By Margaret Brackett

Contributing Columnist

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Although the 2015 legislative session failed to pass an increase in gas tax to pay for roadway improvements, and also failed to pass a stronger ethics law to improve the conduct of public officials, Rep. Walt McLeod discusses the new laws that caused the 2015 legislative session to be a success.

• Domestic Violence Reform Act of 2015: The Fall of 2014 had a series of articles in the Charleston Post & Courier focusing on domestic violence, guns and women killed by men. This series resulted in the Post and Courier being awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the outstanding journalism. Domestic Violence Reform Act passed, which has a very significant negative impact on gun ownership rights of persons convicted of domestic violence. Conviction of high and aggravated domestic violence results in loss of gun rights for life.

• Mandatory Body Cameras for Law Enforcement Officers Act: This enactment of this law was inspired by shooting of a man named Walter Scott by an on-duty police officer employed by a North Charleston Police Department. The new body camera law requires that all police officers on duty wear a body camera which will video the activities and events at the scene.

Hopefully, this will curtail misbehavior and unlawful conduct of persons being apprehended, and also curtail the unlawful conduct of police officers as they implement and execute the police power of the State. New Body Camera Law: After guidelines have been developed by the SC Law Enforcement Training Council during a 180-day period, state and local enforcement agencies will have 60 days to develop their own procedures for complying with state guidelines and implementing the new law. Probably by March 2016, body cameras will be worn.

• New Board of Trustees for governance of SC State University: SC State has accumulated a debt of $12-$15 million in recent years, plus several million dollars in federal grants have somehow disappeared. The upshot is that the former State Budget and Control Board, now known as the State Fiscal and Accountability Authority, is gradually paying off debts, and a new Board of Trustees has been appointed and is taking control of the finances of SC State.

• New Freedom of Information Act Amendment requiring public bodies to post a meeting agenda at least twenty-four hours in advance of any meeting: Although Newberry County governmental agencies have posted their agendas in compliance with traditional 24-hour practice, some public bodies within South Carolina have refused to post agendas in advance of meetings, and some public bodies have amended agenda subsequent to the beginning of the meeting. The 2015 amendment to the State FOI Act requires all public bodies wishing to hold a meeting must post the agenda at least 24 hours in advance, and in addition, a public cannot modify or change within that 24-hour period.

• Increased Funding for County Transportation Committees: Because of an unexpected increase in Senate revenues during the immediate past fiscal year of 2014-2015, the legislature was able to appropriate $226 million to the 46 county transportation committees for the purpose of improving state roadways in their respective counties. This money is divided among the counties based on a pre-existing formula contained in state law.

Based on population, Newberry County is entitled to $3.5 million in additional funding for improving state roadways, which includes all our farm-to-market roads. This money is addition to the traditional amount the county transportation receives from the state gas tax.

Traditionally, the Newberry County Transportation Committee receives about $1.2 million per year, but because of the new money, Newberry County will receive about $4.7 million, four times the amount our county has received each year past years.

• New State Budget Allocated $60,000 to help pay the cost of a new roof for the Newberry Opera House through recommendations of Sen. Cromer and Rep. McLeod. New roof is expected to cost $200,000. (One third cost paid by State government.)

• Confederate Flag relocated from State House grounds to Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.

Margaret Brackett is from Newberry. Her columns appear weekly in The Newberry Observer.