If some lawmakers get their way, some inmates may be leaving prison early while others get longer sentences.

“We can not afford to build ourselves out of this problem,” said Darlington Sen. Gerald Malloy.

Malloy is talking about South Carolina’s Department of Corrections. He says that department’s budget is the fastest growing behind the state’s Medicaid program, and it’s time lawmakers do something to curb the growing prison population.

Fellow commission member Jake Knotts says that means making sure that prison cells are reserved for the most violent felons, while non-violent convicts are punished in other ways.

“We want to make sure the non-violent ones have a chance to be put on probation or sent to drug court or to be utilized in alternative sentencing,” said Knotts.

But that doesn’t mean letting everyone off easy. The commission also recommended some non-violent crimes be reclassified as violent. such crimes include sexual exploitation of a minor.

Laura Hudson with the South Carolina Crime Victims Council agrees with some of the commission’s findings.

“I was very pleased with some their recommendations to make some of our non-violent offenses violent,” said Hudson.

Sumter Rep. Murrell Smith says the key to making the recommendations work is for the punishment to fit the crime.

“We’ve gotten tough on those who commit violent crimes and leave victims in their wake and tried to find alternatives for those who can be salvaged and rehabilitated,” said Smith.

The commission’s findings are non-binding, but the senators plan to introduce a bill next week.

WISTV

I am eagerly awaiting the return to Session in January to address not only the state budget but local issues. On the local level, I plan to work diligently in pursuing economic development for Sumter and the surrounding counties and to address the crime issues in our community.

It is my wish that you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

These two separate incidents illustrate that law enforcement has taken a serious look at ending animal fighting, yet highlights the lack of deterrence South Carolina’s weak animal fighting laws have had on this egregious practice.

Unbelievably, cockfighting is still a misdemeanor in South Carolina, with fines that are on par with traffic tickets. The weak penalties we impose in South Carolina are nothing but the “cost of doing business”, as one cockfighter testified before a House committee some time ago, when stronger penalties were being considered. Thus the reason I have sponsored legislation to make this barbaric practice a felony – to prevent our state from becoming the cockfighting capital of the East Coast. Regrettably, based on this mindset and arrests it appears that our state has already earned such a notorious label.

Thirty-nine other states have made cockfighting a felony offense – their legislatures recognizing that this practice has no place in civilized society. These states have acknowledged that the violent sport that was once considered a part of our proud heritage has now morphed into a magnet for drugs, gambling, gangs and violence.

Do not take my word for it. My efforts in the past to eliminate animal fighting from our state have been endorsed by a number of reputable organizations that recognize the real threat it brings to our doorsteps.

These organizations have included SC CrimeStoppers, the SC Sherriff’s Association, the SC Association of Veterinarians, the Palmetto Agribusiness Council, the SC Poultry Federation, the Palmetto Family Council, the Office of the Attorney General, the Humane Society of the United States and a number of others that have acknowledged the actual damage animal fighting and organized crime can inflict. If the Michael Vick dog fighting episode has taught us anything it is that the simple “just a bunch good ole boys” argument we hear repeatedly when discussing animal fighting at the statehouse is just a ruse. Animal fighting is now big business for organized crime and poses a serious threat to our families and our communities.

I am writing this piece to invite you to help me convince my colleagues of this important effort by writing, calling and emailing your elected officials to make sure they understand the importance of banning this practice to you and your family. Disappointingly, South Carolina will be the last state on the East Coast to make cockfighting a felony. This has been due to a small number of legislators that remain sympathetic to the cockfighters, that view this practice for what it was, not what I and virtually all of law enforcement have seen it become.

If you do advocate for this bill’s passage, do not be fooled by the “concerns about how this bill will impact farmers” argument, because I have made certain that nothing in this bill will harm agriculture. In fact, I have written language to make certain that traditional farming and agricultural practices are protected in every way.

Next year I will renew my efforts to rid our state of this barbarism, and I am asking for your help. I am here because, as a new father, I feel that I owe it to my child, my community, my state, and to your families to eliminate what I believe is a serious threat that continues to grow in this State due to our weak laws.

