NEWS BRIEFS: Charleston GOP straddles the fence on Trump

A new profile in The New Yorker of the South Carolina fissure between Trump acolytes and old-time Republicans has Charleston County GOP Chairman Maurice Washington in a pickle, Peter Slevin reports: 

Washington

“It’s hard to please everyone, Washington said, especially when some of his fellow-Republicans can barely stand one another. But he believes that the best way forward for the Party, if it hopes to remain viable in contested districts, is to welcome everyone. Even QAnon believers? 

“Absolutely,” he said. “Look, you can’t be dismissive of people who have strong viewpoints. People have got to be open-minded to hear things they don’t want to hear, but still stay at the meeting. The choice was to condemn, correct, and create a further divide. To do it in the midst of peers, you put people where? On the defensive.”

In other recent news:

Critics say Dominion solar energy proposal could dim S.C. market. Dominion Energy’s South Carolina customers with solar power systems could face higher bills under a new proposal before state regulators this month. The energy utility says the additional fees are designed to account for differences in how solar customers are charged, ensuring they are sharing infrastructure costs with non-solar Dominion ratepayers. But solar energy industry and conservation advocates say the regulatory move could kill the state’s solar power market by raising costs for customers who invest their own money in renewable energy. At issue is a proposal that would add at least $428 per year to the bills of Dominion’s residential solar energy customers, but typical customers could pay hundreds more.Dominion and its critics have been jousting in front of the S.C. Public Service Commission (PSC) for months. A formal public hearing on the issue is scheduled for March 23. Read more in Statehouse Report.

Big environmental grant. Dominion Energy has awarded $500,000 to the South Carolina Aquarium to allow it to continue offering school programs to state students for free. “We are proud to support a wide variety of educational initiatives across the communities we serve, and education is at the heart of what the South Carolina Aquarium does every day,” said Rodney Blevins, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “This gift will reinforce the critical role of STEM-based classroom activities as the Aquarium continues to inspire a passion for environmental stewardship in students from all across our state.”

Woman of the Year.  Barbara Melvin, chief operating officer of the S.C. Ports Authority, has been named 2021 Woman of the Year by the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance for her years of support for the state’s manufacturing sector.    “Barbara has held many leadership positions at the port over the past 23 years, which has given her a deep understanding of port operations and the maritime community,” SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome said. “Barbara has a great ability to understand complex projects with insight and intellect, and she invests time to know her team. She is instrumental in our success at S.C. Ports, which further supports our state’s thriving manufacturing sector.”

Bill allowing open carry in S.C. heads to House floor.  After the House Judiciary Committee voted 16-8 Tuesday to approve a measure allowing the open carry of handguns, the bill headed to the House floor.  Expect it to be debated next week on the House floor. More: AP/WSPA.

S.C. Senate committee passes bill making it easier to access birth control.  After the legislature passed a measure to essentially end all abortions, a GOP-sponsored bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe a woman a contraceptive without a patient-specific prescription has passed a state Senate committee. More: WCSC TV.  Also see The Post and Courier.

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