You are here: Home / Archives for ronniecromer

Cromer’s Corner: May 17 Edition

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Campaign 2012

Friends,
A three-justice court panel has dismissed a lawsuit that would have pushed back the primaries several weeks, so our election date is still June 12.


EVENT: We are holding a meet and greet at the Saluda River Club on Wednesday, May 23 from 6:00-8:00pm. There will be numerous conservative leaders from around the area in attendance. It will be a great opportunity to meet constituents, discuss issues facing our community, and talk about my campaign for re-election.

Ballot Issue Update

The State Senate did not pass a resolution that would have allowed candidates back on the ballot. Therefore, if there is no legal remedy passed to prevent this candidate mayhem and peculiar filing process from happening again, I will introduce legislation to be discussed in the next legislative session (January 2013).

The problem is that a couple years ago, a bill was passed that mandated all Statements of Economic Interest be filed online on the Ethics Commission website. Many were confused and just filed online, instead of in person at the same time as normal candidate filing, as the law prescribes.

I have already drawn up a bill that will affect the next election cycle, making public officials and all candidates file Statements of Economic Interest by the same date, instead of having different dates like they currently do. We will restructure the law so that this mess doesn’t happen again and so that the law is fair and equal.

Budget

As the current legislative session is set to conclude on June 7, the Senate is now beginning to take the state’s budget to the floor. In hopes we do not have to extend this year’s session to pass it, we will likely spend all day and night debating and revising the budget for the foreseeable future .

It is my commitment to review the budget and everything within it thoroughly and challenge waste and misappropriations.

As always, please do not hesitate to call my office at (803)212-6330 if you have any questions or concerns.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Update on the South Carolina Ballot Issue

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Statewide news stories and debates in the Senate have recently revolved around many candidates from the Republican and Democratic Parties being removed from June 12 Primary ballots. The reason for this is improper candidate filings.

These major problems have arisen because many candidates filed their Statement of Economic Interest forms on the South Carolina Ethics Commission website, and many others filed late. There has been some confusion and legal debate over how to file correctly and in turn, who will be on the ballot.

The candidates are required by law to file both forms in person, at the same time, with the same official. However, a law passed just a couple years ago requiring Statements of Economic Interest to be filed online have thrown a wrench into the process. Many candidates thought filing online was all that was needed.

By the letter of the law, and as the SC Supreme Court ruled, the forms still have to be filed in person.
Senator Kevin Bryant has initiated a potential joint resolution to allow the candidates in question back on the ballot. As of the writing of this article, the resolution has not yet fully passed.

If this joint resolution is not adopted, or is in some way blocked from taking effect, I will introduce a bill to simplify and streamline the candidate filing process. This bill will change the law as it currently stands, but will only concern future elections.

If my bill passes, candidates and public officials will file their Statement of Economic Interest and Statement of Intention of Candidacy at the same time and under the same guidelines.

With all of the recent confusion and unfortunate circumstances with so many candidates who really intended to do the right thing, I feel we should take action to ensure a more simple and equal election process in the future.

Under this bill, both public officials and candidates would have to file the Intention of Candidacy forms by March 30, and a Statement of Economic Interest by April 15. Public officials currently file the Economic Interest by April 15, while other candidates are required to file it in person at the same time as their Intention of Candidacy.

This bill will address those concerns so we do not have this situation again in the next election cycle.

Again, as of the writing of this article, these measures have not been finally determined. I will do my best to keep everyone posted on the matter.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Cromer’s Corner: May 3 Edition

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Legislative Update

The Senate has passed a bill that will allow the Governor to pick his/her own Lt. Governor to run with after the partisan primaries. In effect, if this bill now passes the House, the voters will decide in November at the ballot box if the Governor and Lt. Govern will run on the same ticket in the future.

I have supported this bill from the beginning because I believe it will allow for more harmony between the Governor’s and Lt. Governor’s office, while reducing the number of constitutional officers voters must choose from.

