Weeks before the South Carolina gubernatorial election, my friends, most of whom are ardent pro-business folks, came to me with concerns that though they usually vote Republican, they were considering voting for Senator Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat, because, as they put it, they didn’t want another four years of the governor fighting with the South Carolina Legislature. Now that two months have gone by since the state elected its first female (and Indian-American) to the office, some individuals continue to voice their concern to me about whether the state’s new governor, Nikki Haley, will play nice with the legislature in order to move crucial job-creating initiatives forward.
My response to them is simple: I don’t think that Governor Haley missed the day in school where the teachers taught how to effectively communicate and where they taught the importance of team building. In other words, I think she understands and will practice both to get things done.
That being said, here is what we can expect from Governor Haley while she is in office.
Reform
Beyond her communications and team building skills, Haley is first and foremost a reformer. By her nature, she is not a “go-alongto- get-along gal.” Much like Governor Mark Sanford did during his administration, Haley will likely look for opportunities to change the way in which government operates for the better. But, unlike Sanford, Haley has the skills to better communicate with the legislature about those ideals and will be able to build coalitions among legislators to pass government-changing initiatives.
Haley says that she wants to reduce the size of government; that government was not intended to be all things to all people. She also says that she wants elected officials, including the governor, to be more accountable to the citizens who elected them.
Among her priorities to reform government, Gov. Haley said she will use her bully pulpit to push on-the-record-voting, meaning citizens will be better able to see the votes taken by state Senators and House members (Speaker Harrell and the House passed this measure in 2010); and, she will work to streamline government by eliminating waste. She uses the changes seen at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Employment Security Commission (under Mr. Sanford’s watch) as examples. Haley also supports continuing Governor Carroll Campbell’s vision to increase the number of Constitutional Officers that are appointed by the governor—something the legislature,
mainly the Senate, has been unable to pass.
Jobs
There is no doubt that Haley will take this opportunity as governor to push for more tort reform, American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines in workers’ compensation reform, and the enactment of loser pays provisions. With the election of more conservatives to the House and Senate in recent years, these “judicial” reform measures will be easier to get through the legislature than in years past.
Haley has gone on record saying that one of her primary roles as governor is to be the state’s leading economic developer. “Economic development and job creation is the most important issue facing our next governor,” she said. She has also said that she will significantly strengthen the Department of Commerce, and that she will be “on call” all day every day to help the state’s Secretary of Commerce recruit industry and create jobs.
According to her, Haley learned at an early age the challenges faced by this state’s small businesses while growing up working for her parents’ fine ladies apparel retail store in Lexington (Exotica International). As a result, she says that she will dedicate much of her term as governor to cut government-created red tape that hurts small businesses, and drive bills that will support small business job creation. As a validation of sorts, Haley was endorsed during her candidacy by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) – the voice of small business.
What else can you expect?
Knowing that Haley will try to work better with the legislature and work hard to be a team builder, she will be served well to recruit business and legislative leaders to accomplish the other issues important to her.
Named “Friend of the Taxpayer” by the S.C. Association of Taxpayers, Haley, simply put, supports smaller government and fewer taxes. Like Sanford, expect her to question the return on investment and validity of publicly-funded projects. Often a thorn in the side of those who depend on public funds for projects and initiatives, Governor Sanford was popular among the state’s citizenry because of his efforts to call into question taxpayer investments. Expect Haley to do the same.
As a Republican governor, Haley is also against the recently passed federal healthcare bill, and supports more state illegal immigration reform, Second Amendment rights, and term limits.
