to use it to prevent competition of medical services but then they use it and I've been part of using it. But they use it as kind of chips and cards that they pass back and forth to one another. You know, I won't oppose your this if you don't oppose my that. And we've all seen hospital systems that didn't do that and then we went through ten to twelve years of litigation, not getting a hospital bill, not good for the medical community. I know the hospital association historically of course has supported CON in some shape and degree and it's morphed and changed a little bit as there's been more and more pressure I think to eliminate it. But if you're asking my personal opinion, I don't think it's been helpful for our state.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else? Is there a motion, move for approval? All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Dr. Johnson.
DR. JOHNSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: You're very fortunate to have MUSC. Dr. Lemon is not here yet so we will move on to Terri Barnes, would you come on up please. TERRI R. BARNES, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Give us your name and a brief statement.
MS. BARNES: My name is Terri Barnes. I live Rock Hill South Carolina, born in South Carolina and served on the board of the medical university since 2014. Considered it an honor, would like to be able to serve again. Dr. Johnson -- when I was first was on the board Dr. Johnson had been there a long time I said to him wow this place is big it's going to take at least a year to learn it and he's like oh, no, no, no it's going to take many years and he's right. It's been a ride. It's been a lot of information a lot of growth and a lot of success. And so it's an honor to serve the Medical University of South Carolina, it's an honor to serve you all and to serve with this great board that you have.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And for the record once again, can you just please state your first and last name?
DR. BARNES: Terri Barnes.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And what is your address?
DR. BARNES: 1502 Jackaway Drive, Rock Hill, South Carolina 29732.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
DR. BARNES: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
MS. BARNES: I don't think so.
MS. WEBB: Okay. All right, thank you. And then are there any changes to your application that you would like members of the Commission to be made aware of?
MS. BARNES: I don't think so.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon.
MS. BARNES: Good afternoon.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And thank you for your service - -
MS. BARNES: Thank for allowing it.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: -- on the board. Just a couple of questions. Since being there and being in the lay category, lay seat for the 5th district, what -- other than the size of MUSC what has stood out to you, briefly, as a pro or a con?
MS. BARNES: Well I would say a pro would be that the growth we've seen around the state and being able to serve people everywhere where they are in their place and their time of need and especially right here in our -- in my area and Representative King's area with Lancaster Hospital and to see the growth it's had and what it's doing there and you know we're doing kidney transplants there so -- kidney transplants, in Lancaster, South Carolina is a great thing. And it's nice that people everywhere can get good treatment not just the ones that can travel to Charleston because it's a tough drive.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So I guess that brings on then - - do you support -- the hospital authority is different than the medical university. Do you support it continuing to grow throughout South Carolina?
MS. BARNES: I do. I'm like Dr. Johnson. I think it's time to perfect what we have right now and to let it get stronger and better and financially secure in all the areas. But I do think that growth is good, but not too fast.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So with MUSC having taxing over -- benefits over a for profit for other hospitals do you think it's appropriate for the hospital authority to go into areas that have various hospitals versus a rural area that is in need of the healthcare to compete with those hospital systems is already in the area?
MS. BARNES: I mean, I don't really like the idea of competing with hospital systems in the area but I think a lot of the places we've been the hospitals were in need and it's made a difference where we are. But I do believe in healthcare for rural systems as well. And I think we could be better with that.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. So would you agree with the statement that the hospitals have come to y'all asking y'all to take them over and that they've had financial burdens?
MS. BARNES: I would say most of the time, yes.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And you think that's the appropriate course of action going forward?
MS. BARNES: At times, yes.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: At times. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: How you doing?
MS. BARNES: Good, how are you?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Doing well. I want to say just thank you all for your presence in our area, especially in Chester, where the hospital system would have been closed had it not been for MUSC and I know that work that you all do over in Lancaster. I guess my question is in reference to diversity, diversity of the students at MUSC. Can you tell me what your take is? Pretty much the same question I asked.
MS. BARNES: Yeah, I know. And him being a medical student is he answered probably a lot better than I would but you know I'm a woman -- I'm part of a woman-owned company so diversity and inclusion is very important to me. And I can promise it's very important to the medical university. It's such a big word now diversity and equity and inclusion. It means so much and I think we can always do better and I know that Dr. Cole and our leadership is always trying to do better. We talk about diversity inclusion all the time. We look at the statistics, we look at how many students if we're talking about students how many students have applied and of those that applied how many students were qualified when you have to be qualified, too. And we try to be as fair and equitable as we can and make sure everybody has an opportunity to that same education but I do think we can do better. And we're working on that. We're working an interview process that's not being so -- not having so much on the interview but more on the qualifications to make sure everybody has an equal chance to get that medical education they so need in South Carolina. I would like to see us do better and I agree with you that we can and we will. So I would invite you to come talk to our diversity and inclusion office. They're great and they would love to talk to you and show you the kind of things we're doing for recruiting, and education. And a lot of that I think is with communication and education, educating everybody at MUSC that has a part in any kind of decision making and that's constantly being done. I've gone through it myself when I was on interview panels making sure we don't have any kind of bias, unconscious bias, and those kind of things. So it's a big deal, it's a big thing, and we want everybody to have a fair chance but we can do better.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And my next question for you is are you familiar with the Rena Grant Sickle Cell program that you all have at MUSC?
MS. BARNES: I am.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Can you tell me a little bit about that, and if you know anything about it?
MS. BARNES: I don't know that much about it I do serve on the research committee and we do talk about that a lot but I don't really know exactly but I can find out and I'll get back to you.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Yeah, I would love to know what how that MUSC sickle cell -- Rena Grant Sickle Cell Stuff.
MS. BARNES: I will, I'll find out more about that.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you.
MS. BARNES: I'll get it to you. Sorry about that.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else? Motion. For favorable, all those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations again.
MS. BARNES: Thank you for continuing to allow us.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Melvin Brown is not here, will be here when? About 5:30 so we'll skip over him. We do have James Battle here so we'll ask him to come on up. Good to see you again Jim.
MR. BATTLE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. JAMES A. BATTLE, JR., being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: State your name and a brief statement on why you're serving.
MR. BATTLE: My name is Jim Battle. I live in Nichols, South Carolina which is in Marion County. First let me thank you for what you do. People do not understand how difficult it is to be a legislator. You work very hard, there are no simple problems or easy answers and you do that. Secondly, let me thank you for allowing me to serve you and the people of South Carolina at MUSC for the last nine, almost ten, years now. I take this job very seriously. I'm very proud of it, and I would like to serve for at least one more term. A little bit about my background. I graduated from the Citadel 1964, went into the army, served in Vietnam, got an MBA from University of South Carolina in 1967. Went to work for a large bank in North Carolina back then you couldn't bank across state lines. It was Wachovia. We were the largest in the southeast at the time. I left them and went with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, who's in New York, a while back in Charlotte. I was with Merrill Lynch when it was still a partnership. I was there when we got some of the initial offering when they -- when we went public. Thank goodness I sold it back when I was a kid. I moved home in the early 1970s, back then back into Marion County Representative Johnny Waller and Senator Ralph Ghasque asked me to serve on the hospital board. Y'all remember Johnny Waller later became a supreme court justice but I served on that rural hospital board for about twenty years. Got off and resigned from that board, ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives. I was fortunate enough to get elected, served for sixteen years. My last eight years was on Ways and Means. I am serving -- or ran for the board at MUSC because I live in and represent a rural area and it's very difficult for schools and healthcare in these rural areas. So I wanted to do something the rural and under served areas of South Carolina, and it has been very rewarding.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And for the record, once again, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. BATTLE: James A Battle, Jr.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is your home address?
MR. BATTLE: 503 South Nichols Street, Nichols, South Carolina 29581.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
MR. BATTLE: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members?
MR. BATTLE: I have not.
MS. WEBB: You have not?
MR. BATTLE: I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting this application are there any changes to your application?
MR. BATTLE: No changes.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Mr. Battle, good to see you this afternoon.
MR. BATTLE: Good to see you, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you and thank you for your service to our country as well. I was just curious first your it says your current employer is Safe Marketing, is that right, LLC?
MR. BATTLE: Safe Marketing -- Safe Marketing was a tobacco warehouse. We are -- JR Battle and Company was started in 1911 we have not let any of our children come back and I'm third generation. We're not letting any of our children come back into our business because it's tobacco. When we were in the tobacco business Safe Marketing was RJ Reynolds and Carolina Tobacco Exchange was Phillip Mars. We sort of had a corner on the marketing of tobacco in South Carolina. There was a rule that said that the same family couldn't be in both businesses. So I gave up my stock in JR Battle and Company and created Safe Marketing so that I would be separated from the rest of my family in representing RJ Reynolds while they represented Phillip Morris. That's why there was Safe Marketing, it was all a Battle organization.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: I got you. And you mentioned rural areas and how important it is and couldn't agree with you more to have health care in the rural area. But the continuing point have had the discussion with the other two that are on the medical university board, help me understand where y'all are and where you think you're going as far as health care in the state of South Carolina?
MR. BATTLE: Well let me just start off by saying that MUSC is a state entity which means that MUSC is owned by the people of South Carolina. Everybody in South Carolina deserves -- or is entitled to quality healthcare. And that is why we have done what we have done. We have moved into areas where we already had clients that were -- not clients, patients, that were coming to Charleston. So by doing what we've done so far we have gotten close to where our patients are for ordinary, regular healthcare which frees up rooms in Charleston. In Charleston our marquis hospital is for high speciality complex tertiary care businesses. That opens up beds in Charleston and gets us referrals back to there. So to accomplish our mission of serving the people in South Carolina we have done the things that we have done as the opportunities have come available. Like everybody else, as a small businessperson I understand what growth -- how much -- what a financial strain growth can be. It's not how much -- just how much you pay for the facility or the equipment. You also have additional expenses like your overhead, the accounts receivable, inventory and those things. It takes a lot of cash. So we have to be very careful, financially, when we're making these kinds of --
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: These operations that are stand alone, are they making money?
MR. BATTLE: They are -- they are meeting the budget that we set. We did not expect -- some of them are cash flowing already. In the Midlands we are still not to the point of breaking even yet but we expect to be in this calender year.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Does Chester break even?
MR. BATTLE: They are going to be stand alone. We went into these and they're already generating cash and revenue and we hope with our name brand, our brand name, and new physicians and promotion that we're going to be able to have these all cash flowing before this calender year is out.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So if I heard you earlier say that you are going to where your patients come from -- I mean you've got patients from Oconee County does that mean you're looking to come into Oconee County?
MR. BATTLE: No, we are serving them with the hospitals that we already have. No we're not going to every single county, we're not trying to --
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: How many counties are you in now?
MR. BATTLE: Say that again?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: How many counties are you in now?
MR. BATTLE: We've got sixteen hospitals. We have patients in every county in the state and at times every state in the union. So we're not trying to -- and I want to make it clear, our competition are not local hospitals. Our competition are the other regional academic health cares. In the places like Duke or UNC, Emery, Atrium, that's who our competition is.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Well wouldn't that be for your Charleston campus? Do you -- I mean, man, I'm going to get in a long discussion here I mean.
MR. BATTLE: We were serving our patients in the state, that's what I was saying. And we are getting to where they are. And, you know, we are doing what any business would do. We're not trying to compete with any local hospital. We're trying to serve the patients we already have. By serving them where they are allows beds in Charleston to free up for the complicated, complex healthcare.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So how much debt does MUSC have today?
MR. BATTLE: The debt the hospital has is like 1.2 billion.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Excuse me?
MR. BATTLE: One point two billion.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: The hospital authority?
MR. BATTLE: The hospital where our debt service is 171 million that's what we pay every year. Our debt capacity is four point eight million -- billion. So we are nowhere near -- we're not even at fifty percent of our capacity.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Well, are you trying to get there?
