6 Stories In S.C. Politics This Week: Dems Bow Out, Nill On Null, & Protester Arrests

"Obamacare" dominates the Statehouse this week

1. Two big-name Dems drop out of 2014 races

Almost as quickly as people around the state are jumping into the Superintendent of Education race, others are dropping out. The most recent superintendent drop-out hails from the Democratic Party.

State Rep. Mike Anthony was one of two Democratic candidates vying for the nomination.

Click here to read more on Anthony.

The other Democrat to drop out this week was former Obama adviser Rick Wade, who had been challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. That pullout leaves Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson as the only Democrat remaining in the race against the heavily-favored incumbent.

Click here to read more on Wade.

2. Anti-Obamacare bill up for debate in Senate

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State senators this week started debate on anti-Obamacare legislation that tries to block the Affordable Care Act in South Carolina. The bill initially tried to stop the federal law by "nullifying" it in South Carolina. But GOP senators were concerned a version which passed the Republican-controlled House last year was not constitutional.

So now the GOP is trying a different tack. Instead of "nullifying" the law, legislators simply refuse to help implement it, calling it a federal responsibility. It's known as the "anti-commandeering" principle, although such language may conjure up images of swashbuckling buccaneers more than federal bureaucrats vs. state bureaucrats.

Read more here:

How SC politicians see the federal government

How the federal government sees SC politicians

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The bill is meant to be a shot at the federal government over a law that is deeply unpopular in South Carolina. However, senators actually spent very little time debating it this week, other than a Wednesday session.

Democrats slammed the proposal, questioning if South Carolina was heading down a path that allows it to pick and choose which laws to follow.

3. Protesters arrested at the Statehouse

"Truthful Tuesday" protesters on Tuesday sought to block lawmakers' entrance to the parking garage -- essentially trying to block them from blocking the federal healthcare law -- and were arrested.

Yes, you heard right: they were blocked from blocking lawmakers in an effort to block blocking Obamacare.

Like their past Progressive predecessors, 11 were arrested.

Click here to read more.

4. S.C. has bad roads

In news that was a surprise to practically no one, the S.C. Department of Transportation told senators on Wednesday that South Carolina has bad roads and uncertain funds to fix them.

Click here to read more.

5. Fire alarm goes off at Statehouse

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The Forestry Commission held a press conference at the Statehouse on Wednesday. The purpose was to brief reporters on $360 million in damage that South Carolina's timber industry suffered during last month's ice storm.

But the only reason you saw that press conference on your TV this week was because it was interrupted by fire alarm. Probably a bit irritating to the Forestry Commission.

6. Governor makes joke, catches grief

The governor decided to make light of the alarm going off, tweeting out the above post less than an hour after the building was evacuated.

Democrats were not amused, proving that politicos don't ever appreciate humor coming from the opposite side.

“As usual, when Nikki Haley weighs in on what’s going on in the Legislature, it’s absent leadership and full of petty politics," SC Democratic Party spokeswoman Kristin Sosanie said shortly after the tweet.