-Murrell Smith represents House District 67 (Sumter and Clarendon Counties). He is an attorney in Sumter.

Smith, R-Sumter, is discovering the benefits of having accounts on both social media sites along with his new Web site, launched last month.

“Technology played a huge factor in the presidential campaign, in getting the message out to voters,” Smith said. “As voters become more sophisticated in computers and new technology, you have to keep up.”

Smith said he had thought about it for some time. Then Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, told a group of Columbia legislators they had better get a Web site and get on Facebook and Twitter, because “that’s what voters want,” Smith said.

“I think he’s absolutely correct,” Smith said. “That’s the way to build a database of constituents. And, you can reach them much easier and cheaper than we have done in the past. I want people to see what’s on my mind and what’s on the mind of my constituents.”

Smith said he’s not a technophile. He said he’s been on a learning curve in recent years when it comes to computers and only recently understood the implications of social media. For his Web site, he hired a consulting group, which does regular updates.

But slowly, he’s figuring it all out.

“It took me two months to build the Web site,” he said. “I had to produce pictures, write up my position on certain issues, write a blog, find news articles, attach links. Just this week, I went to Columbia and shot a little welcome video for the site.”

On the Facebook and Twitter accounts he sends out regular updates about what he is working on as well as various statements. As soon as the scandal broke about Gov. Mark Sanford, for example, Smith “tweeted” that he was embarrassed. He later posted a full statement about whether he believed the governor should resign after admitting to a love affair with a woman in Argentina.

Friday, Smith had 140 Facebook friends and about 1,080 Twitter followers. He responded to a “friend” request within minutes.

“I’m on Facebook daily,” he said. “I have an iPhone where I receive e-mails and posts to my accounts. And I type my tweets and Facebook updates into it. But obviously I’m still trying to learn how to do certain things, like posting videos and links.”

Prior to speaking events, Smith encourages people to check his Web site and register for his newsletter. He recently sent out hundreds of questionnaires online, instead of paying to mail them, and said he saw an unprecedented 40 to 50 percent response rate.

The feedback from constituents, he said, has been very positive.

Any regrets?

Only that he hadn’t done it sooner.

By ANNABELLE ROBERTSON
Item Staff Writer

The group has 5,857 members and 41 have signed up to attend the rally at 5:30 p.m. on the North side of the Statehouse.

The group’s administrator is Marilyn Hemingway, who fell short of being elected as the first vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party in an April election.

According to the Facebook page, the group for four months has pushed for Sanford to be impeached and now wants to see him resign on the basis that he was not available to his staff or other elected officials while in Argentina last month with his mistress.

At this time, there does not seem to be any will among legislators to impeach the governor. In my interviews with Charleston-area legislators, I’ve not heard from any that would be supportive of impeachment hearings.

I’ve also talked to some readers who are sick of the story and want to see the state’s attention refocused on issues such as unemployment and economic development.

Sanford, of course, has said he’s not going to resign. And the calls from GOP legislators for the governor to step down have been dropping off recently. The resignation calls have been replaced by reactions similar to those of Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter.

Smith said his comments were influenced by the State Law Enforcement Division review that found Sanford did not misuse public money on his affair.

In a statement Tuesday, Smith wrote: “I spent the holiday weekend contemplating my position on Governor Sanford remaining in office. While all of us share disappointment and moral outrage in the details shared by Governor Sanford last week, I think it is important to separate what is public and what is private.

“Just last Thursday, SLED concluded that none of the trips the Governor took were funded at taxpayers’ expense and found no criminal actions. With that assurance, we should give the Governor an opportunity to rebuild his relationship with Jenny and their four boys out of the public eye. I was encouraged the First Lady sent out a statement last week focusing on forgiveness and moving forward. If she can find it in her heart to take that step, I think we should do the same.

“I have urged the Governor to discontinue further discussions on this most personal matter. Rather than listen to any more embarrassing personal details, I hope we can resume the work the people expect us to do, governing. The best course of action for my constituents and this state is for Governor Sanford to continue the job he was elected by the people of South Carolina to perform. As long as he stays focused on his office, I am confident he can discharge those duties over the next eighteen months. These are difficult times we are
experiencing, and we need to remain focused on the citizens of this
State by encouraging economic growth.