MR. BATTLE: No. Like everybody else, we feel like we're serving the majority of the people in South Carolina now and unless of course you ask us to because we serve you -- unless you ask us to, we're going to absorb and digest what we've got at this point in time.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Well, I mean, again and if I can I'll finish up but MUSC I mean it's a great university and doing a great job and the authority has expanded, would you not agree, extremely fast over the last several years? And you don't agree with that?
MR. BATTLE: You know most of the growth has been since I've been there. And as I told you as a business person it is something that we watch very closely. I especially was nervous about the growth that we were doing from a financial standpoint but it has ---
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Once final question then. How many of these hospitals that y'all have taken over were making money when you took them over?
MR. BATTLE: They -- except for Midlands they all were making money, they were all cash flowing.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. BATTLE: I take that back, the one that we most recently got involved in, in Orangeburg, may not have been making a profit at that time. That slipped my mind because that just happened.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: No problem.
SENATOR SCOTT: I want to jump right in with Senator Alexander left off because in looking in hospitals who were part of your system, I also look at potential growth. And given where the new growth is going to occur if you follow the economic trend you're going to follow the growth. And I think in terms of coming into the Midlands it's going to probably be one of the biggest cash cows before it's all over with. Given that having taken over Providence Hospital right in the middle of '19 where you're getting ready to hit four thousand to eight thousand jobs is going to be very, very beneficial in the midlands. However you are surrounded by two other hospitals. And I appreciate the Senator talking about the upstate. Providence is truly in the upstate and y'all are outperforming them a little bit smaller than what they are because you've made some very good decisions. Would you agree upon that?
MR. BATTLE: Yes.
SENATOR SCOTT: And if you look at Horry County, having y'all come in and taking over Marion, Marion County Hospital, would you believe it or not the projected growth for 2035 Horry County would be the second largest county in the state. And so the amount of overflow in the next twelve years is going to be unbelievable because of the MUSC system being that close to Horry County.
MR. BATTLE: I did not know that.
SENATOR SCOTT: So is that -- I study those trends and look at where the growth and possible growth are.
MR. BATTLE: We all know that South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the nation. And we know the areas that it is growing in but eventually it's going to expand. I love in Nichols and the beach -- I live 45 miles from North Myrtle Beach and it is probably 15 to 20 miles outside of Nichols in Horry County coming our way. So much of Marion's business comes out of Horry County, western Horry County, which is not the beach but where the farmland is and so forth. That is being developed left and right. People are just looking for places.
SENATOR SCOTT: Twenty-two I think that's where you're going to see all that new growth that's going to come.
MR. BATTLE: We want to be set when the time comes.
SENATOR SCOTT: And looking at the Orangeburg hospitals, glad you mentioned that --
MR. BATTLE: He mentioned it.
SENATOR SCOTT: -- or he mentioned it on the tail end of it. It became of a regional hospital after the I think it was Allendale Hospital and the Bamberg Hospital closing everybody stopped coming to the Orangeburg hospital where it needs some assistance and -- but it's projected also to be one of the next large growth areas that's going to give you some -- and on top of that you've got a school down there of being able to get nurses and other health care professionals out there at Claflin. So I wonder who's making those decisions. But I think they're looking at just outside monies profitable now, the projection for long term. And as I projected in the end there'll be five hospitals. The others will not sustain the system. You're going to have some strong hospitals and you're going to have some hospitals not so strong. Would you believe that our biggest concern is not the large urban areas, the Charleston, the Richland, the Greenville but it's rural counties and what we can do and I would like to some of -- from your experience, especially because of Marion County, what we can do to begin to look at how we fix that using -- probably Orangeburg would become the model moving from just a county hospital to more of a regional hospital concept.
MR. BATTLE: We need to get comfortable where we are. We need to establish a comfort zone for you, the people of South Carolina, and you know I feel very -- I personally feel very comfortable about where we are now. So we're going to sit tight for a while and see where we are and then we'll do what's right.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Hello Jim, how you doing?
MR. BATTLE: Doing fine, thank you.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Always a pleasure to serve with you.
MR. BATTLE: I remember. Served with a lot of you.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Question for you in reference to one of the same questions I asked earlier. Certificate of need and with you all opening up multiple locations. If the certificate of need was repealed and there's no need for a certificate of need in South Carolina how would it affect what you all are doing here in the state?
MR. BATTLE: My thoughts on the CON is a little different than Don Johnson's. We're on the same team moving in the same direction. When I was with Marion County Hospital for the 20 years before I was in the General Assembly, the CON protected us a lot of times. If we were going to invest money, we wanted to make sure that somebody would look at it before private practice would come in and duplicate what we were doing. So there was a need for CONs. I think MUSC is in favor of amending the current CON process now. There should be a distinction between hospital's and doctors' practices and so forth. I'm a lay member and I don't know all of the details there. But I know that we are not opposed to amendments or changing the way the CON is handled now. It has served it's purpose in the past because hospitals could have gotten into such competition with each other that they both went broke and nobody was being served. But I don't think that's the case in this point in time.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I know what you all -- the model that you have over in Chester now in reference to inmates being housed there. Has that started yet, have you all received any inmates in Chester?
MR. BATTLE: It has. We were very fortunate to get that contract and that's putting that hospital on the map. It's -- it is a good win-win situation for the state of South Carolina and for the Chester Hospital. But yeah that has been done.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And also do you all foresee over in the Chester location bringing back to where babies can be delivered in Chester? Because I know right now most of them are going over to Rock Hill or Charlotte or to Lancaster. I know that they do not deliver in Chester.
MR. BATTLE: You know I couldn't -- I know that for hospitals to succeed we have to be able to do that in Marion and Chester and all the other places. It's not -- it is difficult getting doctors to move into rural areas. And that sometimes becomes a problem. And I do not know whether Chester is scheduled or an attempt is being made to provide that service there. I can find out for you and will let you know.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And my last question is what -- how do you feel about the diversity of the college, of the medical school?
MR. BATTLE: We -- you know that's something we have to work on all the time as you know. When I was in the General Assembly I represented a majority/minority district and I think I served our population well and so I feel very close to that. We are not diverse enough. We are working on it. We need to improve not just with the student body but with administration, the doctors, and everything. Efforts are being made. It's something that we talk about often. When I first went with MUSC, Antoine Gunn, who was a House member with us, was the -- one of the diversity officers. He was good but he left us. But we have an equity department that works with human resources to make sure that we are working toward getting that problem straightened out.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any others? What's the desire? For favorable? All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Nos no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations Jim.
MR. BATTLE: I appreciate it, I'll make you proud.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Jim, uh, Nichols how has it recovered from the flooding?
MR. BATTLE: Two, flooded two times the only board meeting I ever missed was right after one of the floods. And it wasn't just Nichols it was fifteen or twenty miles around for two weeks we couldn't get out. But we went from a population of four, five hundred down to fifty and went back up to around a hundred now. They were thousand year floods but we had two in three years.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Wow.
MR. BATTLE: But thank you for asking. We're recovering.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I go through that Nichols every time I go to the beach, so it's just ---
MR. BATTLE: We're getting better, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right, thanks. All right, Dr. Lemon has showed up so if you'd come on up please, sir. JAMES LEMON, having been duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll give us your name and a brief statement why you're serve -- want to serve on the board.
DR. LEMON: James Lemon. And I'm pleased to have the opportunity to serve the people of South Carolina in a health care capacity. I'm a native of South Carolina and I believe that MUSC is making an endeavor to reach out to the Medical University of South Carolina and take care of people, taking inroads into rural areas. I'm from a small town where the hospital had closed and so it's sort of near and dear to my heart to try to provide healthcare not only to metropolitan areas and to the larger towns but to the entire state. And so I am honored and gratified to be doing that in this capacity.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: I thank you. Just for the record can you please state your first and last name again?
DR. LEMON: James Lemon.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is your home address?
DR. LEMON: It's 3407 Overcreek Road. I moved Monday.
MS. WEBB: You moved on Monday?
DR. LEMON: It was 4111 Ivy Hall.
MS. WEBB: Was your previous address?
DR. LEMON: Yes. Columbia, 2920 -- they were the same, 29206.
MS. WEBB: All right. And do you still live in Columbia?
DR. LEMON: I do.
MS. WEBB: Okay. Can you please state that address one more time for me?
DR. LEMON: 3407 Overcreek Road, 29206.
MS. WEBB: Okay. And I would just ask if you can send me that in an email?
DR. LEMON: Certainly.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then since submitting this application have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
DR. LEMON: I have.
MS. WEBB: You have. Do you know who those are or would you need to look through your records and email those to me?
DR. LEMON: I know of speaker Merle Smith, $250.
MS. WEBB: Okay. I would just request that if there are additional ones when you email your new address just to state that you have moved, this is your new address. And you are paying your four percent of that address in Columbia, correct?
DR. LEMON: Yes.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. Just include that in your email if you did make any contributions to any other members.
DR. LEMON: Certainly.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you. And then other than your address change and the contribution to Speaker Smith, are there any other changes to your application that you would like the members of the commission to be made aware of? DR. LEMON: No.
MS. WEBB: All right, thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Good afternoon, doctor. And I hear you're loud and clear that it is a South Carolina system and do you think it's always been that way?
DR. LEMON: I think the emphasis now has changed. I do believe that the schools always -- the Medical University of South Carolina providing education, healthcare I don't think that we were providing the scope of care for the rural areas in the past as we are doing now. And I don't think that hospitals were failing in years prior. I think that this is something that's been brought about by a need.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So Providence is in a rural area? Providence Hospital?
DR. LEMON: No, sir, it is not.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Now, I know that. But he said rural area I just was wanting to know you didn't mention the metropolitan area.
Dr. LEMON: Well, we have a shortage and a need for graduate medical education. We've been hearing that there are discussions about opening up new medical schools in our state. And at this point in time, if a physician finishes school and does not have a residency he can not practice. And we are matching at about one-to-one with maybe one or two not able to match in the year. We opened up a new medical school and did not have graduate medical education then we would not be able to have those doctors be able to work. So one of the initiatives that we're looking at in these areas is bringing in and educating residents.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So I heard you -- or did I hear you say earlier that you envisioned MUSC being a statewide hospital system?
DR. LEMON: Not by hospital system, sir. And I think that's a matter of definition. I think that we would serve the state in it's entirety. I don't know that the word hospital system statewide is quite appropriate. It may be, I'm not certain I understand.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: I was -- I didn't make a note of what you said so I guess my thought is -- question is to you from the standpoint do you envision -- is it your goal that MUSC locate additional hospitals in South Carolina?
DR. LEMON: No, sir. At this point we have no plans on any new developing hospitals past Orangeburg that we've dealt with and also in Bluffton there's a possible partnership. But other than that we are as -- Mr. Battle said in a holding pattern, we're staying where we are. My opinion is that we feel like in except for Columbia in some of those areas where that opportunity arose we've been asked to come in and help out and do those areas for failing hospitals and rural areas that needed healthcare.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. One last question, I notice here or at least on your form it says part time with the prison system -- you do some work with the prison system?
DR. LEMON: No, I do not. We have a -- well let me rephrase that. We have prisoners that come to our office. So we do take care of the prisoners from the local prison systems and they're brought to us for consultations and treatment with.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: That's not the facility that y'all manage or that MUSC manages?
DR. LEMON: No, sir. No, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: That's just coming in to your regular office?
DR. LEMON: That's my private practice.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. Thank you for that, thank you. It's good to see you.
DR. LEMON: Yes, sir. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you doctor. I guess my questions are similar to everybody else's. I would love to hear your take on certificate of need.
