S.C. legislative action for the week of May 12-16

The 18th week of the session:

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: House and Senate lawmakers will try for the second time this year to hash out differences in their respective proposals to crack down on illegal immigration. After the measure stalled in an earlier conference committee, new proposals were passed in each chamber. The Senate on Wednesday refused to go along with the House's latest version. Senators had considered passing yet another proposal. But on Thursday, they decided to appoint new conferees instead.

LEGISLATORS-RETIREMENT PAY: Legislators won't be getting a retirement pay increase, but state workers will. With no debate, the House decided Tuesday to accept the Senate's cost-of-living adjustment plan that doesn't include raises for retired legislators. But it allows a 2 percent cost-of-living increase for regular state employees, judges and police officers. The bill is on its way to the governor's desk.

STATE BUDGET: Senate and House members are beginning to hash out the final version of the state's $7 billion budget. Three members from each chamber started work Wednesday to combine the House and Senate versions of the bill, and will start discussing areas of disagreement on Monday. The Senate cut $180 million from the budget last month, and the House approved most of those cuts. But there are big differences in how the state would pay for public school programs.

STATE BUDGET DEFICIT: The $7 billion state budget lawmakers are crafting involves plans for deficit spending that violate South Carolina's constitution, Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday. Already, the state Corrections Department and state Education Departments have said they'll be short on cash next year and will have to run deficits. Prison officials said they'll shutter minimum security facilities and the state-run school bus operation will be short on cash to buy fuel.

SCHOOL TESTING: The Senate approved legislation replacing the end-of-the-year tests taken by third- through eighth- graders with exams that give teachers more detailed and timely information. The measure would revamp standardized testing under the state's 1998 Education Accountability Act. State schools Superintendent Jim Rex has pushed for the changes and said they will make high-stakes testing more user-friendly for teachers and parents, without lessening the state's education standards. The House, which unanimously passed the measure in February, must decide whether to agree with the Senate's changes.

PAYDAY LENDING: The South Carolina lawmaker determining the fate of new consumer protections in payday loans says the legislation won't pass this year because of disagreements over the proposal. Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee Chairman Harry Cato on Wednesday canceled further discussions on the legislation. Other lawmakers involved in the process said a compromise could have been reached, though the measure did face a tough road even if it had made it out of committee. The Legislature's two-year session ends June 5 and unfinished bills die.

DNA-ARRESTS: People charged with a felony in South Carolina would have to submit DNA samples upon arrest under legislation sent Tuesday to the House floor. Under the measure, adults charged with crimes punishable by at least five years in prison, or charged with eavesdropping, peeping or stalking, must submit saliva or tissue samples for a state DNA database. Juveniles would be exempt, though a sample could be gained through a court order. The bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee amends what the Senate approved in January, in a move to address lawmakers' concerns about privacy.

CIGARETTE TAXES: Groups calling for a sharp increase in South Carolina's cigarette tax say the extra money will help the state pay for public health care. The groups are asking House members to embrace the 50 cent hike approved by the Senate last week. The state's 7 cent tax is the nation's lowest. Dr. Gerald Harmon of the South Carolina Medical Association said nearly $160 million would be raised to help provide health care for the uninsured.

ULTIMATE FIGHTING: A Senate panel postponed debate Wednesday on a measure allowing mixed martial arts contests in South Carolina. Proponents say the increasingly popular combative sport, which combines elements of karate, judo, jujitsu and kickboxing, would bring money and tourists to the Palmetto State. They contend mixed martial arts has evolved from its no-holds-barred past to a regulated sport broadcast on TV, and South Carolina should share in the wealth. The measure would repeal South Carolina's ban on such fighting events and direct the State Athletic Commission to regulate the sport.

RUNNING RED LIGHTS: South Carolina might join six other states that let motorcyclists, mo-ped drivers and bicyclists run red lights that don't change within a couple minutes of their stopping. The House and Senate sent a bill to Gov. Mark Sanford on Thursday that allows that. Supporters say motorcyclists get trapped at red lights with sensors embedded in the road that don't respond to their smaller vehicles. The legislation would require them to stop but allow them to go through the red light if the signal doesn't change within two minutes.

LEGISLATOR-GUARDSMAN: South Carolina House members welcomed back Rep. James Smith with a standing ovation. The Columbia Democrat left for training and an Afghanistan tour 15 months ago with the Army National Guard. Capt. Smith is among 1,800 of South Carolina's Guardsman returning from Afghanistan. He received hugs and several rounds of applause Thursday.

SHAMPOOING RULES: A state law that required salon employees to undergo 1,500 hours of training to shampoo hair is but one example of wacky South Carolina edicts that belong on "Comedy Central," not the state law books, Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday. The governor signed legislation deleting that requirement, taking the opportunity to poke fun at what he called the state's crazy laws. Sanford noted the so-called "shampoo bill" still leaves the state mandate that hair stylists undergo 1,500 hours of training for a cosmetology license, compared with 396 hours to become a police officer.

HARRELL-GOVERNOR'S RACE: State House Speaker Bobby Harrell says he will not run for governor in 2010. The Charleston Republican had been considering a bid, but he said Tuesday he can best accomplish his legislative goals as speaker of the House rather than governor. Harrell has served in the House since 1993 and has been speaker since June 2005. Meanwhile, Oscar Lovelace, the Prosperity physician who ran against Gov. Mark Sanford in the 2006 GOP primary, says he's considering a second bid.

PUBLIC PRAYER: A bill designed to guide local governments on how to legally pray before meetings was approved by the House Judiciary Committee. Supporters say the measure's options are based on court rulings. The legislation would give local governments three possibilities for legal prayer. They could elect a chaplain or allow each member of the board to pray on a rotating basis. They also could invite local religious leaders to lead prayer on a first-come, first-serve basis.

RELIGIOUS LICENSE TAGS: A South Carolina House committee has approved legislation giving drivers the option of a religious license plate. Tags that show the image of a cross and the words "I Believe" were approved Wednesday by the Education and Public Works Committee. The panel also gave a nod to tags that would honor Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. The American Civil Liberties Union has questioned the state's role in putting faith on display with a tag. The organizations says people can do that already with bumper stickers.