“To experience an upheaval in our Governor’s office would not benefit South Carolina or our economic recovery. My prayers are with Governor Sanford and his family. I would ask all South Carolinians to join me.”

“The best course of action for my constituents and this state is for Governor Sanford to continue the job he was elected by the people of South Carolina to perform,” Smith said.

Post and Courier
July 8, 2009

I have urged the Governor to discontinue further discussions on this most personal matter. Rather than listen to any more embarrassing personal details, I hope we can resume the work the people expect us to do, governing. The best course of action for my constituents and this state is for Governor Sanford to continue the job he was elected by the people of South Carolina to perform. As long as he stays focused on his office, I am confident he can discharge those duties over the next eighteen months. These are difficult times we are experiencing, and we need to remain focused on the citizens of this State by encouraging economic growth. . To experience an upheaval in our Governor’s office would not benefit South Carolina or our economic recovery. My prayers are with Governor Sanford and his family. I would ask all South Carolinians to join me.

In 2007 it came to my attention that South Carolina was contracting work to
an insurance broker without seeking competitive bids from other brokers.
Because the broker did not have any competition, he was providing property
insurance coverage to the state at a much higher rate than we should have
been paying. Experts say that the unfair and irresponsible practice may have
cost us millions of dollars over the past 25 years.

Even more disturbing is that the broker has ties to a former legislator,
obvious to any observer as another example of good-ole-boy politics. To
fight back and to protect your tax dollars, I forced legislation through the
General Assembly that makes our Budget & Control Board stop its no-bid
contracting practice. Now we bid out contracts for this type work, saving
millions of dollars, and protecting taxpayers.

Here’s the article that ran in the Charleston Post and Courier describing my
work:

State’s no-bid contract takes fire
Some wonder if S.C. paid too much to insure property

By Yvonne Wenger
Saturday, July 21, 2007

Some wonder if S.C. paid too much to insure property

COLUMBIA — South Carolina hired an insurance broker with ties to a former
legislator to provide coverage without seeking competitive bids, a practice
that may have cost millions of dollars during the past 25 years.

The state Budget and Control Board contracted with Columbia’s Competitive
Insurance Group LLC, formerly known as the Thomas Brown Agency, to provide
the reinsurance for state-owned property without opening up the process to
competitive bid since the late 1980s.

The annual contract was worth $20.8 million last year. One of the company
principals is Bobby Kneece Jr., son of the late Rep. Robert Kneece of
Richland, who served in the state House of Representatives from 1966 to
1976.

“We’ll be happy to participate in any type of review process that the state
deems necessary to satisfy their needs in receiving a valuable service at a
fair price,” Kneece said Thursday.

The Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Committee, ordered by
Gov. Mark Sanford, issued a report earlier this month that estimates that
the state could save more than $2 millionlion a year by bidding out the
contract. It is not clear how much commission the company has collected.

“Any time that there’s a process where somebody is selected without a
competitive bid process, it looks suspect,” said Rep. Murrell Smith,
R-Sumter. “Everything needs to be out in the open.”

Smith, who originally looked into the issue after it was raised by one of
his constituents, wrote a directive that was passed by the Legislature,
ordering the Budget and Control Board to rework its practices. The contract
will be put out for bid next month.

Still, Smith noted that just because the contract wasn’t put out to bid
doesn’t necessarily mean the state didn’t get the best coverage at the best
price. Rather, the process is what raises concern.

“We don’t know if we’re overpaying on this insurance,” Smith said.

Reinsurance is an industry term that means insurance coverage for insurance
companies. The state insures its own property but pays a premium to an
outside company to share in the risk.

Competitive Insurance Group, under its old name, has been awarded the
reinsurance contract for the last 25 years. The Budget and Control Board has
relied on an exemption to award the contract without bid for the last 19
years.

