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Shanda Allen Files for Reelection to Horry County School Board
2 days ago 0 comments(Above, Shenda Allen, left, files for reelection)
Shanda Allen, Horry County School Board member for District 11, filed for reelection Saturday on the first day of filing for the upcoming June 11, 2024, Republican Primary voting.
Often school board members and their deliberations fall outside the voters’ immediate awareness of local political issues. However, those same issues may impact local residents and families more directly on a day-to-day basis than any other political discussions in the county.
The School Board oversees the largest budget of any public agency in Horry County. It oversees the safety of the county’s students while they are in school 180 days oer year and the learning environment for those students as they prepare to enter the adult world.
Allen has served two terms on the school board. She currently serves on the Human Relations Committee, which sets the overall policy for staffing school district employees and is Chairman of the Technical Committee, which sets policy for the learning devices provided to each student as education continually shifts from book to digital learning.
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Jeff Johnson Working Quietly and Efficiently for the People
6 days ago 0 commentsFor the past 10 years, Jeff Johnson has represented the citizens of SC House District 58, which includes part of Conway and much of western Horry County.
Johnson first ran for District 58 in 2014, when the seat was open with the retirement of former Rep. Liston Barfield.
“Some people approached me about running for the seat,” Johnson said. “I decided this was my opportunity to get involved and do what I think needs to be done to make the state better.”
Johnson is a conservative Republican who believes in low taxes, streamlined government and less government interference in peoples’ lives. Johnson currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, having chaired the Special Laws and Criminal Laws subcommittees. He is also Chairman of the House Legislative Oversight Committee.click on headline above to read more
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Rankin Defends Current Process for Selecting SC Judges
1 week ago 0 commentsHorry County Senator Luke Rankin spoke for approximately one hour on the SC Senate floor last week defending the current process for electing judges in the state.
Rankin, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and current Vice Chairman of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC), spoke during debate on the Senate floor about possible changes to the way in which judges are elected in South Carolina.
A major point of contention is that lawyer/legislators in the General Assembly have too much influence in the process. A change currently being considered is to not allow attorneys to serve on the JMSC, a point Rankin ridiculed during his speech. Candidates who pass screening are then voted on by a joint session of the General Assembly or the county legislative delegation, depending on the judicial position. South Carolina and Virginia are the only two states in the nation in which the legislatures play the primary roles in electing judges.
A member of JMSC since 2017, Rankin, several times during his speech, likened the current process of electing judges to “kicking the tires of a car” when considering purchase of a new vehicle. Rankin spoke of the several “touch points” during the process which include inputs from appointed citizens committee, the SC Bar review and what is known as the ballot box technique of collecting anonymous comments about judicial candidates, all of which are available to the JMSC when it considers judicial candidates. Candidates are reported out of the JMSC as qualified or not qualified for consideration for the judicial position they are seeking.click on headline above to read more
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SC Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
1 month ago Comments are DisabledThe SC Senate passed the crucial second reading, by a 28-15 vote, of a bill to approve the sale of medical marijuana in the state. The bill was debated over the last three days of Senate meetings and appears destined to pass what is normally a pro forma third reading today.
The bill will then move to the House where a similar bill was defeated by a parliamentary maneuver two years ago. Changes were made to this bill which eliminated the provisions that led to the killing of the bill in the House two years ago without any debate. Several House members have told Grand Strand Daily that they expect the bill to go through the normal debate process in the House this go around.
South Carolina is one of 12 states in the nation which do not allow the sale of marijuana products for medical purposes (38 states do). It is also one of only four states in the nation in which marijuana still maintains a “fully illegal” status.
Sources told GSD that the sale of medical marijuana in the state is opposed by SLED and the SC Sheriffs Association, ostensibly because of difficulties with regulation of its sale. One could argue, even though it is illegal, sale of marijuana in the state is not regulated now.
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Rankin Only Republican Senator to Vote Against Constitutional Carry Bill
1 month ago Comments are DisabledSince switching parties in 2004, conservative constituents of Senator Luke Rankin have questioned whether he is a RINO (Republican in Name Only). The answer may have finally come with a vote Rankin cast in the SC Senate last week.
Rankin is completing his eighth consecutive term as a Senator, representing District 33. In 1992, 1996 and 2000, Rankin was elected as a Democrat. By the 2004 election, Democrats basically could not get elected in Horry County any longer, so Rankin switched parties and has run as a Republican for his last five terms.
Last week, the SC Senate passed a constitutional carry bill, which will allow law-abiding citizens to carry loaded guns without any training or a permit. The vote was 28-15 to pass the bill with 28 of the 29 Republican senators in attendance voting to approve the bill. Rankin, the lone Republican senator to vote against the bill, joined the 14 Democrat senators in attendance to vote NO.
Immediately after the bill passed, the South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus issued a press release applauding the bill’s passage. The release began, “Once again, Senate Republicans delivered on their promises and passed H.3594, the South Carolina Constitutional Carry Act.” The release also stated, “The People asked and Republicans listened.”click on headline above to read more
Other News
- Shanda Allen Files for Reelection to Horry County School Board March 17, 2024
- Jeff Johnson Working Quietly and Efficiently for the People March 13, 2024
- Rankin Defends Current Process for Selecting SC Judges March 10, 2024
- SC Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill February 14, 2024
- Rankin Only Republican Senator to Vote Against Constitutional Carry Bill February 5, 2024
- Fry Ignores Veterans, Goes to New Hampshire Trump Rally January 26, 2024
- Chairman Gardner Calls 2023 Good Year, 2024 Better Year to Come January 8, 2024
- SC House Ad Hoc Committee Begins Hearings on Judicial Reform November 17, 2023
- Myra Starnes Brings a Wealth of Experience to Myrtle Beach City Council Race November 6, 2023
- Three Aynor Council Candidates Pledge More Government Transparency November 5, 2023
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