5 More Things That Happened In SC Politics This Week: Beer, Big Dreams, And Bye-Bye, Boys!

South Carolina Radio Network's weekly irreverent look at politics in SC.

1. See you later, legislator

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Lt. Governor Glenn McConnell is bidding farewell to his beloved Senate a little earlier than he wanted in order to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

He is taking over as president at his other beloved institution the College of Charleston in July. McConnell, as president of the Senate, would have needed to preside over debate on whether or not his new college should have a research institution. The proposal has the potential to build up into conflict in the higher chamber. "One senator has even said "every weapon in our arsenal will be used."

McConnell said he didn't want to give the impression of any "bias." So, he'll head off to his new job, leaving squabbling senators behind...

2. Kid Power

Meanwhile another McConnell -- this time 8-year-old Olivia McConnell of Lake City -- made national news as she watched Gov. Nikki Haley sign her idea into law this week.

South Carolina was one of few states which did not have a state fossil, so Olivia championed the idea. The imaginative, intelligent and persistent third-grader appeared at hearings, strategized with lawmakers and withstood her bill being hung up in political in-fighting.

The lumbering journey of the Columbian mammoth all began with this letter to Gov. Haley in October:

Gov. Haley introduced Olivia McConnell as a future governor of South Carolina. Maybe she could replace Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell for now. Before you ask, they're not related.

3. Prohibition Ends At Last!

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State legislators have voted to ease up on several strict alcohol laws in South Carolina. If Gov. Nikki Haley signs new legislation that was approved Wednesday (which she is expected to do), it will mean several significant changes.

First, stores will now be allowed to sell alcohol on Election Day. Yes, that's illegal now and dates back to an era when some saloons also served as polling places.

Secondly, breweries will now be allowed to serve food and a wider variety of drinks. Under current law, a brewery that does serve food cannot then sell that beer in retail stores (it's complicated). But state lawmakers are trying to recruit a large California brewery that also wants to open a restaurant for its visitors. Such an arrangement would be illegal under current law.

Thirdly, stores will now be allowed to offer “instant coupons” for liquor rather than requiring a customer to mail a manufacturer to receive any rebate.

Beer lovers rejoiced at the news.

4. John Travolta can sympathize

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Longshot Democratic candidate for Senate Harold Pavilack has probably had people butcher his own name before (It's pronounced "PAV-uh-lick"). So maybe he can be excused for utterly whiffing on two of the most important names in national news this year.

Pavilack is a veteran and attorney from the Myrtle Beach area who is seeking to unseat current Sen. Tim Scott. On Thursday, he was asked about the VA scandal during a televised debate. "Every minute, they're talking about firing the head guy of the Veterans' Administration. I think his name is Oshkosh or something like that."

It's, uh, Eric Shinseki. But the VA chief resigned Friday, so it's unlikely Pavilack will need to know that name in the future.

Normally, we would forgive that mispronunciation. But, a few minutes later, Pavilack criticized Sen. Scott's record in Congress by contrasting him with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Only, he didn't say it quite like that.

"I haven't heard nothing about (Scott) in the news (for the) two years he's been up there. What has he done? What bills has he put in? I don't hear nothing. That guy from Texas, Cuazo or something, he's there the first year and all of a sudden I hear about him in the news every day. We have to get a leader, we can't put a follower (in the Senate)."

While we didn't ask, we assume the SC Democratic Party does NOT endorse the idea that Scott should act more like the hardline conservative Cruz.

5. And speaking of longshots...

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But Pavilack has nothing on Ray Moore. Moore, considered an unlikely candidate in the GOP race for lieutenant governor, has unleashed quite the diatribe against public education in South Carolina.

Was it the bad test scores? No... The funding problems? No... The curriculum? No...

It's the culture that schools encourage. Specifically an anti-Christian culture, he says. "We cannot win this war we're in as long as we keep handing our children over to the enemy to educate," Moore said at a rally in April. "It cannot be fixed, the socialistic model, and we need to abandon that." Instead he encourages Christian parents to either place their children in private, Christian schools or to homeschool them.

He has previously called Common Core standards the "basic tenets of a totalitarian government," and in a new radio interview called public education "anti-Christian and pagan and godless in design and practice."

In fact, Moore seems to making education a key part of his platform. Interesting since the duties and responsibilities of the Lt. Gov.'s office have nothing to do with education. Really... nothing at all.

Schools may be teaching a godless curriculum. But, let's be honest, kids aren't listening anyway...