DR. LEMON: Certificate of need is -- in my opinion, needs to be amended so that the thresholds are different in terms of dollars that it doesn't need to be taken up on a day-to-day basis with a certain lower threshold. I think it's necessary to prevent large Atrium type companies to come in and build large hospitals to compete for our tertiary and quaternary care, the complex care, that is required by the Medical University of South Carolina to survive. We do more kidney transplants than anyone in the southeast in the past year. If some of the hospitals would come in without any certificate of need requirements, I think that we would have a problem with outside -- outside of our state, people coming in.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And you mentioned Atrium. What services do you all provide to my constituency in York County that would need those services that could get to the MUSC Charleston versus an Atrium?
DR. LEMON: Kidney transplants, liver transplants, heart transplants, pediatric cardiovascular care, pediatric neurosurgery.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: So, York County, where I live an Atrium would be a competition to you?
DR. LEMON: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: It would be?
DR. LEMON: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And certificate of need would hurt the hospitals that you all the -- service areas that you all service?
DR. LEMON: I do not think certificate of need would hurt them, I think that --
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I mean, if we did not have the certificate of need is what I'm asking.
DR. LEMON: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And I see that you are the chair of the board?
DR. LEMON: I am.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: What have you done as the chair of the board to increase the number of African Americans that enter MUSC medical school?
DR. LEMON: What my opinion is, is that if we don't have under-represented minority positions that we will continue to have discrepancies in healthcare outcomes which are known to be true and that under represented minorities feel better if they're face-to-face with someone that looks more like them. That's a preface to saying that we're constantly looking at ways to increase the numbers of under-represented minorities working on processes in our DEI where we seek to encourage all people to apply including the under-represented minorities. And that it is so important that we bring the percentages up more to what the percentages of our state reveal. We're not there. And our board understands that. And we understand that this is part of what I think is our fiber, to try to rectify that and we've not been able to do that thus far.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Have you all -- and I -- this is my last question, looked at doing some type of bridge program? I know that they mentioned something in reference to the College of Charleston. And it didn't necessarily mean that it was students from College of Charleston I understood that. But a bridge program with some of the HBCUs and especially like South Carolina State since it is a state supported school?
DR. LEMON: We have not -- we have not accomplished that. We have talked about that. One of our biggest shortages is nursing. And that would be a great avenue for us to garner nurses. And that is something that's been discussed but I don't, at this point in time, know where that stands.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And I know that the state of South Carolina, the General Assembly, invested quite a bit of money in the sickle cell program, supports the sickle cell program throughout the state and I know that you all have done a great job at doing some sickle cell stuff. I would love to learn more and I think they're going to get me some information on the Rena Grant Sickle Cell program that you all have going on at MUSC.
DR. LEMON: Right.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott. I'm sorry -- Harpootlian.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Doctor, thank you for being here today and I want to first of all say that during the pandemic MUSC did an extraordinary job around here of getting folks vaccinated, so I wanted to thank y'all for that. I do want to probe a little bit on since we're getting ready to have to consider the CON legislation I'm a little bit confused. I mean, we had a bill that would have done away with CONs that didn't pass. Now there is some sort of threshold, can you explain that to me what do you mean by threshold?
DR. LEMON: Well if so many beds it would be how -- and I'm not certain what the CON requirements are now, to come to the threshold of having to file the CON. But it involves a certain amount of money, certain amount of beds, certain different types of equipment, MRI, things of that nature. And I don't know the exact thing but I think that if they raised the threshold it would decrease the number of CON applications required. It would stop the amount of cost that CON have where you have two sides with attorneys spending money that tends to come to the same --
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: There's nothing wrong with attorneys spending money. You might want to take a different tack on this.
DR. LEMON: I forgot to whom I was speaking there. But anyway, I -- as a health care person, I saw that it's something that could be eliminated to some extent or at least decreased because I think that there's -- there was too much of it from my perspective. And this is a limited perspective because I'm an oral surgeon who practices here, but when I talk to the people that are working with me they think that if we take these thresholds up it will decrease the amount of cost to our school to do certain things like an MRI facility over here or a mental health facility here and it will not come to the threshold of requiring that legal system.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Sort of what prompted me to vote for that bill, which was unsuccessful, was anecdotally a story about some doctors that wanted to open a clinic in Orangeburg that would compete for outpatient surgery with the facility you now own, you being the medical university. And the explanation was, most of those folks were going to Lexington to get service anyway, they weren't getting it in Orangeburg. I mean, again I don't know the dynamics of that, you probably know better than I do. Would thresholds solve that problem? Those folks wanted to open a limited outpatient surgery facility would compete with Orangeburg for a certain segment of population that wasn't coming there anyway.
DR. LEMON: You're correct, they were -- they were going to Lexington and that was a problem and we think the best health care is local. That's one of the mantras of Dr. Cole, that the best health care is local. And I think that if the limit had passed and that would maybe raise the threshold up so that that facility could be made there but I don't know the thresholds and I don't know the exact details.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Well that bill is still percolating around somewhere. I'd be interested in getting the medical university's position on that before we have to vote on it again. I think Senator Verdin has probably get a better grasp on this than I do. I don't have much of a grasp on this.
SENATOR VERDIN: Mr. Chairman?
MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, sir.
SENATOR VERDIN: I'm not going to argue, dispute with anyone that's presenting and I have utmost respect for Dr. Lemon and others that have offered counter. Even lay members that are still here that have offered counter perspectives to what Dr. Don Johnson presented but I'm in with him lock, stock and barrel to answer the senator from Richland.
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Well that answered that. Thank you very much and I move for --
MR. CHAIRMAN: Ah, Senator Scott, do you got a question?
SENATOR SCOTT: No, you're good.
MR. CHAIRMAN: No, you if you want, go ahead.
SENATOR SCOTT: No, you're fine.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. They want to get you out of here. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: And opposed no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, sir. All right. Right now Dr. Brown will not be here until 5:30. I think everybody else will be here hopefully by 6:00. So we'll take about a fifteen, twenty minute break and then we'll come back and hopefully knock the rest of these out. (A short break was taken at this time.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: MUSC, the 6th Congressional District to be heard, that's Dr. Brown. Come on up, please sir? DR. BROWN, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll just state your name and give us a brief statement on why you want to serve on the MUSC board.
DR. BROWN: My name is William Melvin Brown, III and I am a emergency medicine doctor by trade. And a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina. Also a retired naval officer, who is a native Charlestonian. And I wish to serve on the board of my alma mater, because the perspectives I've gained in the military, as well as the work in the emergency department, makes me want to have a more active role in delivering health to South Carolinians.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you, sir. For the record, just one more time, can you please state your first and last name?
DR. BROWN: William Brown.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is your home address?
DR. BROWN: 324 President Street in Charleston, South Carolina 29403.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And at that address do you pay your four percent property tax?
DR. BROWN: Yes, I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting your application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
DR. BROWN: Yes. Merle Smith.
MS. WEBB: All right. I would just ask, whenever you finish, if you could just go back through your records and just double check, so if you have made a contribution to Merle Smith, to Speaker Smith, if you would just please send me that information in an email, so I can update your file accordingly?
DR. BROWN: I will.
MS. WEBB: All right. And then other than that, are there any changes to your application that you would like the Commission to be made aware of?
DR. BROWN: There are none.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President? You have question.
SENATOR SCOTT: I have question.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: I will yield.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your willingness to serve. I get real excited when I see members of the Armed Forces, especially the Navy, especially the combination of combining the groups of Navy, Army and others together. How long did you serve in the Navy and having attended the Navy Academy?
DR. BROWN: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: Not very many get the chance to be part of the Naval Academy and less known, a Navy seal. How long did you serve in the Navy?
DR. BROWN: About 20 years, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: So, tell me a little bit about that experience in the Navy. Because I see then you came home to the Citadel, which you came back home to Charleston. Now, also the medical university, so you're very familiar with your home county, Charleston. And I can see you as a good fit to understand some of the struggles that go on in some of the other questions that we ask, especially about getting young people more involved in the school of medicine at MUSC. Talk about that experience and what drove you to the Navy then that transitioned you back to where you are now?
DR. BROWN: Oh, what drove me to the Navy was my interest in world travel. Also, my interest in wanting to serve, and that fit in both of those boxes. I did grow up in Charleston, as mentioned earlier. And I felt the Navy offered the most opportunity to see the world. And having had that experience, it made me have an affinity for our hometown, but at the same time, feel like there are a lot of things that I could bring back to my hometown to make this a better place. My first six years was as an engineer on warships. And I did participate on a lot of operations in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the aftermath of the Soviet Union experiment falling. So, that was quite an experience. After that I did make a decision, after that experience, to serve my fellow man as a physician. And that's what brought me back to Charleston. I wanted to teach and I did that at the Citadel in the ROTC setting. And I wanted to work at night school to get my pre-reqs for med school, was able to go to MUSC. And enjoyed my naval service so went back into the Navy to finish out my career. And 14 years I've lived in two foreign countries and throughout the entire experience, I always knew I was coming back home to Charleston because that was where my heart was. And after getting home, I was in private practice for about two years. And the seat came open on the Board and I had always considered getting more involved in the city, municipal politics, but this was a chance to get involved in the state, on a state level. I jumped at the opportunity, because again, being an emergency medicine doctor, you get to still learn a lot about public health. And I thought this was a great means to impact public health in South Carolina.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And good afternoon.
DR. BROWN: Senator.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And thank you for your military service and your service on the board. And being in medicine, yourself, from that standpoint, what is the biggest challenge you think is facing the Medical University of South Carolina?
DR. BROWN: The biggest challenge in my opinion and I understand, Senator, this is from my medical perspective --
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Yes, sir
DR. BROWN: -- is capacity. In the emergency department, we see up close and personal the challenges and managing an aging population. And I say capacity because one of the toughest challenges of being an emergency doctor is the what I'll call boarding, where I have to have many patients who've been admitted to the hospital staying down in the emergency department. It's stressful to the patient, stressful to the families. So, in my opinion, the biggest challenge is having enough hospital beds to take care of our population.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So, is the expansion across the state of South Carolina by MUSC, impacting the focus of making sure that there's enough beds for there at the facility that's a flagship facility there at MUSC?
DR. BROWN: Yes, Senator, is my hope that it is positively impacting and it is also allowing people to be hospitalized in their communities without losing there local hospitals.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So, then my question is, is that having an impact on the MUSC not having enough beds, there at the campus there in Charleston?
DR. BROWN: Yes, Senator, it does. If a person is admitted to a hospital, in one of the satellite campuses of the medical university, then that means that they don't have to be brought to Charleston for all treatments.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. You have a very impressive resume. I just noticed one error on here and that was the fraternity in which you pledged. You might could have made a better decision but we'll talk about that personally. But no, I have a question in reference to you being an African-American doctor. So many people don't know about sickle cell.
DR. BROWN: Yes, sir.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I have two nieces that suffered with sickle cell that this General Assembly made it a very important issue to the point that we have worked along side of MUSC to establish the Rena Grant Sickle Cell that you all have there. Where do you see, in the educational component of the students that matriculate through the medical school, where there can be something that focuses on, that every student that goes through learns something about sickle cell?
DR. BROWN: Where are the curriculums, sir?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Yes. Do you think it's possible to have that in the curriculum?
DR. BROWN: Oh, yes.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: And the reason why I ask that is because I find that there is a shortage of doctors that deal with sickle cell patients.
DR. BROWN: I do think that is available at different points throughout the curriculum. As a student, when you're rotating through different departments, I think that one can get a great indoctrination into sickle cell. And no pun intended, crisis on the pediatrics rotations, which is a standard rotation for all the undergraduates. I also do feel that they should also be involved in rotations for most of your medicine doctors as residents. Any opportunity, again, presents itself in pediatrics, as well as in the hematology/oncology suite, as well. And then it can also be taught in the classes where you're physical diagnosis. Because when in physical diagnosis, you have to learn about pain management. And pain management is essential to treatment of sickle cell patients.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: My last question and it also deals with sickle cell. How do you facilitate patients that do come to the ER and are now being identified as drug seekers, but the Governor did sign it into law last year, the Rena Grant Sickle Cell Registry. Have you seen it work? Is it up and running or do you know anything about it?
