FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SCGOP Chairman Connelly issues statement on Voter ID Passage

Columbia, SC – May 11, 2011 – South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly tonight issued the following statement on the passage of the Voter ID bill:

“Safe and secure elections are a bedrock principle in the republic we are blessed to live in,” Connelly said. “The House and Senate both did incredible work in breaking through literally years of Democratic obstructionism. Our Republican leadership in the General Assembly deserves great credit for recognizing the importance of safeguarding our elections, hearing the voice of the people, and acting upon it. South Carolinians have entrusted the Republican Party with providing common-sense solutions by electing an unprecedented House majority and placing conservatives in each constitutional officer post. The passage of voter ID legislation is just another example of strong Republican leadership.”

“We told the people of South Carolina that we were committed to securing our elections while also making voting more accessible, and I’m happy to say we came through,” Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler said. “We’ve passed secured elections, made legislative voting more transparent, given more insight into state budgeting, cracked down on illegal immigration, quickly approved Governor Haley’s nominees and even given her flexibility to fix South Carolina’s Medicaid crisis. We’re just one reading away from giving $100 Million of unemployment tax relief to our state’s businesses and tort reform is up next. We’re on a roll passing conservative reforms for South Carolina taxpayers and we’re not done yet.”

“The voters of South Carolina will now be able to cast their ballots on Election Day with peace of mind and confidence that the integrity of their vote has not been compromised,” said House Speaker Bobby Harrell. “I commend both the House and Senate leadership on their steadfast commitment to passing a bill that truly focused on the issue of voter fraud in South Carolina and I look forward to the bill being signed into law.”