Briefs
by John TempleLigon
Moving on up Ellis, Lawhorne & Sims, P.A., Attorneys at Law, recently expanded to occupy both the fifth and sixth floors of the Carolina First Building at 1501 Main Street. Established in 1980, the firm has grown over the past five years from 24 attorneys to 32 and from 11 paralegals to 19.

Lottery pays A Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) report presented to the Budget and Control Board cited critical research funded by the lottery. The report emphasized the collaboration of endowed professorships created by the CoEE program from 2003- 06 and credited the Endowed Chairs Program for significant scientific collaboration among the three research universities. Lottery appropriations funded $180 million in the CoEE.

Abacus Planning Group recognized In late October in Las Vegas, Schwab International announced Devine Street's Abacus Planning Group among the winners of the second annual IMPACT Awards, an industry- wide awards program to honor financial advisors and firms that have advanced the industry through their visionary leadership, operational excellence, technology innovation, and impressive growth. Abacus is a 16- person firm overseeing more than $500 million in assets for 145 clients.

Life at the beach For the first nine months of 2007, the Myrtle Beach area was the state's leader in job growth at 2.9 percent. But it also suffered the biggest drops in home construction. For the coming year, Myrtle Beach is expected to see single- housing permits drop by another 42 percent.

Investments from China China plans to build a 5,000- acre integrated logistics center at a S.C. location to be announced. The logistics center is part of a $100 million investment plan in S.C. that could add 1,000 jobs. During the past 29 years, China's economy has grown at an average rate of 9.6 percent. For 2006 and 2007, the economic expansion rate in China has been running about 11.6 percent.

Immigration bill prefiled State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell has called for the state authority to deny benefits to illegal immigrants. McConnell introduced a resolution requesting a national constitutional convention to address states' involvement in the enforcement of illegal immigration. The U.S. Constitution precludes states from enforcing federal immigration law. Senate bill 856, as proposed by McConnell, calls for a constitutional amendment to give states powers, to include the power to deport illegal immigrants, the ability to prescribe civil and criminal penalties to illegals, the ability to deny government services, and the power to regulate illegal immigration in any manner not specifically pre- empted by an act of Congress. The last constitutional amendment adopted was in 1992.

Leatherman's award South Carolina Sen. Hugh Leatherman, a Republican who represents Darlington and Florence counties in District 31, is the winner of the third annual David Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership. The award is sponsored by the Riley Institute at Furman University. The annual Wilkins Award dinner, where Leatherman will receive the award, will be January 7, in the Columbia Convention Center. Tickets are $125 per person and can be reserved by calling 864-235-8330.

State slump forecast The nationwide economic slump will have an impact on South Carolina's budget. Over the past three years, state spending has grown 43 percent. For the same period, the state's rate of population growth plus inflation was 18 percent.

Columbia in comparison Last week, the property taxes on a $400,000 home were compared between Charleston and Columbia, and Columbia's taxes cost almost twice the Charleston taxes, $7,330 vs. $3,786. Property taxes on a $400,000 home in Columbia are higher than the taxes on a $400,000 home in any city in North Carolina, highest being Durham at $5,788. The property taxes on a $400,000 home in Charlotte are $5,189, $2,141 less than Columbia's $7,330.