Haley: ‘Our state is surging’

Gov. Nikki Haley promised Wednesday to fight for more S.C. jobs, block unions from expanding in the state and pressed lawmakers to pass her budget during her second annual State of the State address.

“Ladies and gentlemen, while I breathe, I hope,” Haley, a Lexington Republican, told the packed State House crowd, referring to the state’s motto. “And it is with great faith in those words, the words chosen by our forefathers, that I say to you tonight that the state of our state is surging.”

Among the highlights of her first year in office, Haley listed $5 billion of business investment in South Carolina and the recruitment of almost 20,000 new jobs.

She added she soon will roll out a jobs-training program to prepare more S.C. workers for the jobs of the future. Representatives from 13 companies new to South Carolina or expanding in the state, including Boeing, Continental Tire and Bridgestone Americas, were on hand for Haley’s address and received a standing ovation from lawmakers.

“We all have to admit she’s done a great job of creating jobs in South Carolina,” said Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, after the speech. “Not since (the late Gov.) Carroll Campbell have we had such a great salesman for the state of South Carolina.”

But House Minority Leader Harry Ott, D-Calhoun, said Haley is taking more credit than she deserves.

“I’m not sure she gets full credit for all those jobs,” Ott said. “Many have been a long time in the making before she was governor.”

Ott also was critical of Haley’s claim the jobless rate had fallen from the double digits during her year as governor. “It’s still 9.9 percent,” he said. “Round it and that’s 10 percent.”

Haley urged lawmakers to pass her executive budget with its 4.5 percent increase in spending, including more money for vaccines for poor children, a DNA lab at the State Law Enforcement Division and more money for the Department of Mental Health to provide services for the mentally ill.

Her budget proposal also would set spending caps, cut taxes for some South Carolinians and businesses and create a $25 million fund to improve the state’s ports.

“No more one-time money for multiyear expenses,” Haley said. “Much of the so-called ‘growth’ in this budget is not growth at all, but simply us being honest about how much it costs to operate state government.”

State Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, said he appreciated Haley adding more money for SLED and Mental Health but was not satisfied with her proposal to create a pot of money for the ports.

“I still don’t think she really understands the port issue and the terrible mistake she made,” Lourie said.

Haley took heat late last year after her environmental board approved a controversial water permit, clearing the way for the expansion of the Port of Savannah, a competitor with Charleston. Wednesday, she said “bickering” over the issue should end.

That’s not likely.

“I hope she’ll join the Senate in trying to undo the damage she and her board did,” Lourie said, referring to a bill approved by the entire Senate earlier this week to repeal the environmental board’s decision.

Haley did get high marks from many Republicans for saying the state’s retirement system must be changed. While there is no GOP consensus yet on whether to follow Haley’s lead and eliminate automatic cost-of-living increases for retired state workers, Republican lawmakers applauded her stand on the issue.

“She’s right to make it a priority, and we’re working hard on it,” said state Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson, chairman of the House’s budget-writing committee.

Haley also said legislators should eliminate their separate, more cushy retirement system.

She also said:

• Unions have no place in South Carolina.

• The state has no interest in taking any part — now or ever — in the recently passed federal health care law.

• Losers of lawsuits should pay the cost of waging those suits.

Following Haley’s speech, Democrats aired their annual response. They focused on Haley’s rejection of federal money to help the state’s schools.

“Last year, we worked with our federal partners to bring $144 million in direct funding to our public schools,” said state Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Bamberg, who delivered the speech. “Rather than join us in leveraging this opportunity into achievement, Gov. Haley and Superintendent of Education (Mick) Zais put the desires of the Republican National Committee ahead of the needs of South Carolina’s children.

“Make no mistake: the governor’s and superintendent’s willingness to trade our state’s future for short-term political favor will be felt in every classroom in the state.”