DR. BROWN: I do. Again, being an emergency doctor and I hope I don't sound like a broken record, we are the front lines of seeing this. And as a testimonial to what we've done as a state in the seven years I've been practicing emergency medicine, I've seen a decrease in emergency -- in the emergency department use in the Charleston tri-county area for sickle cell patients. One, more captured in the clinics to take care of these folks and they have better access to the clinics. But two, as far as pain management, the registry has helped us in managing that. There are some very small numbers of minor abuses. For the most part, in addition to have this registry it has increased the education. The South Carolina Medical Association has increased the education. I think that now the stigma and misunderstanding of the amount of pain medication required to manage someone on sickle cell has improved. I hope that answers your question.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: You did and thank you so much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Ready for favorable? All those in favor signify by saying aye? (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you Dr. Brown for your service. Thank you for your service in the military.
DR. BROWN: Thank you for your time and thank you for your service.
MR. CHAIRMAN: And that got all of MUSC. Now, we're up to SC State. The 5th Congressional District, seat five. We have three candidates. The first one is Abigail Busby Webb, come on up, please.
SC STATE: ABIGAIL BUSBY WEBB, duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Just state your name and a brief statement why you'd like to serve on the SC State Board.
MS. WEBB: I'm Abigail Busby Webb. Good evening Chairman Whitmire, other members of the screening committee. I would like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to stand before you today to briefly share with you why I believe that I could be of a major service to South Carolina State University, boldly, which is my alma mater. I am a native of Orangeburg County. I still attend church there, the Antioch Baptist Church; however, I currently reside in Sumter, South Carolina, where my husband and I raised our three daughters. I was a retired educator until, I guess, January 2022. I recently retired in June 2020. And then I was asked to come back to serve a purpose, at that time, at the adult education level. Since then I have moved from that temporary position to the position of coordinator for instruction and professional development. I received my master's degree and my -- bachelor's degree and my masters degree from South Carolina State University. And I hold that institution, it's students, and it's faculty and staff, to be very dear to my heart. I believe that it has a mission to educate and advance our students, the ones that they are serving, to be able to move into the dynamic global arena that we now live and work in every day of our lives. And they need to have the best skills possible, be highly academically achieve and be able to live, communicate and operate in this society on that level. I have a very strong and dedicated work ethic. And I look forward to helping President Conyers, the faculty staff and the cabinet move that institution to the height and the capacity that I truly believe it can be. Along with contending to be a positive recruiter for the college, I believe that I can help boost that enrollment and ensure that the enrollment moves to the level that that the faculty and staff can actually accommodate and work with. I realize that the enrollment currently is down, but I truly believe that it has the capacity to move forward. And with that enrollment moving forward we also would concentrate on retention. Because once we get them there, we need to be able to keep them there, at least for the three or four years of their program. Again, I thank you for this opportunity to stand before the screening commission and I ask that I receive your affirmative to move forward in the process.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MS. WEBB: Abigail Busby Webb.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And what is your home address?
MS. WEBB: 710 Windrow Drive, Sumter, South Carolina 29150.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And is this where you pay your four percent property tax?
MS. WEBB: That is correct.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MS. WEBB: No, I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And are there any change to your application that you would like for any members of the Commission to know about?
MS. WEBB: The only change was that work situation, moving from retirement status to being working full-time again.
MS. WEBB: Yes, ma'am. Thank you. And I have your letter that you submitted to me and that's included in everyone's binders.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Ms. Webb, thank you so much. I'm very impressed with your resume. I see that the amount of time you've spent with the university really has some kind of ideas, in terms of what's going on at the university level, yes, on the staff level. Transitioning from the staff level to the Board level, some of your thoughts, in terms of things that you want to achieve with the board, given the new blueprint that the school now has.
MS. WEBB: I would think first and foremost, I would certainly like to support the current vision to move the university forward. I know that President Conyers has not been in that position very long, definitely not as long as the president that I attended under, which was just President Nance. However; I do believe that with the support of the Board members, that he and his cabinet would be able to move the university forward, ensure that we build enrollment that we actually need in order that, that university can operate at full capacity. Get them there and retain them and also concentrate on our faculty and staff, their commitment, taking care of them and ensuring that we have the diverse and qualified staff that will help us get to the next level. And be a competitive university that I'm certain we can be.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anyone else? What's the --
SENATOR SCOTT: Move for a favorable report.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable report. All those in favor, signify by saying aye? (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Against, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations and good luck.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Next up is Darrel Johnson, Dr. Johnson.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Mr. Chair, I want to ask a question before we start Dr. Johnson's questions.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. Hold on one second.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: When will, would all the candidates that we've interviewed today be notified as to when they can start asking for commitments and stuff because I don't want -- some of these new people that are coming in may not realize that they cannot ask for commitments.
MS. WEBB: Yes, thank you for bringing that point up, Representative King. At the end of this, since we are live streaming, I was going to make a broadcast for everyone, just an announcement that, yes, you will be hearing from me after this. So, everyone that received a favorable report, I will let you know at that time when you're able to start getting your vote commitments from members. Until you hear from me, you are not to ask for any vote commitments from any members at this time. I will officially release you, you'll be letting -- I will make you aware ahead of time so you'll be able to claim your schedule. And you'll have, hopefully, about two weeks to get your vote commitments and then move forward in the process to a Joint Assembly on the floor. Either the last week of April or the first week of May. We're trying to set a final Joint Assembly date still.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right, Dr. Johnson, come on up. DARREL JOHNSON, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you just state your name and a brief statement on why you're running for the board.
DR. JOHNSON: My name is Darrel Johnson, I'm running for the board of trustees for one reason. I want to help restore the prominence of South Carolina State University. As a product of the projects of Clover, South Carolina, attending South Carolina State in 1980 as a freshman class senator, not be able to go back, didn't give up. I worked hard earning three degrees from Winthrop University, a bachelor's, master's and special degrees from Winthrop. Worked hard in education more than 32 years. I was a high school English teacher at Rock Hill High for two years -- excuse me, high school English teacher at Clover High School for two years. Language arts/journalism teacher at Clover Middle School for two years, assistant principal of Rock Hill High for two years. Then Sunset Park an elementary principal for a year. And then two years as elementary principal. And then back to Rock Hill to the district office for several years. And then went to Greenwood, South Carolina and I became the superintendent there, where I stayed for 13 consecutive years. I retired, went home relaxing, enjoying myself and got a call back, to come out of retirement and become the superintendent of Orangeburg Consolidated School District for a year. Worked with them to get through the pandemic. And I planned to just relax and I do a little coaching of executive administrative across the country. I was a college basketball official for 25 plus years. So, March Madness was my time. And I decided to sit down, but some people talked to me and made me realize that I have something to give back. Education afforded me an opportunity to do some things that a country boy from the projects wouldn't get to do without a sound, solid education. SC State provided that foundation for me. And I reflected back on my first year as a freshman out of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Grandmother got me home, had no way to get back. But I found a way to get back. Went to Washington D.C. marching, to save that university. And now, more than 30 years later I have an opportunity to get back and be a part of a group and restore it to prominence. I'm a team player. I believe in all students. And I just feel like being on this board, given an opportunity to give back to the university that gave me so much, that's why I intend to run for this seat.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. Once again for the record, would you just please state your first and last name?
DR. JOHNSON: Darrel Johnson.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And can you please tell me what your home address is?
DR. JOHNSON: 732 Guinn Street, Clover, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that address?
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you may any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
DR. JOHNSON: I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for the commission to be made aware of?
DR. JOHNSON: None, other than just doing consultant for a couple different groups, but other than that, it's the same.
MS. WEBB: Okay. Thank you.
DR. JOHNSON: Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you Dr. Johnson. I've known you for some years now. I'm still upset that you didn't go to Chester to be the superintendent in Chester when we were looking for a superintendent over there. You know I don't represent Chester, that's my hometown. So, tell me, I understand your commitment to South Carolina State. What do you envision in reference to -- I think that the administration is doing an amazing job with what they're doing now. But in reference to the facilities there, I know that that has been an issue and as a board member, how would you tackle that issue?
DR. JOHNSON: As a board member, I would tackle it the same way. I know the president has been there just a short amount of time. But my first year in Greenwood as school superintendent, I had never built anything in my life. But the first as superintendent, we embarked upon a $150,000,000 building program in Greenwood School District 50. It was tough. It was hard. But I learned right then through teamwork with a group of people working together, you can accomplish numerous goals. It's amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit. Infrastructure's very, very, important. And I support the president of the university for what they're doing right now. I was on the campus last Thursday, I rode back through on my way somewhere else. I thought about, if I was going to go, what would I do to work with this group, help them get to the next level. But work as part of the team and to help them continue the progress they've already started, would be my goal, to get in for as much as I possibly can and work as part of the team with the understanding that everyone brings something to the table.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Let me thank you again for your willingness to serve. I see that all the time you spent at Winthrop why South Carolina State -- Winthrop you went freshman year and you got the Bull Dog bite and then it's kind of hard to turn. But then you went to Winthrop, which is a teaching school.
DR. JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: And then you did quite well in your teaching career, but you ended up back at South Carolina State to get your doctorate. But why South Carolina State board rather than Winthrop board right now?
DR. JOHNSON: Well, when you've been raised in the projects with your grandmother and that's your only means of support, you go where the dollars allow you to go. So, I transferred from SC State back to Winthrop, that was closer to home. And Winthrop was a great institution and I learned so much there, attained three degrees. But my father, my aunts, my cousins, a lot of my relatives went to SC State. And although I was not an SC State graduate at that time, I still supported the university, going to the games, enjoying the mystic of being there at that university. And I'll never forgot how it felt my freshman year being there, on the grounds, sitting in the crowd, with all the stuff that was going on around me. That's the feeling I'll never forget. And I had no plans on going into education, in the profession. Actually, I just wanted to go to school and have an opportunity. And I found out with education that opened up so many doors for me. So, SC State is where I started and that's where I finished.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you. Favorable report.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Put in for a favorable report. All in favor signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed? (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations and good luck to you.
DR. JOHNSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Next is Thomas Thompson. THOMAS THOMPSON, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll just give your name and a brief statement why you're running for the SC Board.
MR. THOMPSON: Okay. And name's Thomas Thompson, my name. I came to South Carolina in 1982 from the midwest. Prior to that time I heard almost nothing about historically black colleges and institutions. I knew of maybe Tennessee State an Fisk because they were nationally known, but other than that, I had very little knowledge. But as I began to talk with people around South Carolina, invariably would they talk about their experiences at South Carolina State. And I was amazed at how proud they were of the experiences that they gained and their support for that institution. I probably bring a little different perspective than the other folks. I was part of the South Carolina State Administration from 2004 to 2006 until 2010 as dean of the college of graduate, graduate studies. I got a chance to witness first hand the pride coming from the students and other faculty members. As a result, I would be honored to be able to share my knowledge and experience of college administration through the Board on South Carolina State University. And help it to restore or help to restore it to one of the premier institutions in South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you, sir. And for the record just one more time, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. THOMPSON: Thomas Thompson.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. And what is your home address?
MR. THOMPSON: 831 MacArthur Street, Rock Hill 29730.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And is that the address that you pay your four percent property tax at?
MR. THOMPSON: It is.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
MR. THOMPSON: I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like to make the Commission aware of?
MR. THOMPSON: There aren't.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions? Mr. President?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon.
MR. THOMPSON: Good afternoon.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: So, you mentioned your service and work there as the chair of the department of education and leadership at South Carolina State; is that correct?
MR. THOMPSON: That is correct. I also served as dean of the school of graduate studies.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. So, I just curious, how do you -- how would you be able to utilize that time as a -- having been in those capacities, how do you see that impacting or helping, hurting with your service on the board of trustees?
