Courson, Smith update students on green laws
Two of the environment’s biggest supporters at the Statehouse offered updates on state legislation and urged citizens to continue supporting environmentally conscious efforts at a meeting in West (Green) Quad Monday night.
State Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, and State Rep. James Smith, D-Richland, were on hand to answer questions and give an insider’s perspective on current environmental issues in South Carolina government.
A group of USC students and members of the local John Bachman Group of the South Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club were an enthusiastic audience.
Courson and Smith, both previous South Carolina Sierra Club Conservationists of the Year, told the audience that citizens play a critical role in changing laws and viewpoints.
“It’s the people back home who email and send letters and support our efforts who are the most important,” Courson said.
Smith also encouraged South Carolina residents to make their voices heard.
“What I do doesn’t go anywhere without your vote and without your support,” he said.
One of the largest issues discussed was an ongoing fight over the legality of dredging the Savannah Harbor to accommodate larger cargo ships.
Cary Chamblee, a South Carolina Sierra Club lobbyist, explained that South Carolina’s House and Senate passed a resolution earlier this year denying a permit for the Army Corps of Engineers to begin the process, citing environmental concerns.
“I believe we took the right step,” Smith said in reference to the resolution.
Other topics for discussion included tax cuts for solar power and trash flow across county lines.
James Armstrong III, a second-year political science major, said that the meeting provided a good opportunity for discussion about critical issues.
“Basically, the environment’s important,” Armstrong said. “It’s neat to see two representatives from opposite ends of the spectrum fostering the environmental health of our communities.”