When the General Assembly returned for one last day to consider vetoes and tie up loose ends on June 29, it represented the last chance for the compromise voter ID/early voting bill to pass the Senate and make it to Gov. Mark Sanford’s desk. Otherwise, a new bill would have to be drafted and submitted for the 2011–2012 session. During the last run of extra days in this session, Sen. Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg) conducted a filibuster against the bill regarding changes made to it by the House that changed how long one could vote before Election Day and where one could vote.

However, the Senate did not act on the bill, leading to an unhappy reaction by the House, where the legislation was a high priority. The next day, the House Republican leadership released a statement rebuking the Senate’s inaction.

In it, House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham (R–Lexington) said, “The House Republicans worked hard, broke multiple filibusters, and approved the Voter ID legislation three times in 15 months. When the chips were down, the 27–member Senate Republican Caucus couldn’t muster the 24 votes needed to approve this vital conservative reform.”

Bingham added that House Republicans will return in the next session to continue the push for a new voter ID law.

Smokers cough up help for health On July 1, South Carolina smokers began coughing up an additional 50 cents–per–pack because of the new cigarette tax passed by the legislation this year. It’s the first rise in the state tax since the 1970s, and the end of a long and contentious battle among legislators that usually revolved around how that tax money would be spent. Previous efforts failed because Gov. Mark Sanford and his allies wanted a lower tax increase that would be offset by a tax cut elsewhere.

Revenues raised by the levy will go to helping the state defray health care costs without having to dip into general funds. Those who have been paying attention will notice that the state increase following a rise in the federal cigarette tax of 62 cents. In a little more than a year, the average price of a pack of cigarettes has gone up $1.12.

Legislative action shuts down

With the last extra day of the 2009–2010 session coming to a close, that shuts the book on action in the General Assembly this year. Legislators will not return to full session again until January 2011, except in case of an emergency, like last year’s special session to deal with budget shortfalls and reforms to the Employment Security Commission.

Wolfe is the proprietor of WolfeReports.com and

has written for 11 publications in five states.