MR. THOMPSON: I think it will help my service on the board of trustees. I also worked at the University of South Carolina, as a faculty member. I've worked for Walden University, an online institution, as a coordinator of their Ph.D. program, and also Albany State University as dean of the college of education. So, I have an understanding of college administration. I know that the President, Conyers has a great vision for the school. And I think that I can utilize the experience that -- knowledge and experience that I have of how institutions work to help the Board and the administration to view, to tell the realistic view of where we can go as an institution.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much for your willingness to serve. For many, many years it's been a real struggle on the campus separation or responsibility as a power.
MR. THOMPSON: Uh-huh.
SENATOR SCOTT: Staff overstepping into the administrative part.
MR. THOMPSON: Uh-huh.
SENATOR SCOTT: Then creating more conflict as it reached the boards. How do you plan to be able to create those relationships on the staff side, so it doesn't interfere with board policies and the board actually being sound to be able to carry those policies out?
MR. THOMPSON: I think that what helps in those situations is strong board support for the president and his or her vision. And maintaining communication with faculty members, whatever the grievances are, you have to let them know that they're not being ignored. And to work within the resolution of those kinds of grievances.
SENATOR SCOTT: That's a very thin line.
MR. THOMPSON: True, it is. It is.
SENATOR SCOTT: When they ignored and deemed what they consider to be overpowering to make the decision for direction when the Board and the president is trying to take the school it's been a big, big issue. So make sure especially when these folks have been a part of the previous administration and their roles, understand their responsibility. You get great friends and other relationships down there. So, part is making the tough decisions.
MR. THOMPSON: That is correct.
SENATOR SCOTT: And it's been an issue before. And so, I'm just kind of a little concerned, when I see someone whose been administration and having to deal with staffing and now are going to the board and being able to really when the board makes a decision, that decision's not undermined. That give me some great heartburn, those decision undermined. Because there are things that -- and cases that the staff doesn't know about, in terms of getting to the key point where you can make some real tough decisions. What the school has done for the school. All information is not privileged here but about --
MR. THOMPSON: That's correct.
SENATOR SCOTT: -- it's board information what makes this a tough decision. What's your thought on that?
MR. THOMPSON: I have no ulterior motives, other than to help the institution return to the reputation I've know that -- that it's had over the years. And to help it become, as I said before, one of the premier institutions in the state of South Carolina.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable? All those in favor of a favorable report, signify by saying aye (Ayes were heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no. (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Good luck to you, sir.
MR. THOMPSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Next up is at-large, seat nine. Rodney C. Jenkins. RODNEY C. JENKINS, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you state your name and give us a brief statement why you're running for the SC State Board.
MR. JENKINS: Rodney C. or Rodney Clay Jenkins.
MS. WEBB: And a brief statement as to why you'd like to serve.
MR. JENKINS: I'm returning, seeking a return seat. I've been, I've served on the board now for the last four and a half years, a little more now. I came in 2018. I want to come, doing the same as I did before. I came bringing love and passion to the university, being a former -- a student and graduate of South Carolina State. Getting ready to celebrate my 50th class anniversary this year. So, we'll be in reunion for our golden class reunion this year. Been serving on the board as for the last four and a half years, you know, we believe that a lot of things have happened. And we've been able to get some things moving at the university that had gotten a little stagnated. And since that time we've been able to make some things happen and I want to be able to remain on board to continue the good work that has been started along with the help of this legislature, we've been able to, you know, acquire additional funds and to do some things that, not only through the state, but through federal dollars to help us move the university physically and with our enrollment throughout. So, I would like to remain to help with that process as we go forward.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you, sir. And just one more time for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. JENKINS: Rodney Clay Jenkins.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And what is your home address?
MR. JENKINS: 8208 Hunt Club Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29223.
MS. WEBB: Sorry, thank you. And is this the address that you pay your four percent property tax at?
MR. JENKINS: Yes.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly?
MR. JENKINS: No, I haven't.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like any members of the Commission to know?
MR. JENKINS: Yes. I've been and I've just looked at this again in the last few days. When I wrote -- when the application was re-submitted, I was the chair of the Board. And at this point, I am just a board member. I'm no longer the chair. I was the chair for three years.
MS. WEBB: Thank you, sir.
MR. JENKINS: Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you so much for your willingness to serve. I tell you as a new board member coming in, becoming the chair, I had to hold my breath there for a little while. You really gave me a whole lot of time to make that adjustment, transitional board coming off was, you still had a transitional board. Old president going out, new president coming in, president selection, change in policy, which some members not doing what they supposed to do, in terms of following policies and procedures. New growth and a new plan. Talk to me a little bit about that, you the one in the hot seat to get it all done, to move that transition to where it is now. As we move forward from those plans to the new plan of where we're going. Just elaborate a little bit, start at any point you want to because you're the one who had it all to get it done as the chair.
MR. JENKINS: It's a long story, but it's a good story. And it starts with common sense, practicability. You call on the professionals, AGB, Association of Governing Rules. We really, based on what we came in after, we did not want to be tripped up with governance being a problem. We didn't dip into administration. We would -- I would err on the sound of caution. And I would ask the board members to do likewise. And quite frankly, I talked to board members that were there before because the transition board did hold it together. But we had to come in as the new board and really try to make things happen. Getting in such a seat, the big issue was remaining and knowing that we were doing the work of SACSCOC, making sure that we were in doing our governments role, and not stepping into administration knowing where it might have opinion, but knowing that wasn't our road. I had communications with the President of SACSCOC, Dr. Belle Wheelan, made sure that we were doing the, being the straight and narrow. Once I called her -- and she said I'm glad you called me because I didn't want to have to beat you over the head later. So, we stayed the course. And thus far, that's where we are. It's a longer story, but that is the highlights.
SENATOR SCOTT: I know that your request is a tremendous request. You want to move on the university forward, capital projects that we probably should have taken care of a long time ago. And even the commitment from the school itself to go into a fundraising mode to be able to pay some of that cost that came with the dormitories and others that are out there. I know that in many cases, some of the conversation between you and others, such as myself, until these things appear to be moving in the right direction and before to be given back to the board, could be some kind of problematic. Share a little input on that, because everybody information -- all the information not for everybody. Talk a little bit about that and where it put you as the leader, the chair on the board -- budgeting and those kinds of issues and trying to turn the corner. And also trying to change that environment of the school.
MR. JENKINS: Well, one of the things that the president came to us with was he needed to make certain that he got a good physical person. I'm a retired CFO from a state agency. I didn't have a bad audit for 28 years. So being in a leadership role there, I wasn't going to do that either at South Carolina State. But when the president came and said these are the things we need to do, these are the priorities and here's how we might do it. We just gave him all the support. We shared our opinions. I shared mine. In a -- again, in a governance role. But from -- and for the dollars that we were requesting, you know, we you have a process and we've started talking to folks about the public/private partnership. So, with that we believe that we can truly build dormitories through that process, but needing the General Assembly to help us with classrooms. We have the oldest buildings of public schools in the state. So, we're really in need of such. So, with that, itself, you know, those are the pieces that will help us attract new students and put us in a place where we can take care of students, that probably wouldn't get a chance to go school elsewhere.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you Mr. Jenkins.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And thank you for what you've been doing at SC State. I would just -- well, I guess when you were before us last. Because it looks like you're here now, the owner of a consulting company; is that right?
MR. JENKINS: Yes.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: And that's been from 2009 and that continues to do that aspect?
MR. THOMPSON: I still have it. I do very little work in it now. I'm sort of retiring, retiring.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: There's nothing there -- or is there anything there that you do that directly or indirectly involved SC State?
MR. THOMPSON: Nothing
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. Just wanted to get that on the record.
MR. JENKINS: Thank you, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Favorable? All those in favor, signify by saying aye for favorable. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Against, none? (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MR. JENKINS: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thanks for your service.
MR. JENKINS: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Now, we're up to at-large, seat 11, Robert S. Reese. Welcome, sir. ROBERT S. REESE, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Just give us your name and a brief statement why you're running.
MR. REESE: Okay. Good evening everyone on the board, Screening Commission. My name is Robert Reese. I was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. On October in 2019, I retired from the College of Charleston, Department of Public Safety, Campus Law Enforcement. Also served in the Marine Corp for eight years, and also with that Infantry Unit there. Why I want to serve, is basically I've been -- my mom is from Orangeburg area, it's a town called Bowman, South Carolina. So, it's a rural area, raised on a farm. So, I know about hard work. But she also instilled in us that it's good to have a college education. And I want to give back, with that in mind. And I think I want to start at South Carolina State because I heard good things, not only this evening, but what I've heard from the past about South Carolina State, it's a great institution. My wife used to be the general counsel there. Her name is Mercedes Pinckney Reese. So, I know a little bit about South Carolina State. And I know -- just to get -- I guess I'm the youngest one here. I graduated from Starr High School, graduated in 1984, so what I know about South Carolina State, they had a pretty good football team and they continue to have a football team, but I would see they grow a little beyond that. Also, I have a daughter who is in graduate school there, so I definitely have a vested interest in that. And also have a cousin, who's a freshman at South Carolina State. So, based on my 31 years serving at the College of Charleston, I have a little bit of background how a college works, how it runs. So, I want to give back, with that experience. Working at the College of Charleston, I think I can contribute a lot to South Carolina State.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you, sir. And once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. REESE: First name is Robert, middle name is S. Reese.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And what is your mailing address, what is your home address?
MR. REESE: Mailing address is 313 Brickline Drive, Summerville, South Carolina 29483.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you, sir. And when you had initially applied -- so you submitted this original application back in 2021.
MR. REESE: Yes, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: Did you have your address as 427 Elliston Street in Summerville, South Carolina?
MR. REESE: Yes, just following up, I did update that with you, I submitted that, and my new address is at 313 Brickline Drive, Summerville. And also, since then, I come out of retirement, also part-time with the Federal Courthouse in Charleston, with the federal side of the walled-in security there in Charleston, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So, I have your email stating that you did update your address. I don't have any documentation about your current employment. If you could just send me an email with your employers information?
MR. REESE: Yes.
MS. WEBB: Just at some point, that would be very helpful. I do have the updated address as 313 Brickline Drive, Summerville, South Carolina and that is correct?
MR. REESE: Yes.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And do you pay your four percent property tax at that new address?
MR. REESE: Yes, I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MR. REESE: No, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And besides the changes that we just went over, are there any changes to your application that you would like the Commission to be made aware of?
MR. REESE: No, ma'am.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you, Mr. Reese for your willingness to serve.
MR. REESE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: After 31 years at the College of Charleston, why South Carolina State? And a alumnus of Southern Western University, why not that board for South Carolina State?
MR. REESE: Well, like I said earlier, I've got a vested interest at South Carolina State in my daughter, China Rae Reese, attends graduate school there. Also, again, a freshman, my cousin attends there also. But my mom graduated from Claflin, so I have a little background in HBCU, so that's why it kind of draw me back to there.
SENATOR SCOTT: South Carolina State is a whole different experience. Whole different experience than cousin, friends and others go, become a part of the Bulldog experience.
MR. REESE: Looking forward to that, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: So, I wish you well on it. I'm more than sure that once you complete working there, it's a transformation change, in terms of how South Carolina State college does things.
MR. REESE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. President.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you. Good afternoon.
MR. REESE: Good afternoon, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Thank you for being here with us and for your year's of service in law enforcement. Where does your wife work?
MR. REESE: My wife currently is not working right now. Just -- I forgot to add one more thing. It's not that important, but my wife, we just had a brand new baby boy on Saturday.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Congratulations.
MR. REESE: Thank you very much, so right now she's attending -- taking care of my daughter right now.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Am I reading this correct, had she worked at South Carolina State?
MR. REESE: She has worked at South Carolina State.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: What was her employment?
