Representative Kirkman Finlay, Chairman of the SC House Santee Cooper Ad Hoc Committee, called on the utility to refute any of the information contained in the two documents released by the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce and the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce.
The Committee met this morning to discuss HR. 3194, a bill that would “authorize the sale of the assets of the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) and the assumption or defeasment of its liabilities or the management of the operations of the Public Service Authority by a third party or entity.” The bill would also establish a special legislative committee to handle negotiations in this matter.
Toward the beginning of the meeting Chairman Finlay held up the chambers’ documents, “No Longer an Asset: How Santee Cooper is Failing South Carolina”” and “15 Falsehoods: Separating Facts from Fiction in the Sale of Santee Cooper”. He found the “15 Falsehoods” specifically compelling and requested a formal response from Santee Cooper:
“I would ask that Santee Cooper…please respond in writing. When somebody puts out a statement that says, “15 Falsehoods: Separating Facts from Fiction in Selling Santee Cooper”, I think that’s something that we need some additional, very concrete explanation, are these statements correct or incorrect…”
The Committee amended the bill and voted its adoption.