Changing gears, the Port of Charleston has been a contentious issue lately, and I continue to do all I can to support the Port’s research and growth because it directly affects the economy in Lexington and Newberry Counties. The health and success of the Port is critical to bringing more quality jobs to our area for exporting goods. It allows businesses like Michelin to continue to grow here and will attract many more like them.

We have to be pro-active in growing our ports, while being fiscally responsible. I believe that if we have an opportunity to gain a competitive edge economically over other states, especially Georgia in this case, we have to pursue it and use it to our advantage.

The budget and the state’s retirement fund are both coming to the floor of the Senate soon, and I will keep you posted on both issues as they progress. Session is slated to end on June 7, so things will likely speed up shortly.

Campaign 2012

The Republican Primary is quickly closing in on us and will be here before we know it. On June 12, please go out to vote and bring family, friends, or co-workers with you to do so.

On Thursday, May 10, Tripp Newsome and Danny Frazier are hosting a meet and greet for my campaign at the clubhouse of the Woodside Farm subdivision. If you are in the area, we would love to see you there!

If you would like to host our campaign for an event or meet and greet in your neighborhood, please contact Mark Knoop at (803)834-3469. This is a great way for me to get to know my constituents, discuss important issues, and get our message out.

Proudly Serving Senate District 18,

Ronnie Cromer

Filed Under: blog, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cromer Weighs in on Gov. and Lt. Gov Running as Team

April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: , , , , ,

Newberry Notes with District 18 Senator Ronnie Cromer

April 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Newberry Observer
By Margaret Brackett

The Honorable Senator Ronnie Cromer is on Newberry Notes schedule this week to discuss bills and issues being considered and resolved during the 2012 Legislative session. He serves the citizens of Senate District 18 as a representative for Lexington, Saluda, Newberry and Union counties. His services are dedicated to improve the quality of life for his constituents.

Here is what Cromer said:

I have been in the Senate since April 5, 2003 and assumed the chairmanship of the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee in 2009. Serving in the South Carolina Senate has been a dream of mine since I was in the third grade. It is my honor to represent citizens of Senate District 18.

Let’s begin this interview with legislation I proposed—Amendment S.746 – Ignition Interlock Device. The main points in this Amendment are:

1. It would require an Ignition Interlock Device for first conviction of DUI.

2. The amount of time a person would be required to have an Ignition Interlock Device on their automobile would be determined by the Blood Alcohol Concentration level.

3. Blood Alcohol Centration levels between .1 would require six months.

4. Blood Alcohol Concentration levels between .1 and .16 would require one year.

5. Blood Alcohol Centration levels above .16 would require two years.

6. Also requires lifetime ignition Interlock Device if the offender causes Great Bodily Harm or death.

Amendment S.746 was of interest to me because on January 1, 2012 Emma Longstreet, her parents and three brothers were on their way to church in Lexington County when a drunk driver crashed into their mini-van. The point of impact was just behind the driver, the exact location Emma was sitting in her car seat. Unfortunately, Emma did not survive.

The Longstreets live in my district. I did not personally know the family; this incident re-focused my attention on the issue of drunk driving. The case began a search of opportunities to toughen penalties for drunk driving. The main question was what can done to further extend discouragement of future drunk driving?

The Ignition Interlock Device was the key. South Carolina does not currently have an Ignition Interlock Device requirement for first time DUI offenders. I would like to correct this obvious deficiency in the law. When preparing my bill, I found that S.746—dealing with the revision of DUI penalties—had already been introduced. Since the bill was already in process it was much simpler to work toward amending S.746 instead of starting from the beginning.

Lt. Governor Ken Ard’s resignation from his post March 9 created South Carolina news. Prior to his resignation, there were weeks off rumors and speculation leading up to this incident. I can enlighten our readers on the true evidence of the charges filed against Mr. Ard and his sentence.