MR. REESE: She was the general counsel for South Carolina State.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. And when did she terminate in that position?
MR. REESE: In 2000 -- I think 2020. She moved and got a job at the US Air Force Academy when she left South Carolina State.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Okay. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All those in favor for a favorable report, signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Against? (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations and I do want to thank you for your service in the Marine Corp, eight years, that's a long time with the Marines.
MR. REESE: Yes, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: For sure. Army's the best I could do.
MR. REESE: Thank you, sir.
WINTHROP:
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. Thank you. All right. That takes care of SC State. We're up to Winthrop, the 3rd Congressional District Seat 3. Rhonda S. Grant had applied from Seneca. She withdrew as of March 8th of this year. So, we will open that one back up whenever we do our next round of hearings. Now, up is the 4th Congressional District Seat 4. Edward R. Driggers, if you'll come on up. EDWARD R. DRIGGERS, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll give me your name and a brief statement why you're wanting to be on the Winthrop report?
MR. DRIGGERS: Edward R. Driggers. I go by Ed. I have spent a career in public service. And as a result of that, I retired a few years ago and have had the opportunity to consider reappointment to the board of trustees at Winthrop, and have had enjoyed my time and my work with the university and believe that I continue to have something to offer to that institution. I am a lifelong resident of South Carolina. My wife is an undergraduate and graduate student of -- a graduate program, graduate in education. Spent 31 years in a public school system. I did my undergraduate work at the University of South Carolina. But I did my graduate work at Winthrop University in their executive MBA program while I was working full-time and entered into that program. It's been a joy. It's been my pleasure to serve. And with your consideration I would be honored to continue to serve.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey.
MS. WEBB: Thank you. Once again for the record, could you just please state your first and last name?
MR. DRIGGERS: Edward R. Driggers.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your home address?
MR. DRIGGERS: 5202 Edward Mosley Way, Greer.
MS. WEBB: And when you had initially submitted this application, which was back in 2021, your address was 522 Silver Ridge Drive in Greer, South Carolina?
MR. DRIGGERS: That is correct. I moved about five miles away, certainly still within the 4th Congressional District. But my wife and I decided to downsize, after our children had moved out. And we are in temporary housing at 5202, while we are looking for a permanent residence in the Greer community.
MS. WEBB: Okay. So, are you renting at that 5202?
MR. DRIGGERS: We are renting.
MS. WEBB: Okay. All right. Thank you for that clarification. And since filling out this application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of? MR. DRIGGERS: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application, other than what we just discussed about your residence that you would like for members of the Commission to know about?
MR. DRIGGERS: I'm not positive at that time if I identified that I was beginning to do work as a consultant with Parker Poe Consulting, but I am doing that currently.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And just for the record, you did have your present employer as Parker Poe Consulting.
MR. DRIGGERS: Okay.
MS. WEBB: So, thank you for that.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? Senator Scott.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you Mr. Driggers for your willingness to serve. We had a chance to meet through the new president. Part of that conversation was about branding or making some other kind of changes, in terms of, what's your thought? Winthrop's always been noted for being the school for teachers. There was a time when the status was to supplement teachers shortages. My conversation with him was very brief, why? Especially given the track record y'all have had to continue to grow teachers in South Carolina. Whether you were challenging us to help y'all to fulfill that capacity.
MR. DRIGGERS: Well, I certainly believe as a trustee of the university that would continue to be a priority of mine. As I stated earlier my wife did both her undergraduate and graduate work there to learn how and to improve being a teacher. It's a rich tradition of this state. Many people in my family and families across this state learned to be educators at that university. And I think that will continue to be a priority. I think what our president understands is that diversification is going to be absolutely necessary for us to continue in a new marketplace. And so, we have to look at new program areas as well. But there has been no discussion of diminishing our role of the responsibility as a university --
SENATOR SCOTT: I hope I'm not indicating that that's what's going to happen. I'm more concerned about loss of student population, those kinds of issues. Where do you see Winthrop going, in terms of getting the population back, increasing the amount of teachers, the teacher shortage? You know, what I'm simply saying, tell me how Winthrop becomes the star player for colleges in South Carolina in creating more teachers, especially teachers in the more diverse communities?
MR. DRIGGERS: I think one of the great advantages that Winthrop has is that we currently are funded for, at the federal level, funding for programs on understanding the systemic issue of teacher shortages, why are students not entering into the field. Why are students not -- why are teachers not being retained in the field? So, we are on the research side of that trying very desperately to understand what's happening out there in the marketplace for teachers? And with a 31-year teacher in my household, I've heard it all. I know the challenges that educators have in the classroom. But I know that they are committed. They're absolutely committed to the jobs that they do each and every day. And so, we have to understand this marketplace. Our new, our younger students, who are coming through today, what attracts them to certain professions. How can we encourage that, happily and incentivise that, if that's necessary. I think Winthrop has to be a leader in that because of the role that we've traditionally held in this state. And my personal belief is, I think that's how our trustees feel. And I certainly believe that our new president will become more aware and understanding of --
SENATOR SCOTT: We just need to know what tools we need to equip you with, so we can get that moving, because that's a big conversation piece.
MR. DRIGGERS: And it needs to be.
SENATOR SCOTT: Right. Your family is like my family, I come from a generation of teachers. And so, we've got schools that have had a setting, curriculum for teachers and we need to know what we can do to tool Winthrop and any other schools so we can continue to get young people at an early age to commit to going to the teaching field. And so, we're open to that. So, you got some thoughts about that? I'm really, really, interested in hearing those thoughts.
MR. DRIGGERS: Well, what we are learning is that, yes, attracting folks to the field is absolutely paramount. But one of our larger issues is the retention, is we are able to get students in and we're able to educate and train them to be classroom teachers. They get to the classroom and you lose them within that first to third year. And so, strategies have to be developed and whether those are economic strategies, whether those are mentoring type strategies, you know, how do we provide the support to those young teachers to get them over that hump? It's the hump that really is affecting us. Yeah, we get more students in our business administration program today than we get in our college of education. That's students making decisions about what they would like to do. And so, we have to provide various programs for them. But we get and we understand that this commitment to education has to be there. And we've just got to, we've got be innovative. And innovation doesn't necessarily come from a single trustee or from a single president or from a single professor, that innovation has to come from current students and former students. We've got to reach out and have conversations with our young people about, you know, if this was not a choice, if you changed your major midway, help us understand why and what can we do to make some modifications in our programming, so that we can attract and retain.
SENATOR SCOTT: So, as a member of the Board, I'm looking to hear back on those answers, the rest of the Board is going in. You cannot school of teachers and education is getting a little tough. Thank you, so much.
MR. DRIGGERS: Yes, sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative Rose.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Mr. Driggers, good afternoon. Mr. Driggers, I had an experience with Winthrop. I mean, you were on the Board back in 2020, correct?
MR. DRIGGERS: Correct.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: And I -- you don't know this about me, but I actually grew up playing tennis. I came to the University of South Carolina on a tennis scholarship. And I didn't know much about Winthrop when I first began my tennis career. But we had played Winthrop, you had star player from Brazil named Clayton Almeida, who was great guy. We battled on the tennis courts. But one thing that always struck me about Winthrop is that you guys had a legendary tennis program. In fact, one of the most decorated programs in the big south, your athletic conference, is history. And so, I started getting, you know, phone calls from former players that I knew from competition in the NCAA, that were saying, listen, Winthrop is cutting their men's and women's tennis programs. And they were coming to me for assistance or for some type of answers. And so, I had had had no interaction with the Winthrop Board whatsoever. And but for this happening, I wouldn't have any interaction. But I reached out, specifically, you know -- the June -- there was a June 19, 2020 board meeting and that is actually the board meeting where the vote was taken. As I looked into this and had conversations, it was concerning to me that actually the day before, the board even voted, before you even voted. On June 18th, the athletic director told the tennis programs and all these student athletes that they were being cut and they needed to make decisions on where to go, that you would honor their scholarships or they could leave. I guess, can you tell me how -- I mean, you would agree that the board itself must vote to take action, correct?
MR. DRIGGERS: Absolutely.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: And so, can you explain to me how a day before you guys vote, the athletic department, that the athletic director has been instructed and has notified coaches and players that they've already been eliminated without a board vote. How would that happen?
MR. DRIGGERS: Well, I can say it shouldn't have. I could say, obviously, prior to us taking a vote an ultimate vote on that issue, This is something that the Board had been engaged in for some time. It was not an issue that was taken lightly. There were many, many factors to consider in that particular issue. It was a recommendation that was coming to us from our interim president. There was buy-in from the athletic director, that we were informed that the athletic director supported that decision. So, the interim president and the athletic director were making a recommendation. It was being discussed and evaluated at the committee level of the board. And what occurred, actually on that date was a final vote. No, no one would have been authorized by the Board to have made any type of announcements relative to that because going into that meeting, that decision, the outcome could have been different
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: What materials, I mean, I was surprised to learn, as I looked into this that no materials were actually on the agenda. I noticed in your resume you served in local government. I, prior to being here, served in local government. We would have agendas that thick, with a lot of materials, background information. I was shocked to learn, as I was looking into this, that there was no materials provided to the board. Were you aware of any materials at this June 19th board meeting that you were given?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was -- well, not particularly at that meeting, but I certainly was provided material prior to when it was presented to the committee. I probably received more information from constituency of the university that was not in support of that ultimate decision. And that material did not always balance with that, that we were receiving from the university. And there were a great deal of questions that needed to be asked in that. There was enormous amount of emotion in that -- in the arena of that discussion of what was taking place. So while that meeting was the conclusion and there was a final vote, there was indeed financial information. There was information provided to us relative to our program. And I can only say, this was, it was not an easy decision. When a university is faced with making financial cuts, we do have an obligation and a responsibility to look in many areas. And we have made cuts in many other areas.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: So you aren't aware that the executive committee, which I understand is the president -- Let me ask you this, were you on the executive committee?
MR. DRIGGERS: No, sir.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Okay. So, you aren't aware that the executive committee, which is the president and the subcommittee chairs, had already -- had made a decision prior to sending this to the sports committee to cut the men's and women's tennis program?
MR. DRIGGERS: No, sir. I'm not.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: You weren't aware of that? But you would agree that the sports committee would be the proper place to vent that, would you not?
MR. DRIGGERS: Yes, sir.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: But yet that wasn't done.
MR. DRIGGERS: It was discussed in the sports committee, the athletic committee, but I'm not aware that there was other discussion or any action taken by the executive committee.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Well, let me ask you this, you're aware of a group of tennis alumni --
MR. DRIGGERS: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Who started a massive campaign when this came to light, they found out, you know, I guess this really came out in June 18th, when the athletic director announced this, prior to the board vote. And they started this massive fundraising campaign, were you aware that they had secured close to $800,000 in donations?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was advised that there were commitments made, but there was not verification of the commitments. That's the communication I received.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: And you were aware that, for example, the United States Tennis Association was willing to give a $500,000 grant for the upkeep of tennis courts. You weren't made aware of that?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was never advised, in my capacity as a member of that board of trustees, that there was a $500,000 commitment by a specific organization with that purpose.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: But you were aware at the September Board meeting there was a tennis alumni who's an attorney, who now lives in Charlotte, Julie Busha, I'm maybe mispronouncing her name. But she was the -- she spoke at your September meeting and implored the board to allow the opportunity for them to present their plan, to present their findings. And you were present for that meeting, correct?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Why wouldn't the board, and here's the things. I actually was involved in this process where I was simply asking for these former student athletes to have the opportunity to come to their alma mater's board and present. I was told that they could only have two minutes to speak to the board. And these are individuals who have raised close to $800,000 and could have presented to you and made you aware of this information that you were unaware of. I specifically made the request that they be given five minutes. I was wanting 10 minutes, give them 10 minutes to present a plan, they are raising money. And essentially was told no, these student athletes were told no. And so, you could, I hope you can understand my frustration --
MR. DRIGGERS: Absolutely.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: -- when there are people that care deeply about Winthrop athletics and have a degree that they have framed and put on the wall. And they are asking our elective board to just have the simple dignity to say, let us tell you about this grant that we have. Let us tell about these donors that are willing to contribute. And they were told no, unanimously by the board.
