The new leader of the South Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus, Nikki Setzler, has a reputation as a respected problem-solver who works well across party lines. This Wednesday he will be having breakfast with the state’s Republican Governor, Nikki Haley (no relationJ), for a bipartisan discussion on improving the funding formula…
Glimmer of hope for Medicaid expansion
The South Carolina House and Senate started the new legislative session yesterday. For those who have not experienced the occasion it’s similar to the first day back at school in the fall. Everybody is friendly and happy to see each other. All were in a positive mood except for the…
The Medicaid expansion debate heats up
The advocates of expanding Medicaid in South Carolina were out in force last night at the USC School of Law auditorium. Hundreds of people turned out to hear presentations by three supporters of the expansion and one opponent, Tony Keck the Director of the SC Department of Health and Human…
Protecting business checking accounts after hacking
Frank Knapp appeared on SC ETV’s Connections this past Friday evening. Host P.A. Bennett talked with Frank about the dangers to businesses as a result of the hacking of tax data from the S.C. Department of Revenue. Also appearing on the show was Carri Grube Lybarker of the S.C. Dept.…
Missed opportunity to fight obesity
The first negative consequence of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley joining fifteen other states in opting out of a state-run health insurance exchange under Obamacare has surfaced. Haley’s Department of Health and Environmental Control has made fighting obesity in South Carolina a number one priority. The director of the agency…
The sad case of Medicaid expansion
At the recent Republican National Convention South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley took the stage. “Sadly, the hardest part of my job continues to be this federal government, this administration and this president,” she said. But a story in today’s Charleston Post & Courier clearly shows that the hardest part of…
Expanding healthcare to more childen….finally!
Congratulation to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and state Health and Human Services Director Tony Keck. Their proposal to add an additional $29 million in the Medicaid budget for children’s healthcare appears to be a done deal both in the House and Senate. This is a dramatic turnaround from the…
The Governor’s new job
For the second Sunday in a row, The State has given us first hand information regarding Governor Nikki Haley and her administration. As a result of last week’s story, I formerly requested that the Governor and her economic development team meet with the South Carolina Small Business Chamber’s Board of…
Letter to Governor Nikki Haley
October 10, 2011 The Honorable Nikki Haley Governor State House Columbia, SC Dear Governor Haley, In an interview reported in The State yesterday you indicated your desire to revise the South Carolina tax code. Specifically you mentioned that one of the goals of this process would be to phase out…
Message to feds–ball’s in your court
So it’s unofficially official. South Carolina will have a health insurance exchange run by the federal government starting January 2014. Yesterday, Governor Haley’s administration re-confirmed that our state would not ask the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for additional money to plan for setting up an insurance…