House OKs voter ID bill; black legislators leave
COLUMBIA --- A bill requiring South Carolina voters to show photo identification at the polling place received key approval Tuesday after more than four hours of contentious debate and a walkout by black legislators.
The House passed the proposal 65-14, with none of the chamber's 28 black Democrats voting. Members of the Legislative Black Caucus called the bill a backlash against the election of President Obama. They said the chamber's GOP majority made it clear their vote on the issue wouldn't matter, because they defeated all their proposed changes -- including exempting elderly voters over age 75 -- and limited debate.
Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Barnwell, said the bill is part of a nationwide effort to suppress black voters and limit Mr. Obama to one term. But advocates, including Rep. Tom Young, R-Aiken, said it would safeguard the integrity of the voting process.
"I do not think it's unreasonable to show voter registration and a photo ID," Mr. Young said.
Federal program sends money for Medicaid
COLUMBIA --- A deal reached Thursday will send $173 million immediately to South Carolina's Medicaid programs to restore money lost to budget cuts.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announcement sends a cash infusion into South Carolina's Medicaid programs mostly by reimbursing the state at a higher rate for health care service billings between October and March.
The South Carolina payments appeared to be in jeopardy this week because the state Department of Health and Human Services couldn't immediately show how it would restore programs lost to $1 billion being carved from a $7 billion budget since July.
The agency lost $137 million in state dollars, but, when federal matching funds were included, it cut $500 million worth of programs.
Comments
I don't know what the big deal is over showing proper ID to vote !!! What are you trying to hide if you do not feel like showing your ID to vote ? I automatically have had my DL and voter's registration out each time I have voted without fear. What do you have to fear over showing your ID to vote?????????
with a valid ID it is extremely difficult to commit voter fraud...which has been a cornerstone of tactics by the modern American democratic party for the last 49 years that i have been following elections. The fraud committed in Chicago during the 1960 election helped catapult John Kennedy to the white house. (the history books will soon be completely "sanitized" by the revisionist so no publicly educated child will ever know of this in the future.... The stench of political corruption emanating from Illinois is rampant today. Witness the disgraced Governor and 2 US Senators ...one being the marxist disciple Sen Obama who is now the President for those who embrace socialism and reject the US Constitution as it is written....
as a black man i don't see what the problem is!!!!!!! you need an id to buy alcohol, cash checks so what is the big deal..just get a darn id..this not a case of voter supression, if you are a legal citizen then what should be the problem!!!!! we blacks have to leave the past in the past and quit pulling out the race card for everything that does not go your way!!!!!
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