Status quo ‘Republicans‘ in the South Carolina House of Representatives launched their latest broadside against the conservative wing of the party this week – attempting to disqualify one of the leaders of the S.C. Freedom Caucus from future service in the S.C. General Assembly.
The drama went down on Tuesday when GOP leaders attempted to amend a bill (H. 4561) which would allow candidates and public officials to defray the costs of “dependent care” by using their campaign funds. In other words, elected officials and candidates for office could use campaign contributions to pay for the care or supervision of immediate family members “for whom (they) have a direct caregiving responsibility.”
As this bill was being debated, state representatives Heath Sessions and Brandon Guffey introduced language which would have amended the state’s code of laws as follows …
(A) A member of the General Assembly or an individual with whom he is associated or business with which he is associated must not provide any assistance, directly or indirectly, to another candidate in furtherance of his candidacy for the General Assembly for compensation or anything of value. This prohibition does not apply to a member of the General Assembly who makes a public appearance of support for another candidate for the General Assembly, so long as no compensation or anything of value is offered or given in exchange for the assistance.
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(B) If a member of the General Assembly or an individual with whom he is associated or business with which he is associated has previously provided any assistance, directly or indirectly, to a candidate in violation of subsection (A) and that candidate becomes a member of the General Assembly, the member who provided assistance must abstain from voting on legislation in which the former candidate sponsors or cosponsors and must comply with the recusal requirements of Section 8-13-700(B) for the duration of the two-year legislative session.
(C) In addition to any other available remedy at law, a person who violates this section must pay in the state’s General Fund the fair market value of the services provided in violation of this section.
Dubbed the “RJ May” bill, the language is targeted at state representative RJ May III – a political consultant who advises members of the Freedom Caucus. May’s company, Ivory Tusk Consulting, is running the campaigns of several Freedom Caucus members – as well as several candidates challenging members of the GOP establishment.
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The amendment seeking to take May out was ultimately ruled non-germane by S.C. House speaker pro tempore Tommy Pope – but not after considerable debate. During that discussion, uniparty leaders Micah Caskey and Gil Gatch led the charge to pass the amendment.
According to May, the latest effort by the establishment to oust him was eerily reminiscent of the politics of U.S. president Joe Biden.
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“Yesterday’s actions by liberal ‘Republicans’ represent the last gasps of a dying uniparty attempting to appease their special interests and lobbyists overlords,” May said. “These RINO hacks are deathly afraid of their voting records being exposed and will do anything to cling to power. So, it’s no surprise they took a page out of the Biden playbook and attempted to weaponize government against conservatives.”
To recap: The emergence of the Freedom Caucus constitutes the first true test of uniparty dominance in South Carolina – a state which has continued to fall behind its regional peers despite massive new investments in its unaccountable, antiquated bureaucracies and crony capitalist subsidies.
From 1878-1994, generations of corrupt, self-serving white Democrats bore exclusive blame for the myriad problems plaguing the Palmetto State. Since 2001, however, legislative power has been held exclusively by white “Republicans” – many of whom simply flipped parties (albeit not governing philosophies) as a means of maintaining their power.
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Select black leaders have been invited to participate in the ongoing graft and corruption – creating a self-serving, self-perpetuating (and results-challenged) uniparty oligarchy.
Since obtaining their numerical supermajority following the 2022 elections, House GOP leaders have done everything in their power to neuter the conservative wing of their party. That includes last year’s decision by GOP establishment leaders to kick conservative Republicans out of their caucus after they declined to sign a “loyalty oath” to the establishment. It also includes recent efforts to bribe challengers to run against Freedom Caucus members in the upcoming 2024 primary election – as well as a controversial new rules change intended to silence dissent on the floor of the S.C. House by putting the power over amendments to bills exclusively in the hands of GOP and Democratic House leaders.
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Count on this media outlet to keep tabs on the latest developments in this ongoing Republican civil war …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Travis Bell Photography)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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The entire police department of a small South Carolina town resigned en masse, leaving the area without its own dedicated police force.
Chief Bob Hale of the McColl Police Department announced his resignation on November 21 in a social media post, citing a “hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”
“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale wrote. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively.”
The chief also said his department’s resources had been severely cut. The four officers under his command quickly resigned as well.
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“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened and certain things are getting said I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” former McColl investigator Courtney Bulusan told WRAL.
“I’m not going to stay where I’m tolerated,” Bulusan said. “I’m going to go where I’m celebrated.”
As the town seeks new officers, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office will fill in for the department police force, according to South Carolina Public Radio.
The town has gone through six chiefs in the past four years. Hale’s tenure in the position lasted little over a year.
“I feel unsafe. Very unsafe,” resident Lisa Bowen told local outlet WPDE. “Because anytime anybody could do anything.”
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“They jump ship back and forth all the time,” Mayor George Garner told the Post and Courier newspaper. “This is nothing new.”
The paper reported that the councilman in question denied he had harassed any of the officers and told the paper the allegations were “hearsay.”
Such mass resignations, while uncommon, are not unprecedented.
The entire police force of Geary, Oklahoma, resigned earlier this month, Fox News reports.
UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.
Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.
Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said. “You need to stop right now.”
Clemson football looks to win its second straight Palmetto Bowl.
The No. 12 Tigers (9-2) faces in-state rival No. 14 South Carolina (8-3) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium. This will be the 121st meeting between these two programs and one of the highest-ranked rivalry games in Week 14.
There are still tickets available for Clemson’s last game in Death Valley in the regular season. Here are the best prices for remaining seats.
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See Clemson ticket prices for every game this season
Clemson tickets vs South Carolina
Ticket prices for Clemson’s final home game against South Carolina on Saturday start at $175 on StubHub and at $167 on VividSeats. Prices in the lower bowl range from $224 to over $1000 on both sites.
To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub or VividSeats.
MORE: Why Clemson showcases patriotism before football games at Memorial Stadium
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Clemson football schedule 2024
Aug. 31: Georgia 34, Clemson 3
Sept. 7: Clemson 66, Appalachian State 20
Sept. 21: Clemson 59, NC State 35
Sept. 28: Clemson 40, Stanford 14
Oct. 5: Clemson 29, Florida State 13
Oct. 12: Clemson 49, Wake Forest 14
Oct. 19: Clemson 48, Virginia 31
Nov. 2: Louisville 33, Clemson 21
Nov. 9: Clemson 24, Virginia Tech 14
Nov. 16: Clemson 24, Pitt 20
Nov. 23: Clemson 51, The Citadel 14
Nov. 30: vs. No. 14 South Carolina, noon ET (ESPN)
South Carolina football 2024 schedule
Aug. 31: South Carolina 23, Old Dominion 19
Sept. 7: South Carolina 31, Kentucky 6
Sept. 14: LSU 36, South Carolina 33
Sept. 21: South Carolina 50, Akron 7
Oct. 5: Ole Miss 27, South Carolina 3
Oct. 12: Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
Oct. 19: South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9
Nov. 2: South Carolina 44, Texas A&M 20
Nov. 9: South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 7
Nov. 16: South Carolina 34, Missouri 30
Nov. 23: South Carolina 56, Wofford 12
Nov. 30: at No. 12 Clemson, noon ET (ESPN)
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