MR. DRIGGERS: Well, the no was a decision by the chair of the board.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: So, you as an individual member do not have the ability to make a motion to allow for simple -- or you have no means whatsoever to put something on the agenda?
MR. DRIGGERS: No, we do have the means to place on the agenda and I do believe we would have the ability to make either a statement or a motion to allow additional time. The question is, did I do that, no, sir, I did not.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: The you can understand -- let me ask you this, why would a board not want to know that a tennis alumni were raising and had grants upwards to $800,000 and be able to ask questions and ascertain that. Why would they not want to do that? I mean, is that good governance?
MR. DRIGGERS: Well, I can't speak for the other 14 members of the board, obviously.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Look, let me ask you this. Were you ever made aware that the president -- I guess he's now the former president. The president's office, through board members, actually came to these tennis alumni and told them they must take down their, Go Fund me page. They were acting as if they were Winthrop to which they replied, we were making it very clear we're not Winthrop, we are saying Winthrop tennis. Were you made aware of that?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was aware of that, but not through the Board. I was made aware of that by Ms. Bouchard.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Ms. Bouchard.
MR. DRIGGERS: Yeah.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Did you do anything to kind of step in and say, hey, why will we not let tennis alumni raise money for their own program? I mean, did you do anything to --
MR. DRIGGERS: I did. I questioned that. I distinctly remember asking what is there that we don't know? There was concern on my individual part, as an individual trustee of the board. There was concern on my part of not all information making it to the entire board. I concur with you. I believe that there was more information at the executive committee level than there was at the full board level. But this was a time that I, individually, supported the recommendation of our president and of our athletic director that they had vetted this issue and I trusted that to be accurate.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Are you aware of -- you know, one of the things that was presented was the cost of upkeep of tennis courts. Are you aware that no where was there quotes, specific quotes from companies or entities that came out and actually gave a physical quote, there was just a number given but no actual -- were you ever handed a document from somebody who does tennis courts that said, here's what it will cost?
MR. DRIGGERS: No, that number was provided to us by the administration.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: And you would be surprised to know that that number was never supported by an actual document. You never saw a document, correct?
MR. DRIGGERS: Never saw a document that supported that.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Are there nice -- let me ask you this, are there nice tennis facilities public in Rock Hill? There are some nice tennis facilities, correct?
MR. DRIGGERS: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: So, do you think as a former - - being in local government, do you think your local government, it was their approach by Winthrop, who does a lot, I'm sure locally, economy of their students and the impact you have on the community. Do you think that local government would have allowed Winthrop for a year, or two years, or three years, or four years to have varsity tennis matches, NCAA tennis matches at their facilities? Do you think that would have been fruitful? Do you think, did the board ever ask local government or the parks to be able to use the tennis courts for this program?
MR. DRIGGERS: I am not aware if that question was asked.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Would that have been something prudent to save money, rather fix up the courts?
MR. DRIGGERS: I certainly think so.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: And that wasn't ever analyzed?
MR. DRIGGERS: Not to my knowledge.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Compounding my frustration, please understand that I got into this, I was getting calls for help. And I honestly, am baffled that I am here having to say that we couldn't allow tennis alumni -- I asked for 10 minutes, then I went down to five. I mean, the simple dignity that could have been extended by this board to allow people the opportunity to speak, these alumni to speak and present, and the lack of due diligence that was done to see if there was means to save this program, to me is quite shocking. This was all compounded by the fact that there were a key individuals that wanted to speak. Let me ask you this, are there board members that live out of state in Winthrop? MR. DRIGGERS: No.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Are there board members -- let me ask you this. Are -- by your rules, this is in 2020, especially, but by your rules can board members attend virtually?
MR. DRIGGERS: We did have virtual meetings during Covid.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Okay. And so you would agree, we're talking, right now, we're in 2020, so that was the height of the pandemic, correct? I was shocked to find out, there was a request and I have the email request, because I was cc'd on it. Again, I'm asking for a simple things from the board -- like letting people be heard and speak. But there is a gentleman, there was an email sent asking for tennis alumni to be able to address the Board virtually or at least be put on speaker. And individuals such as a former tennis player by the name of Keriyon Vall. Keriyon Vall is a former Winthrop student body president. Captain of the men's tennis team in 1997. He was voted the keynote speaker for Winthrop graduation in 2012. He lives in London, he's a very successful lawyer. He wanted the opportunity -- now, we know board members have the ability to attend virtually but he wanted the opportunity to be able to speak to the board. And he was rebuffed the opportunity. We were told, in writing, that he would have to present in person or he would not be able to be heard. I mean, do you think that's -- is that a good policy or is that fair in the midst of a pandemic?
MR. DRIGGERS: I was not involved in that decision, but no, I agree.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: You didn't make a motion or anything to try to alleviate this --
MR. DRIGGERS: It was brought to the fore that that request was made.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Oh, but there was a speaker, in person, that mentioned that, Julie Busha, she was able to -- she lives in Charlotte, she attended, and actually brought these concerns, did she not?
MR. DRIGGERS: I believe she brought her concerns during her remarks at the time of the meeting.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: I just -- I won't belabor the point at this point in time, you know. This isn't -- I just am shocked by the way the board treated alumni through this. I'm shocked by the lack of due diligence that was done in making this decision. And as I said, when I first started getting the phone calls, I didn't expect to encounter that. Had I dived into this and found that due diligence had been done, that we've explored all other alternatives using facilities, local facilities, getting quotes, hearing out a group of alumni who have raised close to a million dollars, asking those questions, not even allowing them to speak at these meetings or present their plan. I just felt it was really bad governance and that's my comments today.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Driggers for being here. And Representative Rose, please don't feel slighted by no means. I've been elected since 2008 and Winthrop has been in my district the entire time. And I've been on that campus with other members of my delegation and they don't even recognize me. And Winthrop is -- the main campus is solely in my district. Mr. Driggers, I met with some students at Winthrop a few months ago. And their concerns, some African- American students and some LGBTQ+ students, and they do not feel safe on campus. They do feel safe because of the board has not made them safe. Can you elaborate on the relationship that the board has with the students, the African-American students, as well as the LGBTQ+ community?
MR. DRIGGERS: As a board, we don't typically interact with our students. It could be perceived in a negative way. Others may believe that that is absolutely essential, but I don't -- I, as an individual member, do not interact with the students on campus. Now, that doesn't mean that when I'm there, that I don't stop and talk with folks and ask them how they're doing and those types of things. But I don't survey the students to that degree. Information is funneled to us, through various means, typically through our dean of students of issues and concerns that are happening at our campus community. We are made aware. We believe we are made aware of all of those incidents that there could be any concern about, you know, a student feeling safe and secure, I would be the first to say, absolutely. I had two daughters that attended, you know, university campuses and I would have never wanted my children to feel unsafe on a university campus, whether it's a private university or a state supported university, in- state, out-of-state, no matter where it is. Students need to feel safe. I know that there have been changes to staff positions, to help with that. That some of the concerns of those students were being addressed more as an individual of the campus community. And changes were made in regard to who that was, and who that reporting, and who had administration was being handled by. And so, yes, we were aware that there were some concerns. And we have attempted to make modifications and changes to address those concerns. Has every student -- is where we would like for them to be. I would have to imagine not. When our former president made a decision to leave the university, we had students that were very upset with the Board of Trustees that, that was happening. I mean, we, it is not unusual in a campus environment that decision-makers get cast for blame, when decisions are made that one doesn't individually support or they do not agree with. For us, that comes with our territory. But we do, very much, try to be sensitive to those issues and concerns. If I were to ever be informed that someone says, you know, I've reported an incident, it has not been handled. I would be a trustee that would be inquiring through our administration, what is the status of this, what's happening, has it been looked into. I may not go so far as to say I agree or I disagree with the action. But I certainly would be one that would say, please let me know that this has been addressed.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: My next question is, the relationship that the college should have with the local delegation. What is your take on the relationship that the college should have with their local delegation or legislative delegation?
MR. DRIGGERS: It is a -- it has been a point of conversation with our new president, who arrived in July. There is a list that we've provided that says these are constituencies of our university that we need to make sure that there's some face-time with, with the president of the university and what's happening. I can assure you I doubled checked that. Our legislative delegation is a part of that. And that will be happening. You should have received an invitation to the inauguration of our new president on April 14th. I inquired about that personally and I was assured that those invitations were sent to our delegation.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Well, I will say up under the leadership of former Representative Gary Simrill, I have now been included. I'm the only African-American legislator that represents York County. I solely represent the campus, the main campus of Winthrop. And I, in the time that I've been there, as a representative, I have totally been disrespected. And I've gone to the board, made them aware. I've been at functions where I am sitting beside my other members of the delegation and I will be the only one that would not be recognized. And so, I've worked and fought for Winthrop down here at the General Assembly, but I feel like I've been disrespected. But I digress, I mean, but ...
MR. DRIGGERS: May I say, may I invite you to be my personal guest?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Sure.
MR. DRIGGERS: At my next visit to campus, I would be honored. If you and I could meet on that campus?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Most definitely, I have no problem with that, Mr. Driggers. But I do still have an issue when I have students. I met with about 50 students, they invited me. I didn't know anything about it, that they felt unsafe. And I would love to have more conversations with you about that personally. That's if you have the time?
MR. DRIGGERS: I would welcome. I would welcome that opportunity.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Mr. Chair, I don't know if others have questions.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Let me see, any other questions? Representative King.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Mr. Chair, I would like to make a motion that -- to give us a little more time to make a motion to carry it over.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There's a motion to carry it over.
REPRESENTATIVE ROSE: Second.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There's a second. All those in favor, we need to raise our hands. All in favor of carrying over, please raise your hands? (Hands are raised)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. All right. We will carry this over, Macey.
MS. WEBB: The hands carried it over.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I think it was, yes. Macey, explain to Representative.
MS. WEBB: All right. Just for clarification for the court reporter and for the record. We have now just made a unanimous motion to carry you over. So, this the similar situation that we had with the USC Trustees during the last screening. So, with you being an incumbent, you continue to serve in your seat until we call you back to appear. And you don't have to physically come in and appear the Commission at that time. At sometime later, the Commission will decide.
MR. DRIGGERS: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you. All right. That ends our proceedings tonight. Tomorrow morning at 10:30 we have three candidates; is that correct?
MS. WEBB: Yes, three candidates for tomorrow morning. And just for clarification, also for anyone who still might be tuning in, please do not get any vote commitments or solicit any commitments until you have been released from me, which will definitely be a few days from now.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I want to personally thank the Commission for your service. A long day, but I feel like we got a lot accomplished and so I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully a little before 10:30. We're adjourned. (There being nothing further, proceeding was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.)
TRANSCRIPT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: 110 Blatt Building
1105 Pendleton Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
APPEARANCES:
Chairman: William R. Whitmire
Senate Members:
Thomas C. Alexander
John L. Scott
Daniel B. "Danny" Verdin, III
Richard A. "Dick" Harpootlian
House Members:
John King
Seth Rose
Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis
Committee Staff:
Macey Webb, Esquire
MR. CHAIRMAN: Good morning, we're going to get started this morning. The Senators and the President have meetings at 11:00, so we need to be fairly quick with this. So, we'll do our best. First up is the Medical University of South Carolina, 3rd Congressional District. Richard M. Christian, if you come on up, I'll swear you in. Good morning, sir.
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA:
MR. CHRISTIAN: Good morning.
