But Wednesday, a state Senate committee approved a bill that would reclassify mopeds as a motor vehicle in terms of enforcing drinking-and-driving laws only.

You don’t need a driver’s license to drive a moped in South Carolina, making it a popular choice for drunken-driving offenders with suspended licenses. In the Senate version of the bill, DUI offenders with suspended licenses still could drive mopeds. But they would no longer be exempt from state drunken-driving laws.

The bill, originally sponsored by state Reps. Eddie Tallon and Derham Cole, both Spartanburg Republicans, passed the SC House last year. That version of the proposal would have considered a moped to be a motor vehicle in all aspects of the law.

State law defines a moped as having a motor of less than 50-cubic centimeters and not capable of going faster than 30 miles per hour.

State troopers have had magistrates dismiss several DUI cases involving mopeds, said Col. Michael Oliver, commander of the state Highway Patrol.

Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, called that “a glitch in the law.”

“This will take care of that loophole,” he said.

Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, initially objected to the law because he said the state also exempts tractors and bicycles from drunken-driving laws.

“I don’t think you should operate a moped drunk,” he said. “But what are you going to do, suspend their license? You don’t need a license to drive a moped.”

Source: The State

One of the first items we addressed was Governor Haley’s veto of S. 211, which would have established an “I-95 Corridor Authority.”  I received many emails from across the state on this issue in the off-session and was pleased to vote to sustain the Governor’s veto.  Remember, you may view my or any other legislator’s voting record by visiting www.scstatehouse.gov.

Last year, the General Assembly passed a law that would require a person to present a valid photo identification to vote at the polls. The U.S. Department of Justice rejected the law.  During the debate, some questioned the need for the law, saying that no evidence of voter fraud exists in South Carolina.  This week, South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles director Kevin Schwedo testified before the House Judiciary Election Laws Subcommittee that his staff analyzed the records of more 239,000 voters who do not have a state driver’s license or identification card. They discovered that 37,000 of those people were dead and, of those, 957 had been recorded as casting a vote after their recorded death date.  My position was and is that having to prove one’s identity, as one does when boarding a plane, buying certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and cashing a check, is an important measure in protecting the integrity of our electoral process.  We will continue to work to fully implement a Voter ID law. Read more here.

In advance of the budget process, we heard a briefing from a Federal Reserve economist regarding the economic outlook for 2012.  While unemployment, housing prices, and political uncertainty will present obstacles to economic growth this year, the outlook for economic growth in South Carolina is more positive than the national outlook.  This is partially due to our competitive advantage as a business-friendly, right-to-work state.  We have all been thrilled that companies such as Boeing, Continental, Bridgestone and Amazon have chosen to expand here.

On the local economic development front, BMW just announced plans to invest $900 million in its Spartanburg County facility during the next three years, creating 300 jobs, as it ramps up production to 350,000 vehicles.  The expansion will include production of the X4 model vehicle.

Next week, Governor Haley will present her annual State of the State Address to the General Assembly.  I look forward to hearing her vision for 2012 and working with her to keep South Carolina the best state in the nation in which to live, work and play.

As always, if I can ever assist you with state government issues, please do not hesitate to call me or email me.  Besides my email updates, you can keep up with what’s happening at the State House by following me on Facebook and Twitter.  It is an honor to serve you.

We also will never forget those who died helping others. Many people were saved due to the heroic actions of police, firefighters, and the brave passengers of United Flight 93.

Heroism did not end on September 11. Our men and women in uniform continue to fight to keep our nation safe from terrorism. Many of them have given their lives in this pursuit, and we honor their sacrifice as well.

Lastly, we remember the family and friends of all those who died in the attacks on September 11 and throughout these years of war. Their loss is incomprehensible, but we pray that they will have peace.

Kind regards,

Derham Cole

When: Monday, August 22, at 6 p.m.

Where: Spartanburg High School Atrium, 500 Dupre Drive, Spartanburg, S.C. 29307

Topic: The 2011 Legislative Session in the S.C. House. Other members of the Spartanburg delegation will be in attendance as well.

Please attend, bring a friend, and participate in what I hope will be an opportunity for you to learn more about what we accomplished for you in this year’s session and to give me feedback on how to best represent you in the 2012 session.

This latest report only confirms how dedicated Rep. Cole is to tackling the important issues facing our state and district. You can view the entire scorecard online. Please visit his Facebook page now to leave a comment or question.