A Few Things to Read Before Tuesday

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What’s expected to be a record voter turnout is likely to be slowed even more in South Carolina by three constitutional amendment questions on the ballot. The State Election Commission is urging everyone to read the amendment questions before they vote, both to keep lines from being longer than necessary and because, by law, a voter has only 3 minutes to cast a ballot. Taking time to read all three questions and their explanations could prevent some voters from complying with the law.

The first proposed amendment would remove part of the state constitution. Right now, the constitution sets the age of consent for sex for an unmarried woman at 14. But there’s a state law, which is what the courts go by, that sets the age of consent at 16. Voting “yes” on Amendment 1 would delete the constitutional part that says it’s 14.

There are two ways to look at the question: voters might as well vote “yes” and delete the 14-year-old age of consent, since it’s not used anyway; or, voters should vote “no” and keep the constitutional age of 14 as an absolute minimum. Attorney general Henry McMaster points out that it’s easier for lawmakers to change a state law than it is to change the constitution. While lawmakers have set the age of consent at 16 currently, the constitutional provision keeps them from moving it below 14. “The way it stands with this constitutional amendment in there, the legislature can move it up and they can move it down, but they can’t move it below 14,” he says. Supporters of the amendment say there’s little chance lawmakers would ever vote to move the age of consent below 16.

Amendments 2 and 3 both deal with allowing governments to invest part of their retirement funds in the stock market. Amendment 2 would allow the state to invest some state retirement funds in stocks, while Amendment 3 would allow local governments to do the same with their retirement funds.

Waiting in line to vote by absentee ballot Monday, Charles Williams said the recent stock market drop is likely to make people hesitant to vote “yes”. “I think two years ago it would’ve passed in a hurry. Now, I don’t think it will,” he says.

But Scott Malyerck, spokesman for the state treasurer’s office, says voters shouldn’t focus too much on the recent stock market turmoil because these investments are held onto for decades. “So if you want to take a snapshot of what it looks like this month, it’s bad. There’s no disputing that. But if you’re looking over the long-haul, it’s a very good investment for future retirees and current employees,” he says.

State and local governments also need the additional money that investing in stocks is likely to bring in. A recent federal government requirement forces state and local governments to have enough retirement fund money on hand to cover every employee, even if many of them won’t retire for years. At the interest rate state and local retirement funds are earning now, there’s not enough money to in those retirement accounts to meet that requirement.

To Read More on the Amendments go to www.wspa.com and click on Campaign '08