Notes on Carroll Campbell’s RecordLooking back on his administration, it is clear that God used Carroll Campbell as a public policy leader. Here are just a few areas.
Adoption. Carroll Campbell worked to make adoption affordable for working families, pushing for a $10,000 reimbursement for employees of state government who adopt. Campbell took the idea to the National Governor’s Association with the support and advocacy of his friend Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas.
Gambling. Carroll Campbell worked to roll back and fight the expansion of gambling by resisting video poker and a state lottery. He also negotiated the agreement with the Catawba Indian Tribe that kept them out of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), made Catawba gaming a state matter and refused the tribe any special rights to video poker. (An important consideration in light of Tuesday’s lower court ruling to the contrary. That fight is not over. Stay tuned.)
Life. Governor Campbell had a huge impact on life issues. 1) He signed the Parental Consent Act in 1992, which according to South Carolina Citizens for Life, caused abortions to decline by 14 percent the next year, the single largest annual decrease. 2) He signed an Act insuring that women know the health risks involved in abortion and know that alternatives to abortion exist. 3) He signed the Abortion Clinic Regulation Act making South Carolina’s clinic regulations some of the strongest in the country.
Family Sustenance. Carroll Campbell worked for policies that reduced the burden of government on working families by creating a $40 million tax break for parents of children under 6. Because of this, South Carolina doubled the tax exemption for parents in 1994. Campbell worked to streamline state government operations and limit state spending. Campbell knew that economic issues were family issues, too.