Evidence: Most of the evidence is not available since this was a grand jury investigation, but the indictment lays out clearly how he inappropriately moved his campaign funds around to make it look like he was getting a much broader support base than was happening in reality. ( The indictment can be found on the Attorney General’s web site.)

Seven Counts: 4 counts of unlawful reimbursement, 2 counts of false reporting, 1 count using campaign funds for personal expenses

Sentenced: 5 years’ probation $5,000 fine, 300 hours of community service

Shortly after Ard’s resignation, Senate President, Senator Glenn McConnell, Charleston (R) announced that he would assume the position of Lt. Governor, as Article IV, Section 9 of the S.C. Constitution states as the order of succession.

Senator Glenn McConnell has served the people of this State for 32 years, the last 11 years as president pro tempore of the Senate. I have worked with and against him on different issues, but one cannot doubt his love for South Carolina, the Constitution, or his dedication to the oath of office he took when he became president pro tempore. Senator McConnell went from one of the highest positions in state government to a largely ceremonial position of Lt. Governor. I wish Lt. Governor McConnell all the best.

The upcoming republican primary is June 12. I know the state has recently gone through reappointment, which is the realignment of all State House and Senate districts as well as the realignment of all Congressional House districts so that each member of the House represents approximately the same number of people. For instance: Each SC State House member will represent about 37,000 people. Each State Senator will represent about 100,000 people. Each member of the Federal House of Representatives—our 7 Congressmen—will represent about 657,000 people.

This is based on the numbers from the latest census which indicated that South Carolina has about 4.6 million people. Because of our increase in population, South Carolina picked up an additional congressional seat. So now we have 7 Congressmen in Washington and 2 Senators.

This impact affected Senate District 18, the district I represent, as follows: Prior to reapportionment Senate District 18 included all of Newberry County, parts of Lexington, near Lake Murray, and about half of Saluda County. The new configuration still includes all of Newberry County, but it takes in more of Lexington County, still mostly in close proximity to the lake, drops Saluda County and picks up about a quarter of Union County.

The State Retirement System — As the bill currently stands, here are a few of the key components: New retiree payments will be based on highest 5 years of compensation, not highest 3 years as currently used. Employee contributions will go up to 7.5 percent by 2013. State employees will need to reach age 60 prior to collecting any retirement payments. New employees will need to work 30 years to qualify for full retirement instead of 28 as is currently the case.

If readers have any questions on this or any other matter, please contact the Senate District 18 office at 803-212-6330. I will make sure they get to the appropriate subcommittee for a response to the questions.”

Read more: The Newberry Observer – Senator Cromer reviews 2012 legislation session

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Cromer’s Corner: April 10 Edition

April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Friends,

As tax season comes to a close, it seems fitting that the South Carolina State Senate is preparing to deliberate over this year’s budget, deciding appropriations for your tax dollars. As always, the fiscally liberal voices in Columbia are digging into the trenches to pad the pockets of special interests and spend your tax dollars on inefficient programs and things we simply do not need.

I am committed to doing more with less and making every agency in state government do the same. That’s why I have introduced legislation to audit state agencies and force them to justify their funding on a regular basis.

Please support my campaign for re-election to South Carolina Senate District 18 and help me keep up the fight for less government, lower taxes, and higher efficiency. Jobs in South Carolina depend on a fair and predictable regulatory climate and a low tax burden.

Here are two ways you can help our campaign today:

Sincerely,

Ronnie Cromer

Proudly Serving South Carolina Senate District 18

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ronnie Cromer

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: , , , , ,

Limit and Defend Agenda Update

April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Newberry Observer Column by District 18 Senator Ronnie Cromer

At the beginning of the current legislative session, which started in January of 2011, I began taking up the task of pushing a bold, conservative reform agenda in the South Carolina State Senate. This effort has been called “The Limit and Defend Agenda.” It is comprised of a handful of bills that I have introduced in the Senate to save taxpayers money, limit government at all levels, and protect our residents’ freedom and liberties.