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll raise your right hand? RICHARD M. CHRISTIAN, JR., being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: If you'll state your name and a brief statement, why you're running for the Board.
MR. CHRISTIAN: I'm Richard M. Christian. I'm from Greenwood. I practice orthopaedic surgery for the last 30 years there, born and raised there. I took Dr. Stanley Baker's seat on the board and I've been on the board since 2018. It's my pleasure to be in front of you and I appreciate the opportunity to be on the Board.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: All right. And thank you and for the record, once again, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. CHRISTIAN: Richard Christian.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your home address?
MR. CHRISTIAN: 512 Sparrow Road, Greenwood.
MS. WEBB: Thank you and do you pay your four percent personal property tax at that address?
MR. CHRISTIAN: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting your application, have you made any new campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you're aware of?
MR. CHRISTIAN: I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for any of the Commission members to be made aware of? MR. CHRISTIAN: No.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Representative King?
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can you give me what is the biggest weakness of the institution?
MR. CHRISTIAN: Well, I'm not sure that I think that we have a single weakness. I think anybody that does as much business as we do, there are definitely issues that we have and that try to amend. But as far as any weakness I think, you know, being a proponent of the school, I'm not going to say that I think that we have any true weaknesses.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Well, I would say that you do have a weakness there that I have acknowledged throughout this hearing, is the number of African-Americans students that you all accept into your program. And I've spoken about this, pretty much, with all of the members of the board. But I'm interested in seeing what you all would do to work with into bridge programs with some of the HBCUs in this state, especially South Carolina State, who is of a public HBCU.
MR. CHRISTIAN: I think that the accreditations of the schools are very stringent on what we can do and what we can't do. So, I think we are 10 percent African-Americans --
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Are you telling me that the accreditations says you can only have 10 percent African-Americans?
MR. CHRISTIAN: Well, they -- no. I'm telling you that they have to go through a process of, you know, how well they have done in college and how well they've done on other scores, what they've done outside of the school. And then what they're interview is like. So, I think we follow the laws of the accrediting schools that we have to. And I think it has to do with the number of applications that we have. If we have, you know, 10 percent African-Americans that give us applications, then we, you know -- I just think, I know that there's a, you know, 4,000 applications for 160 spots. We have, I always --
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I appreciate your answer.
MR. CHRISTIAN: We always acknowledge, I mean, we have the highest male rate, you know, that we have in medical school.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Well, I appreciate your answer. We just disagree on -- I think the college could do more in reference to, and you being a board member could be my voice there to say in the recruiting process to recruit at some of the HBCUs to start a bridge program without, I'm not going to prolong my questions. I think you may have questions from other people. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Senator Scott?
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you for your willingness to serve. I want to make sure I understand your answer.
MR. CHRISTIAN: Okay.
SENATOR SCOTT: And I know that the MUSC does have a bridge program. And I think -- and I can't speak for other people, but I think the goal is to keep some of the best and brightest home. But also having a very diverse community. Because at the same time MUSC is really changing. You're no longer a school who operates in the large urban area of Charleston. You are now also operating in rural communities of South Carolina, Fairfield County, Marion County, just to name a few. The goal too, also, is to make sure that we are able to get some of these young people to come back and serve in some of the rural communities. They attend med school, either through your bridge program, which says they've met the minimum qualification. The goal is not to educate the large percentage of folk from outside of South Carolina. Those days of, are gone as we compete with those in the health care industry. I kind of think that's the direction that we're moving into, especially if you get the schools that operate in the sixteen different counties, to be able to maintain, not only just doctors and also nurses and other health care providers. Right there at the base, you've got Claflin College, who's called TITAN, The Institute of Teaching and Nursing, as y'all coming to Orangeburg. So, just want you to be a lot more aware of what is surrounding you, as you come into these communities, not in Columbia. So, you're a big competitive market in Columbia. And so, the question is, do I educate these young folk and they come in large urban and then they leave me to go some place else. So, we poured a lot of resources in there, of course, they spent their dollars to do it too. But the human resource, knowledge base of the community, we can help make it more healthy. I think that's the real conversation, not just to open competitiveness. We got 4,000 applications, but it's all in how you sort through those applicants in order for them be a part of your school.
MR. CHRISTIAN: And I totally agree. There's lot of times that I have students from the PA school, here in Charleston to come up. They're mentoring other people. And you know that these people would be great doctors, but they can't qualify or they can't test well enough to get into medical school and it is an issue. But we're held by the board to be able to find the best people that we can find. And I'm totally with you. I think one of the things that we do here in South Carolina, especially with the Medical University, is we try and get people in the rural areas. And 75 percent of the people that -- or 75 percent of the students that get their GME, we retain in the state. I think Greenwood is a rural area. I'm glad I don't live in Columbia, you know. I had to drive in, you know. I wouldn't want to do that. So, if I have anybody that I can talk into saying, I think Greenwood is a great area, you know, it has everything. It's an hour from Columbia. It's an hour from Greenville. And I do think that we need all these bridge programs. I mean, we have a huge nursing shortage. And we've done everything that we can entice these people. In Greenwood, we have a bridge program with Lander. So, we have assumed taking over their tuition and we're letting them work now in the hospital, hoping that we can retain some of these people. So, we're trying to do everything that we can do. I mean, our goal is to take care of the people of South Carolina. And the only way that we can take care of the people of South Carolina is to have the areas that we can cover, so we can know what's needed in that area. And we are statewide. And we're statewide because we feel like that we can provide care in that area. And it's not something that we're trying to take over the state, but I would think that, you know, we have a crunch in Charleston for beds. We need other places to be able to put -- you know, we take, we try to take care of the sickest of the sickest in Charleston because that's where the nationally ranked specialists are. So, we have to have these other areas that we can, you know, help the people and, you know, 50 percent of the sickest people in South Carolina are taken care of in Charleston. And I totally agree. I mean health has changed completely in the thirty- something years that I've been doing it. And it's a hard, you have a hard time getting people to -- I mean, trying to recruit a young orthopaedist to come to Greenwood is a hard thing. They all want to go to Greenville. They all want to work from 9:00 to 5:00 or whatever, which is not how it works. And so, I'm for any way that we can entice people, you know. All we want is the most qualified, best applicants that we can have.
SENATOR SCOTT: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anybody else? Is there a motion?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Mr. Chairman, I would move that favorable. I have questions, but I think that for the second time I will do that in another time. So, I would move for favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There's a motion for favorable. All those in favor signify by saying aye? (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed, no? (A hand is raised.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: One no is noted. You're reported out favorable. Next up is the 4th Congressional District, Thomas L. Stevenson. You come on up, sir and welcome, if you'll raise your right hand, I'll swear you in. THOMAS L. STEPHENSON, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Just give your name and a brief statement.
MR. STEPHENSON: Thomas L. Stevenson. I am a semi- retired lawyer in Greenville. Went to high school in Greenville, went to college down here. And spent my entire career in Greenville. And my privilege to serve on the Board of MUSC, which I think is perhaps the best agency in the state.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Macey?
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And once again for the record, can you please state your first and last name?
MR. STEPHENSON: Thomas Stevenson.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your home address?
MR. STEPHENSON: 305 Crescent Avenue in Greenville.
MS. WEBB: All right. And do you pay your four percent property tax there?
MR. STEPHENSON: I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you're aware of?
MR. STEPHENSON: I was asked that yesterday. I don't recall any. I usually give to Senator Turner, who's my senator and Representative Bannister, who's my House Representative.
MS. WEBB: Okay.
MR. STEPHENSON: I could have.
MS. WEBB: Okay. All right. And then are they're any other changes with your application that you like for the members of the Commission to be made aware of?
MR. STEPHENSON: None.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Questions? None?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Mr. Chairman, again for the sake of time, I've got questions about their expansions and things, but I'm going to withhold those. And be a contact person that would --
MR. STEPHENSON: Y'all going to let me off easy, huh?
SENATOR HARPOOTLIAN: Tommy, you want some questions?
SENATOR SCOTT: Well, since you're there.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Move for favorable, all those in favor, signify by saying aye. (Ayes are heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed? (No reply is heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MR. STEPHENSON: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Because the Senators are on a real short schedule, we're going to take up the issue we had last night with Mr. --
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Can we finish this last one, this last one?
SC STATE:
MR. CHAIRMAN: You want to do it real quick? Okay. I'll just, we'll do it. All right. SC State, 7th Congressional District, Starlee, I hope I'm pronouncing that right, Alexander. Welcome, if you'll raise your right, I'll swear you in. STARLEE ALEXANDER, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN: Welcome and give your name and a brief statement.
MS. ALEXANDER: My name is Starlee Alexander. It's a pleasure to be here with you today, after being delayed in the airport last night until 12:00 o'clock, but I'm here. I have served on the Board of Trustees since 2018. I'm a proud graduate of Florida A&M University. And I have a State Farm Insurance Agency in Florence, South Carolina. I'm honored to be on the board and would like to continue to serve on the board to help with the underscoring and the recent accomplishments and achievements that the university has started. And I would like to be a part of that. I feel that the HBCUs and South Carolina State is a special institution with regard to carrying on family legacies and the quality of education for our students. I am proud and I would like to accomplish more this term with the school and the university to continue the great achievements. Thank you.
MS. WEBB: I thank you and once again for the record, will you please state your first and last name?
MS. ALEXANDER: Starlee Alexander.
MS. WEBB: All right. And what is your home address?
MS. ALEXANDER: 1646 Harris Court, Florence, South Carolina.
MS. WEBB: All right. And do you pay your four percent property tax there?
MS. ALEXANDER: Yes, I do.
MS. WEBB: All right. Thank you. And since submitting this application, have you made any campaign contributions to any members of the General Assembly that you are aware of?
MS. ALEXANDER: No, I have not.
MS. WEBB: All right. And are there any changes to your application that you would like for members of the Commission to be made aware of?
MS. ALEXANDER: No, not at this time.
MS. WEBB: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Any questions? Do I have a motion?
SENATOR SCOTT: For favorable.
MR. CHAIRMAN: For favorable. All those in favor, signify by saying aye? (Ayes were heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Opposed? (No reply was heard.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Congratulations.
MS. ALEXANDER: Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for serving. All right. Now, we'll go back to the carry over from last night. And that was Winthrop 4th Congressional District, Edward Driggers. Any of the members have any comments right now?
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: Mr. Chairman?
MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER: I think the dialog last night was helpful, that and carrying it over. But I think with further consideration I would move that Mr. Edward Driggers for the 4th District, for the seat at Winthrop, would be found qualified.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. We will take a, raising our hands for the -- since there's probably some folks that may have an issue on that. So, all those in favor for a favorable, please raise your right hand? (Hands are raised.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Five, is that correct? All those against? (Hands are raised.)
MR. CHAIRMAN: Two. Okay. So Edward Driggers is reported out favorable with a minority decision on that. That is all we have. I thank you members of the Commission for your hard work. And I appreciate you coming in on Monday. So, I guess we are done until next year, maybe, I don't -- no commitments by anybody yet. So, stay safe.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: I have a question.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Because I was asked by one of the candidates, they can, you know, acknowledge that they are running, they just can't get any commitments, am I correct?
MS. WEBB: They can give out, like, information and say, yes, I am running for the seat.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: Correct. Okay.
MS. WEBB: Personal information, but they cannot solicit a vote from members until they are officially released.
REPRESENTATIVE KING: They can just say that they are running, that's it. Okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Anything else? Okay. We're adjourned. Thank you, Mr. President, Senators. Thank you, Representatives. (There being nothing further, the proceeding concluded at 10:54 a.m.)
*The report was entered as received.
On motion of Senator MASSEY, the Senate agreed to stand adjourned.
At 2:57 P.M., on motion of Senator MASSEY, the Senate adjourned to meet tomorrow at 10:00 A.M.
This web page was last updated on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 4:37 P.M.