February 20, 2013 By Nate Stewart Columbia, SC (WLTX) — If scheduled federal Military Budget cuts aren’t stopped, the Air Force, Army and Navy willforce billions in wage and spending cuts. Julius Thomas is in his fourth year asco-owner of the Freeplay athletic center on Forest Drive. As a trainer,…
Lawmakers Grappling with Mental-Mental, Longshore Bills
Published on February 15, 2013 By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau Chief, Workcompcentral The South Carolina Legislature is scheduled to debate bills that would prevent workers covered by the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or the Jones Act from filing state workers’ compensation claims and would ease the restrictions…
Yes to Medicaid Expansion
Published on February 7, 2013 By Corey Hutchins, Free Times Supporters of expanding Medicaid coverage in South Carolinalargely blame an anti-Obama partisan sentiment for opposition to the federal program. For them, the decision should be a no-brainer: Opting in to expansionwould give hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians health insurancecoverage,…
Background Checks Good for Public, Economy
Published on January 16, 2013 By Warren Koestner, Free Times Preventing gun violence is front and center as a nationalissue as a result of the tragic loss of life last month at an elementary schoolin Newton, Conn. Clearly there is an elevated national concern for improvingthe safety of all citizens,…
Real Senate filibuster reform needed
Published on January 4, 2013 By Frank Knapp, Jr. | The Hill’s Congress Blog Dysfunctional! This is the term that almost everyone has used to describe the 112th Congress even after the New Year’s Day passage of the “fiscal cliff” legislation to responsibly address some pressing taxation issues. However, the…
Greer merchants see big business in networking
Published on December 7, 2012 By Cheryl P. Allen, Greater Greer News Mark King likens jump-starting a business to being thrown into the water. “You’re either going to sink or swim.” For King, face-to-face networking and word of mouth have kept him afloat. “I have done very little cold calling,”…
Home Builders and Agents behind Coverage Alert System
Published on December 4, 2012 By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau Chief, WorkCompCentral The Home Builders Association of South Carolina and a Columbia, S.C.,insurance agency that specializes in the construction industry are jointly funding a new system that alerts users when a workers’ compensation policy has lapsed prior to its scheduled expiration date.…
SCE&G Agrees to Smaller Rate Hike
Published on November 28, 2012 By EVA MOORE, Free Times Electric bills will probably go up soon — but not by as much as South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. originally requested. The utility company wanted to raise its base rates by 6.61 percent. But under a new agreement reached with…
Don’t tie the hands of Consumer Product Safety Commission
Published on November 30, 2012 The Hill’s Congress Blog By Frank Knapp, Jr. We have heard an ongoing cry from organizations claiming to represent all businesses that they oppose any government action on toxic chemicals in our products, warning of increased costs and job losses. Now, a new independent poll…
Public has power in SCE&G hike
November 27, 2012 The State By Roddie Burris Public pressure played a role in persuading South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. to moderate its pending price hike for electricity. A couple of technology-driven tele-town halls reached roughly 35,000 people in the weeks preceding public hearings on the rate increase case.…