Business groups will lobby state legislators this session on bills that involve issues ranging from worker injuries to the sex lives of fleas.
Here’s a look at some other smaller issues relating to business in South Carolina:
TECHNICAL COLLEGE TUITION
The issue: The Small Business Chamber of Commerce will seek full funding for technical college tuition from lottery funds. The Small Business Chamber fought for this last session and won 75 percent funding.
Foes: The state’s budget deficit.
APPRENTICE WORKERS
The issue: The S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce wants the state to establish a “registered apprenticeship program,” a term defined by the U.S. Labor Department. If an employee completes such a program, he or she earns a certificate of skill that he or she can take to other employers.
“We simply do not have the workers we need so small businesses can grow. Finding a well-trained, technically proficient worker is almost impossible,” said Frank Knapp, the chamber’s executive director.
The program would provide another career path for young people not interested in college, said Donna Dewitt, president of the South Carolina AFL-CIO.
“We’d rather have licensed apprenticeship programs, than fly-by-night programs,” she said.
Foes: None visible. The S.C. Manufacturers Alliance would oppose it only if the law requires labor union representation on governing boards.