Palmetto Public Square

At the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast a couple of weeks ago, those in attendance had the pleasure of hearing from SC Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers. He spoke about the honor and privilege of public service, and the humbling gift of prayer.

You may never have noticed it before, but as Commissioner of Agriculture, Hugh Weathers’ name is printed on the inspection sticker found on every gas pump in this state. In his talk at the Prayer Breakfast, The Commish told us about the prayers fueled by those stickers:

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State Prayer Breakfast
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for the time we have spent together this day. You have said where two are three are gathered together, you are there. We have felt your presence this morning already and we are grateful.

Oh Creator, we praise and adore you. We know that with your very Word you spoke our universe into existence. And now by your grace, you sustain us.

But as we exalt your name and celebrate your light, You know the darkness of our hearts. We confess our sins to you now and ask for your forgiveness.

We are thankful…

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Several weeks ago I reported on some of the Bad and Ugly legislation that had been introduced for the new legislative session that began January 13. I promised at that time that I would shortly provide some Good News.

Then, two of the Good pieces of legislation started to move and we needed your help with them:

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A quick review of the prefile list for 2009 reveals some great ideas…and some really poor ones.

Part I: The Bad

Every other year about this time, legislators “prefile” bills. That means they put a few ideas in the hopper in advance of the legislature’s actual meeting so they will have some work to do the first few weeks of the session.

A Senator from Charleston gets the prize this year for really bad proposals. His list of prefiles reads like a propaganda tract for those who want to radically change South Carolina’s family friendly culture.

South Carolina would be a very different place if the Senator from District 42 were to get his way:

• People of the same gender would be getting married (“civil unions”);
• Hotels, hospitals and employers would be giving special protection based on a person’s “actual or perceived” sexual identity;
  video poker would back on every corner;
• Riverboat casinos would operate along the coast; and
• Local governments would be prevented from restricting Sunday alcohol sales.

You can be assured that Palmetto Family Council and our legislative action arm, Palmetto Family Alliance will be watching these bills closely.

If any of this legislation shows any sign of life at all, we will contact you immediately with an email like the one at the top of this post called “Call to Action.” Please watch for it.

Together, we can keep South Carolina the best place in the world to live and raise a family!

P.S. To stand with us through your financial partnership as we continue the legislative battle for truth, you can make a donation HERE.

Note: To be fair, in the Senator’s world there would also be no baggy pants, no public profanity, sex offenders would be monitored via GPS, and car title lending would be regulated. Our analysis here is on the preponderance of his oeuvre.

Note: The following remembrance of Carroll Campbell contains many personal references. Please understand that this is not an attempt to tie myself to The Great Man, but is meant to explore what Governor Campbell meant to me personally and to the state. –OPS

I found out about former Governor Carroll Campbell’s death last week while on a family trip to Orlando. My mother-in-law called to share the news so I wouldn’t have to learn it from my usual source for news when out of town: SC Hotline.

During the six-hour car ride back from central Florida, my wife Kristin kept Stephen (8), Elizabeth (5) and Margaret (2) well entertained with books, songs and games, so I had a lot of time to think about Carroll Campbell and the decade or so we were close.

I met Mr. Campbell in 1976 when one of the three people in my hometown of Greer who would admit to being Republicans invited me to attend a Campbell campaign barbecue at his farm near Fountain Inn. Vice-Presidential candidate Bob Dole was in town to raise funds for Campbell’s run for the S.C. Senate and push the Ford-Dole ticket. There were young volunteers everywhere at the barbecue, and I had to become one of them.

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Notes on Carroll Campbell’s Record

Looking back on his administration, it is clear that God used Carroll Campbell as a public policy leader. Here are just a few areas.

Adoption. Carroll Campbell worked to make adoption affordable for working families, pushing for a $10,000 reimbursement for employees of state government who adopt. Campbell took the idea to the National Governor’s Association with the support and advocacy of his friend Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas.

Gambling. Carroll Campbell worked to roll back and fight the expansion of gambling by resisting video poker and a state lottery. He also negotiated the agreement with the Catawba Indian Tribe that kept them out of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), made Catawba gaming a state matter and refused the tribe any special rights to video poker. (An important consideration in light of Tuesday’s lower court ruling to the contrary. That fight is not over. Stay tuned.)

Life. Governor Campbell had a huge impact on life issues. 1) He signed the Parental Consent Act in 1992, which according to South Carolina Citizens for Life, caused abortions to decline by 14 percent the next year, the single largest annual decrease. 2) He signed an Act insuring that women know the health risks involved in abortion and know that alternatives to abortion exist. 3) He signed the Abortion Clinic Regulation Act making South Carolina’s clinic regulations some of the strongest in the country.

Family Sustenance. Carroll Campbell worked for policies that reduced the burden of government on working families by creating a $40 million tax break for parents of children under 6. Because of this, South Carolina doubled the tax exemption for parents in 1994. Campbell worked to streamline state government operations and limit state spending. Campbell knew that economic issues were family issues, too.