6 Stories In SC Politics This Week: German Love, Is Mammoth Bill Extinct, And The Real Most Powerful Man In The Palmetto State

Another fun week in South Carolina Politics

1. SC hearts BMW

BMW made it official! The German car company renewed their vow to stay in SC for generations (of cars) to come. Greer will be the production site for its latest, great new thing: the X7. That is a $1 BILLION (B, that's a B) investment to create 800 jobs and lots of love all around for the Beamer in South Carolina.

Holding up its side of the vow, the state is discussing incentives for the massive plant, and an undying devotion to be hostile to unions.

2. The most powerful man in SC

Business at the state Senate ground to a halt Thursday, as giddy lawmakers lined up to shake hands and have pictures made with University of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier.

As The Ol' Ball Coach stood by, Gamecock fans gushed that they had drafted a resolution in his honor, declaring this the "golden age of Carolina football." Finally, Clemson supporters could take it no longer. Sen. Harvey Peeler (R-Gaffney) jokingly (kinda) rose to object to the resolution, calling it "tedious and superfluous."

Then the senators went into recess so they could rush to have their pictures taken with the legendary Heisman winner. OK, so it wasn't this bad... but nearly...

3. No longer cycling through the Statehouse

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A state representative on Tuesday dropped legislation she proposed that would have required cyclists to register for a license in order to ride along roads with a speed limit above 35 MPH. The move followed a massive backlash from bicycling groups and riders who felt they were being unnecessarily singled out.

State Rep. Wendy Nanney, R-Greenville, said she proposed the bill as a way to get the conversation started about bicycle safety and possible ways the state can make its roads safer. She may have also been on Youtube recently...

4. File under "Election 2014"

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Sunday is the deadline for candidates to file for 2014 elections. Gov. Nikki Haley and State Sen. Vincent Sheheen registered their names on Wednesday to officially set up a repeat of the 2010 gubernatorial race.

Other competitive races include lieutenant governor (where four candidates have filed) and Education Superintendent (10 candidates have filed). Nine challengers have also signed to run against Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Not so competitive is almost every other statewide race. You know how it goes: relatively unknown candidate struggles to get himself or herself out there in the public eye, works hard for months, only to have a popular incumbent seemingly swoop in the last week and win most of the votes.

Probably feels something like this...

5. Legislators to students: Learn how to work together, like us!!

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A group of Midlands high school students visited the Statehouse on Wednesday to get a up-close look at how state lawmakers try to pass legislation. The Statehouse trip was organized by the Human Affairs Commission and other groups as a way for the students to see "civility" in the Statehouse.

Wait... why are you laughing?

The purpose of the visit was to show the students how legislators on opposite sides of the aisle often need to cooperate in order to pass a new law that could potentially benefit South Carolina. Word is, the teens quickly learned some of the most useful tricks...

6. Mammoth resolution could become extinct?

This may have been the reaction of Clarendon County third-grader Olivia McConnell after a frustrating week in the Senate. Last year, McConnell wrote a letter to two legislators asking them to designate the Columbian Mammoth as South Carolina's official state fossil.

The two Manning legislators happily agreed, noticing South Carolina is one of just 7 states without one. But the resolution became stuck in the Senate this week, after one senator tried to get language from the Bible included... and a second tried to hold the bill up for political deal-making reasons. Both say they will eventually vote for the resolution regardless.

Olivia told Fox Carolina she does NOT want to enter politics when she grows up.