Herbert Hayden, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, said he
sees no conflict of interest. No prohibition exists for a company with ties
to a former lawmaker to receive a government contract as long as that
official does not participate in the decision to issue the work, Hayden
said.
About the Budget and Control Board

The board manages the state’s government account transfers, building
projects and procurement, the vehicle fleet, and the employee health
insurance system, among other duties.

A governor-appointed committee evaluated the board in February. It released
a nearly 100-page report this month outlining an estimated $643 million
savings by overhauling the agency.

The impact of the accountability report is still undetermined.

According to a 2001 agenda, the board was given information that a bid
process could fail to yield a reinsurance contract because of troubles in
the market. The staff recommended the board extend the contract through an
existing exemption, as it had done twice before.

“The insurance staff has felt this is a very unique product, a very specific
need, and it required someone with specific knowledge and background,” said
Michael Sponhour, spokesman for the Budget and Control Board. “Some states
have had trouble getting all the reinsurance they need, and we have not had
that problem here.”

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, said he is disappointed to learn
about the practice. “Frankly, this says we have to take a close look at
other contracts the Budget and Control Board is responsible for as well,” he
said.

Kneece stressed that although his company has continued to receive the
contract through the exemption, the process was open.

“The details are there for review on an annual basis,” he said. “Again, we
believe we’ve provided a valuable service at a fair price.”

The governor’s accountability report estimates the annual projected savings
based on Kneece’s company collecting 10 percent commission on the premium,
and also recommend the state pre-negotiate a flat fee with a broker.

Kneece said the report’s estimates are speculative.

“Any assumption that there is an exorbitant amount of money being made on
this is incorrect,” Kneece said.

Sanford wants to dissolve the Budget and Control Board. He argues that
putting control of administrative spending under the executive branch would
provide more accountability and efficiency.

Sumter, SC – Today, Representative Murrell Smith of House District 67, announced the official launch of his new website, http://murrellsmith.com. The website is completely interactive, featuring blog posts and Twitter updates. There is also a “latest media” sidebar for easy navigation to his social media sources like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Of course, the website will also focus on information from news outlets and issue posts, written by Representative Smith.

Smith hopes that the website will lead to increased interaction with voters. “Constituents of all ages are turning to the web for constant information, and I’m excited to be able to use my website as this primary tool of communication,” said Smith.

The website will also feature pictures from the campaign trail and every day life. “I want people to be able to not only read about what’s going on at the Statehouse and around the district, but to also see and hear messages …you can even sign up for email updates,” says Smith. “This is a great way to get information first hand and for me to connect with voters…and as always, it is such a privilege for me to serve in the House of Representatives.”

###

Welcome to my web site. Please explore and return frequently as I will use this site to provide you with current information from the State House. I plan to utilize my blog and issues page to convey my opinions and thoughts on today’s hot topics. The site will also serve as a tool for us to communicate using today’s social media sources such as Twitter, Facebook, You Tube and Flickr. I look forward to getting to know each of you better through Twitter (make sure to follow me @murrellsmith) and Facebook. If you would like to receive email updates from me, please sign up!

Thank you for allowing my continuous service to you in the House of Representatives.

- Murrell Smith

Government restructuring is the answer to this problem. We must streamline state government and eliminate duplication to achieve our goals.

South Carolina’s government is one of the most inefficient and politically based governments in the nation. South Carolina’s Governor has little power because most of it is delegated to the General Assembly. As a result, state agencies have little accountability. One of the most disturbing consequences of this structure is that these agencies may alter their directions and operations as the political winds shift. We must operate government like a business.

We have to demand accountability by moving more state operations under the Governor’s purview. It begins by completely restructuring the State Budget & Control Board.

We further have to restructure the constitutional officers so they are held more accountable. For example, look at education. Our educational system possesses numerous deficiencies. Instead of being accountable to the executive branch of government, our Superintendent of Education is elected separately. Not only is the current Superintendent a member of a different political party than the Governor, he promotes a significantly different approach on improving our current education system. This proves a difficult situation in how can we reform our educational system when the Governor and Superintendent of Education hold such divergent views.

In addition to restructuring the Superintendent of Education, I also support restructuring the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Secretary of State, Comptroller General, Treasurer and Adjutant General.