COLOMBIA, SC – South Carolina lawmakers are moving ahead with a bill to penalize slow drivers in the left lane, but the consequences have been mitigated somewhat.
South Carolina has a law in place that requires people to drive on the right side of all roads, unless they are passing a car, making a turn, or if the right lane is blocked. But, it has no penalty associated with it.
A bill first introduced in the South Carolina House proposed that driving slowly on the left lane would result in a misdemeanor, a $ 200 fine and two off-license points. The chamber was approved earlier this month.
On Wednesday, the Senate Transport Committee discussed the legislation and amended it so that those driving slowly in the left lane pay only a $ 25 fine and this will not be included in a person’s driving record and there will be no report to the safe driver.
Some committee members questioned what the bill’s purpose would be if a driver did not face tougher penalties. Senator Sean Bennett said he will hopefully get more people to pay attention and move to the right track.
“There are a lot of problems that are a direct result of, I will say, I am a South Carolina … we are not very good drivers here, we really do not do things well here, we are not very kind on the roads,” said Bennett.
The committee voted in favor of the bill that received a “favorable report with the amendments” for the entire Senate.
SC lawmakers pay attention to weather warnings
COLOMBIA, SC – The potential for severe storms and possible tornadoes on Thursday meant that the South Carolina Senate did not meet and the House told members to come only if they felt safe.
House Speaker Jay Lucas said the chamber will meet in less than an hour on Thursday to address routine motions before a budget debate next week – and then postpone it.
“If you are in a situation where it is dangerous to come, I am asking you not to come,” said Lucas. “If you can come, give us a quorum and do those few things that we need to do, we will get out of here in a hurry.”
Legislator attracts the ire of fellow Democrats over transgender people
COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – Twenty-three Republicans from South Carolina signed a measure aimed at blocking hormonal treatments for young transsexuals.
But the main supporter of the project is a Democrat, which leads to intense scrutiny by his own party. Last week, lawmakers introduced a bill aimed at banning minors from undergoing sex reassignment procedures.
Criminal charges would be possible for doctors who broke the law. Democratic state deputy Cezar McKnight is his primary sponsor.
He says his main concern is that the teenager may regret a transition decision later in life. South Carolina Democratic Party leaders passed a resolution condemning the project and its Democratic supporters.
Expect to spend $ 2.1 billion on COVID relief, warns budget writer
COLOMBIA, SC – The Republican leader of the South Carolina budget drafting committee says he is awaiting further guidance before making any recommendations on how to spend the federal government’s $ 1.9 trillion portion of relief on the federal government’s COVID-19 relief. .
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined colleagues in 20 other states in a letter asking Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for clarity on how the money can be spent.
They think the Biden government is preventing money from being spent on tax cuts. House Speaker Murrell Smith, in ways and means, said he will create a committee before the end of the month to study how to spend the state’s $ 2.1 billion portion of COVID-19’s last federal relief.
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