I would like to give an update this week as to the status of these efforts.

Changing the way some things happen in state government can be a daunting, and sometimes disillusioning task. However, as in all things in life, to really make a difference you have to keep fighting the status quo, no matter the odds.

In total there were six bills introduced from the agenda, and a few have been passed into law in some form, while the others still sit in committees.

One of the most recognizable bills that passed is the “Spending Accountability Act,” which is essentially roll-call voting and is the Senate version of the House bill introduced by then Representative Nikki Haley. Because of this, any vote involving taxpayer dollars is recorded, and you can now easily see all such votes online.

Another piece of the agenda was a somewhat controversial one, involving illegal immigrants. Called the “Citizenship Defense Act,” this bill followed many of the provisions found in the Arizona law. The bill, which passed last year, more clearly defines the roles of local and state police. It also provides measures to remove undocumented individuals from South Carolina and gives state and local police authority to check an individual’s immigration status. This has been challenged by the US Justice Dept.

The “Property Owner Protection Act” would limit property tax increases at the time of sale. This bill did not move past a committee, but a similar version from Senator Campbell may be moving forward, which I support.

Campbell’s bill guards property from being assessed at the point of sale; rather, it would be reevaluated at the next scheduled assessment, avoiding increases in taxes when selling a home. Also, the county will carry the burden of justifying an increase in property value, rather than the owner.

Currently sitting in the Judiciary Committee is the “No Double-Dipping Act,” (S. 112) which prohibits the state from hiring attorneys who have represented a plaintiff against the state in the previous five years. This is a common-sense bill that absolutely needs to be passed.

Furthermore, I recently wrote a column about the “Reimbursement Only” bill (S. 230) which allows legislators to only get paid for actual expenses; instead of the monthly per diem they are currently paid. This bill could save wasted money and hold your representatives more accountable for how your money is spent. This bill is still in committee and for obvious reasons has seen substantial push-back.

An interesting part of the agenda is the “South Carolina Value-Based Budgeting and Agency Accountability Act” (S. 228). I find this one particularly important because a substantial amount of money could potentially be saved and it is vitally important to ensuring taxpayer dollars are being spent as efficiently as possible. Value based budgeting requires agencies to justify funding for funding every five years in front of a legislative panel. It would also require the Legislative Audit Council to scrutinize the agencies’ budgets to find ways to improve operations and spending.

This bill is in the finance committee currently, but fortunately, a large part of this idea was taken into the bill that created the Department of Administration in place of the Budget and Control Board.

I believe this is the sort of reform our state needs and deserves.

Thank for the opportunity to serve you in the South Carolina State Senate. I would greatly appreciate your continued support for the remaining measures in this agenda for which I am fighting. As always, please contact my Senate District 18 office at 803-212-6330 with any questions or suggestions.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Help Ronnie Cromer’s Campaign for SC Senate!

April 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Visit www.ronniecromer.com/volunteer to sign up and help out the campaign! Even just a couple hours between now and election day can make a huge impact. Thank you so much for any help you can offer.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: ,

Stand Your Ground

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Newberry Observer Opinion Column by District 18 Senator Ronnie Cromer

A bill is being introduced and a debate is arising in the State House that I feel infringes on our basic rights as law-abiding American citizens and South Carolinians.

The House bill, H. 5072, intends to strike a provision from our laws that allows an individual to defend him or herself from harm in a place in which the individual has a right to be.

This bill has apparently come up in response to a tragic shooting in Florida, a situation with murky details that we still do not fully understand and could, in effect, be irrelevant.

Representative Bakari Sellers (Democrat-Bamberg) wants to amend a law I voted for and signed onto in 2005, a law that I still wholeheartedly endorse. The law is known as the “Castle Doctrine,” or “Stand Your Ground Law.”

The current law states that if you are in a place where you have a right to be and are not engaged in unlawful activity, and you are threatened with bodily harm or death, you have a right to stand your ground and act with force, using any means necessary to protect yourself without being sued or jailed.

