NEWBERRY — Newberry College designated Sept. 19-22 as Politics Week, four days of politically-themed events designed to educate and engage students and community members ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) addressed a full house of Newberry College students and faculty, answering questions before enjoying a meal in Kaufmann Dining Hall on Monday. Topics of conversation included the presidential election, term limits, the national debt and deficit, and political parties.

Mulvaney’s campaign manager and State Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-Greenville) provided a glimpse into the inner workings of campaign organization and finance, and constituent services and interaction.

On Tuesday, S.C. Supreme Court Justice Kaye Hearn delivered a speech and answered questions as part of a forum commemorating Constitution Day.

Officially celebrated on Sept. 17, the day in 1787 on which the United States Constitution was signed, Constitution Day requires federally-funded educational institutions at all levels to educate students about the Constitution.

Hearn addressed the origins and drafting of the Constitution, its relevance today, and the different styles of constitutional interpretation used by the judiciary. Hearn also provided students with her three secrets to success: “show up, work hard, and be nice.”

On Wednesday, members of the South Carolina Progressive Network’s Missing Voter Project presented their long-term initiative to get out greater numbers of “missing voters.”

The project’s representatives refer to a “missing voter” as one of the nearly 2.5 million eligible South Carolinians who are either not registered to vote, or who have not voted recently.

The presentation also covered the evolution of voting rights throughout American history, as well as the current voter registration process in South Carolina.

On Thursday, Newberry College welcomed former S.C. Sens. Tom Pope of Newberry and Tommy Moore of Aiken, along with Dr. John Crangle, executive director of S.C. Common Cause.

The event, entitled “Political Corruption in S.C.,” focused on Operation Lost Trust, an FBI sting operation launched in 1989 that was designed to weed out drug use, then later corruption, in the S.C. Legislature.

Crangle told attendants that before the passage of the Ethics Reform Act in 1991, state government was wrought with abuse of office, blatant corruption, and unlimited bribes from lobbyists to lawmakers.

Pope, a former state senator and Newberry attorney, discussed the effects of the most recent ethics reform legislation, passed and enacted last session, as well as the need for principled voters and the media to help keep government accountable.

Former Sen. Moore chaired the Conference Committee, made up of lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives. He said that the 1991 ethics bill was the toughest piece of legislation he’d ever had to pass.

After the panel discussion, Crangle told The Observer that the fundamental problems in state government can be attributed to a shortage of capable candidates, caused by insufficient pay for lawmakers and the high costs of conducting an effective campaign, which can create a black market for bribes and special interests.

S.C. Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing and reforming corruption in local and state government.

As another component of Politics Week 2016, volunteers with the S.C. Progressive Network and the Newberry College Sociology Department operated four voter registration tables across campus Thursday. The initiative registered an estimated 111 new voters, with 20 total absentee ballot application requests for South Carolina, Georgia, and New Hampshire. The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is Oct. 8.

Former S.C. Sens. Tom Pope of Newberry and Tommy Moore of Aiken, along with Dr. John Crangle, executive director of S.C. Common Cause, were panelists for “Political Corruption in S.C.,” which focused on Operation Lost Trust, an FBI sting operation launched in 1989 that was designed to weed out drug use, then later corruption, in the S.C. Legislature.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_20160922_190240.jpgFormer S.C. Sens. Tom Pope of Newberry and Tommy Moore of Aiken, along with Dr. John Crangle, executive director of S.C. Common Cause, were panelists for “Political Corruption in S.C.,” which focused on Operation Lost Trust, an FBI sting operation launched in 1989 that was designed to weed out drug use, then later corruption, in the S.C. Legislature. James Salter | For The Newberry Observer

U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), middle, addressed Newberry College students and faculty, answering questions before enjoying a meal in Kaufmann Dining Hall on Sept. 19. At his left is Freddie Gault, his campaign manager, and at left is State Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-Greenville).
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_20160919_113705.jpgU.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), middle, addressed Newberry College students and faculty, answering questions before enjoying a meal in Kaufmann Dining Hall on Sept. 19. At his left is Freddie Gault, his campaign manager, and at left is State Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-Greenville). James Salter | For The Newberry Observer

Justice Kaye Hearn speaks with Newberry College students during her visit to campus during Politics Week. Hearn discussed the Constitution, its relevance today, and the different styles of constitutional interpretation used by the judiciary. Hearn also provided students with her three secrets to success: “show up, work hard, and be nice.”
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_20160920_201112.jpgJustice Kaye Hearn speaks with Newberry College students during her visit to campus during Politics Week. Hearn discussed the Constitution, its relevance today, and the different styles of constitutional interpretation used by the judiciary. Hearn also provided students with her three secrets to success: “show up, work hard, and be nice.” James Salter | For The Newberry Observer

Members of the SC Progressive Network’s Missing Voter Project presented their long-term initiative to greater numbers of “missing voters” to the polls. A “missing voter” is defined as one of the nearly 2.5 million eligible South Carolinians who are either not registered to vote or who have not voted recently.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_20160921_180815.jpgMembers of the SC Progressive Network’s Missing Voter Project presented their long-term initiative to greater numbers of “missing voters” to the polls. A “missing voter” is defined as one of the nearly 2.5 million eligible South Carolinians who are either not registered to vote or who have not voted recently. James Salter | For The Newberry Observer

Volunteers with the S.C. Progressive Network and the Newberry College Sociology Department operated four voter registration tables across campus last Thursday and registered more than 100 new voters. The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is Oct. 8.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_20160922_105121.jpgVolunteers with the S.C. Progressive Network and the Newberry College Sociology Department operated four voter registration tables across campus last Thursday and registered more than 100 new voters. The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is Oct. 8. James Salter | For The Newberry Observer

By James Salter

For The Newberry Observer