NEWS BRIEFS: State to have largest surplus in history

South Carolina expects to see its largest surplus in history as revenue projections from last year are off by more than 15 6 percent, or about $567 million more than originally forecasted.  While the excess money is rooted in missing the mark on revenue forecasts — something that caused the state to have mid-year cuts at the start of the Great Recession — some lawmakers say they aren’t worried and even expect at least one more surplus adjustment before the end of the fiscal year in June. 

“This is the best look forward you can get,” Bonneau Republican Sen. Larry Grooms said of the quarterly projections. Grooms is a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “When the economy is going good, they missed the revenue estimate because it’s going really quickly.”

Revenues for 2019-2020 were originally projected at $9,309,931,430. $3,294,414,000  Meaning that so far, the projection has missed its mark by more than 15 6 percent. To put that in perspective, state revenues shrank by 12.5 percent from the 2007-2008 budget to the 2008-2009 budget, which alarmed many as the Great Recession began taking its toll.  Read the full story by Lindsay Street in Statehouse Report.

Also in recent news:

MUSC facilities to open Feb. 22.  The MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion have passed all necessary safety and regulatory inspections, and hospital administration and pediatric care teams have been cleared to occupy the building on Feb. 22, according to a press release.  “We’re finally getting our keys to this one-of-a-kind facility, and it’s been the dedication, commitment and faith of many that have gotten us to this wonderful day. Our children’s and women’s teams deserve high praise for their perseverance, flexibility and expertise as we move through the final stages of occupying this new facility,” said Dr. Mark Scheurer, MUSC Children’s Hospital chief medical officer and project leader.

Photo via Twitter

KISS Day proclamation raises (painted on) eyebrows. After Gov. Henry McMaster declared Feb. 11 as KISS Day in South Carolina for the rock band, Charleston City Paper music editor Heath Ellison wrote: “If you’re confused why a group of New Yorkers is being honored with a day in a state that has a long history of musical innovation, often by black men and women, we’re with you.” Read the post here. 

Day of ‘Bodily Autonomy’ announced for Statehouse. Reproductive rights activists have announced a collective day of action for bodily autonomy 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 19, at the Statehouse in Columbia. The day is aimed at opposition to abortion restrictions, and includes groups ACLU of SC, Columbia NOW, League of Women Voters of South Carolina, NARAL, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, and the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network. Learn more here. 

‘Persistently poor’ black communities in S.C., South deserve spotlight. In a new piece in The Nation, Greg Kaufman examined what the 2020 presidential race means to the “Black Belt,” a name originally coined for dark, clay soil in the South but has come to represent the “persistently poor” black communities. The piece cites U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, who led efforts on the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission to bring federal funds to these communities, and Statehouse Report’s editor and publisher Andy Brack, who said the Black Belt “is a remnant of plantation life” even 150 years after the end of the Civil War. Read it here. 

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