Rep. Sellers’ amendment removes a portion of the law that gives you this protection in a areas including, but not limited to, a place of business.

The portion he seeks to erase also states that you have the ability to defend another person who faces bodily harm or death.

I fundamentally disagree with erasing this clause because simply put, you should have a right to self-defense wherever you happen to be, within good reason.

The idea of the “Castle Doctrine” even dates back to 1700’s English law, which asserts that a man’s home is his castle. He therefore has a right to defend his home, his family and himself.

In South Carolina, you have a right to stand your ground. In states without similar laws, one typically has an obligation to try to flee the situation before acting with force.

Any rational person will try to flee a dangerous situation whenever possible, but to assume that in every situation this is possible, is simply dangerous and naive.

Law-abiding citizens in South Carolina should have a right to stand their ground when faced with potential harm or death.

In the South Carolina State Legislature, I do not see Sellers’ bill going very far, and I will certainly vote against any infringement to South Carolinians’ right to self-defense, should such a provision even make it to the Senate.

I have immense respect for Representative Sellers; he is an honorable colleague in the state legislature.

However, I cannot support the bill as it stands today.

I will not speculate on the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. because I do not yet factually know what transpired, and it is not my place to speculate.

Furthermore, if the shooter turns out to have acted unlawfully, the case should be handled as such, and is therefore an isolated, irrelevant case.

I firmly believe the Constitution of the United States allows for self-defense, and I believe that we should not change our laws in South Carolina because of a knee-jerk reaction to an event outside of our jurisdiction, and for which the details are not even entirely known.

As your state senator, I will not allow emotion and speculation to shake my foundations on the Second Amendment and self-defense.

Proudly serving SC Senate District 18,

Ronnie Cromer

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , ,

District 18 Senator Ronnie Cromer Files for Re-election

March 19, 2012 By

PRESS RELEASE                                                                                                    19 MARCH 2012
                                                                                              

Ronnie Cromer has filed for re-election, seeking the Republican Nomination for South Carolina Senate District 18.

A small business owner and lifetime resident of District 18, Ronnie Cromer has been lauded for his strong leadership as a common-sense conservative in the South Carolina Senate. Cromer has recently been awarded with a “Business Advocate Award” from the Chamber of Commerce, a perfect score from the NRA, and “Legislator of the Year” from the SC Association of Conservation Districts.

Senator Cromer boasts vast support among Republican elected officials, as well as respected conservative activists and leaders in the district. Senator Cromer has already built a formidable war chest and is adding to his grassroots organization every day.

Ronnie Cromer also served his state and nation in the South Carolina National Guard for 30 years, retiring as a Lt. Colonel, and is a veteran of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Senator Ronnie Cromer currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee.

Senate District 18 spans a portion of Lexington County, all of Newberry County and part of Union County. This is one of the most expansive Districts in the state, requiring a Senator who has proven to be able to serve his constituents faithfully and effectively. Senator Cromer prides himself on his record of diligent constituent services, as well as his support for pro-growth economic policies, and his effort to strengthen public schools in the area.

Senator Cromer is carving out a positive legacy of pro-growth conservative leadership. He has passed property taxes for homeowners, tough illegal immigration reform, and he co-authored the Senate version of the roll-call voting bill. Cromer is a sportsman and has frequently been a voice for sportsmen in the Senate.

 “I am proud my loyal service to my home district and everything I have been able to achieve. I love going work for our residents and helping however I can. I am constantly working to promote pro-growth principles and increase our community’s and state’s competitive edge, and I would be honored to continue to serve as your Senator.”

Senator Cromer has served in the State Senate since 2003, when he won the seat in a special election. Ronnie Cromer is a career pharmacist and business owner.

● P.O. Box 378 ● Prosperity, SC ● 29127 ● (803) 834-3469●

●www.ronniecromer.com●

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Older Posts