REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: Yet another one of the Ohioans here. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: He’s been here almost long enough to be a South Carolinian. SENATOR McGILL: Chairman, let me ask -- CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Senator McGill. SENATOR MCGILL: This is not meant to be a controversial question. What do you think about that merger issue with the College of Charleston and MUSC? MR. SWAD: My niece -- the first I heard of it was when -- SENATOR McGILL: Say no more. MR. SWAD: Yeah. It’s a nonissue to me. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Good answer. Good answer. MR. SWAD: I went to the School of Medicine. I don’t have any business in Charleston about that. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Senator Alexander. SENATOR ALEXANDER: Thank you for your service, but, also, I want to commend your selection of your president. I’ve had an opportunity to work with him. What was your football record this last year? MR. SWAD: I think eight and -- REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: Twelve and three. MR. SWAD: Twelve and three. SENATOR ALEXANDER: I went to the meeting on his coach too. MR. SWAD: Well, everybody used to say, What are you doing hiring a financial guy as a football coach? I said, He’s not a financial guy. He’s a stockbroker. Stockbrokers aren’t financial guys. They’re salesmen. Salesmen are good coaches. SENATOR ALEXANDER: You’re showing them what you’re doing, hiring him. Congratulations. MR. SWAD: Thank you. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Does the staff have anything? MS. CASTO: No. His paperwork was all in order. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: It’s a decision of mine, I’m going to give him a favorable report. And he’s my doctor. All in favor say aye. ALL MEMBERS: Aye. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Opposed, no; and the ayes have it.
All in favor, say aye. ALL MEMBERS: Aye. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Opposed, no; and the ayes have it. MS. BARNES: Thank you. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Thank you for your willingness to serve. SENATOR HAYES: So I did not know you were kin to Gary Simrill. Now I may want to withdraw my motion. MS. BARNES: Do we have to tell everything while we’re sitting up here? SENATOR HAYES: We had his uncle. His uncle is on the College of Charleston Board, so we are glad to have another relative. MS. BARNES: He is my uncle too. 6th Congressional District - Medical Seat Term expires 2018 Ragin C. Monteith Screened Friday, February 28, 2014 CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Oh, okay. All right. Next, we have Ragin C. Monteith. How do you do? DR. MONTEITH: I’m good. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? DR. MONTEITH: I do. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Would you like to make a brief statement on why you’d like to serve? DR. MONTEITH: Sure. My name is Dr. Ragin Monteith. I’m a pediatrician in town. And it seems like I just was here. I guess I was, last year. And so I’ve been on the board since -- August was my first meeting, and it’s been a wonderful experience. Everybody’s been very welcoming, and I would love to just continue to serve, and I’ve heard at least your first term to really understand the workings of a big university, such as MUSC. So I’d like to continue to do that. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: So you haven’t messed up since the last time we’ve screened you, right? DR. MONTEITH: No. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Okay. Questions, comments?
MS. CASTO: Okay. SENATOR PEELER: That’s the only thing we can do, I guess. Maybe do it in a positive, respond that he got the e-mail rather than a I’ll assume you got it if we don’t hear from you. Maybe that way. We’ll try to reschedule him and act accordingly. (From screening, Friday, February 28, 2014) CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: You too. Now, South Carolina State University, Robert Porcher, Jr. Hopefully we’ve saved the best until last. What do you think? MR. PORCHER: I hope so. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Let’s swear you in. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? MR. PORCHER: I do. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Thank you. Would you like to make a brief statement to the Committee on why you would like to serve? MR. PORCHER: Yes. I’m going to ask if I can sit in this seat. I know this seat here is hot. Everybody was sitting there; so I’d like to sit in this one. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Make sure your green light is burning. MR. PORCHER: Yes. It’s burning. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Got you. MR. PORCHER: Again, my name is Robert Porcher, Jr., from Wando, South Carolina, in Berkeley County, and I’m honored that this committee has given me the opportunity to come before you to be considered as a trustee for South Carolina State University, from District 8. Thank you. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Questions, comments? Senator Alexander. SENATOR ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And good afternoon, sir, and thank you for your willingness to serve. And just for the record of consistency from my standpoint -- and I notice -- I think that you’re retired, if my memory serves me correctly. MR. PORCHER: Yes.
MS. CASTO: No, sir. I just want to let y’all know that in the personal data questionnaire and in his economic interest form, he reports the work that his law firm does with the legislature. There’s a list of them and the instances. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Mr. Hubbard, can I ask you about the board of trustees? Do y’all have a committee that determines your head coach’s salary? MR. HUBBARD: Yes. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Like at Clemson, we have the Clemson trustees, and they have a committee. Do y’all have a committee? MR. HUBBARD: Yes, sir. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: You do? MR. HUBBARD: It had to go through the executive committee and the full board of trustees. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: The full board gets to vote on it? MR. HUBBARD: Any contract of that magnitude, and you know how big those contracts are now. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Right. MR. HUBBARD: Which most of the funding comes from outside sources. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Right. MR. HUBBARD: But we require that the funding come through the university, and we approve the sources of outside funding so that you don’t have some outlier organization contributing to the salary, but we don’t have ultimate authority over it. REPRESENTATIVE WHITMIRE: I’ve got one last -- CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Mr Whitmire. REPRESENTATIVE WHITMIRE: On the perspective of sports, any truth to the rumor I’ve heard bandied about that you’re going to require any athletic coach mandatory retirement at age 70, or is that -- MR. HUBBARD: I hadn’t heard that, but I suspect there’s probably some -- not a groundswell of support on the board for that. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Representative Whitmire. REPRESENTATIVE WHITMIRE: I was just hoping. SENATOR ALEXANDER: If it’s the appropriate time, I move favorable. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: Motion is a favorable report. REPRESENTATIVE MACK: Second. CHAIRMAN SENATOR PEELER: A second is heard. All in favor, say aye.