S.C. legislative action for March 9-15

The 10th week of the legislative session:

STATE BUDGET: The House gave final approval Thursday to a $7.2 billion budget that includes a slight raise for state workers and more money for public schools. The Senate will debate the budget in April.

CHILD CARE VOUCHERS: Gov. Mark Sanford's staff is working to prevent the loss of child care vouchers provided by the Department of Social Services for moms in shelters and foster parents. Rep. Tracy Edge, who handles the budget for DSS, said he didn't find out until Wednesday that the voucher program would be cut by nearly 900 slots. The Republican said he only knew the agency wanted $6 million less than it had originally sought in new state spending. The state budget passed later that day before any changes could be made.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Legislators working out the differences in the immigration reform proposals got little done during their second meeting Tuesday. The six-member conference committee voted on a few minor issues but said they couldn't spend too much time on the proposals because House members were needed for budget debate. The committee won't meet this week because the House takes a one-week break before Easter.

SEX OFFENDERS: The South Carolina House approved a bill that would limit where certain sex offenders can live. The legislation bans convicted child molesters from moving within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers, parks, ball fields and public playgrounds. It also requires school districts to provide a link on their Web site or a list to parents of sex offenders who live within 1,000 feet of a bus stop. The list must be updated yearly.

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS —TEST: High school students at risk of dropping out of school could take courses to prepare them for the high school equivalency test in a pilot program discussed by a Senate committee. The legislation would create a trial GED program in 2008-09 at two high schools for students ages 16 to 19. It's designed for students who are a couple of years behind in school and don't expect to graduate.

COCKFIGHTING: People who organize or participate in cockfights could be charged with a felony, but onlookers would still face a misdemeanor under a bill sent Tuesday to the Senate floor. Sen. John Hawkins argued the state needs to toughen the penalties for cockfighting to end the brutal sport in South Carolina. South Carolina's neighboring states are among the 35 that already consider cockfighting a felony.

DRUG TESTING — CANDIDATES: Voters would decide in November whether they want political candidates and the governor's potential appointees to pass drug tests under a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure was proposed after former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel pleaded guilty on a cocaine distribution charge. The measure still needs two-thirds approval in the Senate and House.

WATER WARS: Plans to set minimum levels for water flowing through the state's rivers ran into criticism Thursday that could scuttle the bill. Some say the legislation needs to be on the books before the session ends in June to give South Carolina an advantage in its court fight over the volume of water North Carolina takes from rivers. State Sen. Chip Campsen told a Senate committee the bill was moving too fast and with too little information.

POLITICAL COMMITTEES: A bill barring legislators and statewide officers from organizing political action committees was approved Wednesday by a Senate panel. It would also dissolve any such leadership PACs that already exist. Sponsoring Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, said the PACs create ethics concerns because politicians could use them to dole out money to candidates who will back them later. Several influential House Republicans have leadership political action committees.

JUNETEENTH: A proposal to officially recognize the emancipation of slaves on "Juneteenth" was approved Wednesday by a Senate panel. The annual celebration would commemorate June 19, 1865, the date Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the Civil War was over and slaves were free. The bill would establish an annual recognition.

STATE COLOR: A measure making indigo blue the state's official state color received key approval Thursday in the Senate. Lake Elementary third-grader Lauren Cunningham, who came up with the idea, became an unofficial member of the state Senate during a committee meeting Tuesday as she quickly raised her hand in support of the legislation.