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A consensus could be developing that something’s got to give with South Carolina’s higher education…
Eric K. Ward
Eric Ward is an investigative reporter and researcher with the South Carolina Policy Council.
Ward joined the organization in October 2009 after nine years at Free Times, the alternative newsweekly in the South Carolina capital of Columbia, where he was news editor of the publication, overseeing its local, state and national coverage.
Prior to that, Ward conducted an independent, nationwide oral history project focused on the future of the United States. His journalism career also includes three years as a daily newspaper reporter.
Ward received a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of South Carolina and has won several writing and reporting awards. His interests include writing, politics and government, civics and democracy, environmental issues, music, photography and the great outdoors.
You can contact Eric at: eric@thenerve.org or call (803) 254-4411.
5 min read
For Richland County government, being located in the middle of dysfunction junction has its advantages….
The 2012 session of the General Assembly, already one of the lengthiest in the nation,…
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A new state law prohibits local governments in South Carolina from using state funding to…
4 min read
Gov. Nikki Haley’s legacy as a state elected official, presently a work in progress, could…
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In the most recent legislative session, bills were introduced to tighten conflict-of-interest rules for state…
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It was December 2010. Gov. Nikki Haley had not yet taken office, the 2011-12 legislative…
Richard Davis, founder and president of the Capitol Consultants government relations firm in Columbia, reported…
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Editor’s note: Nerve Citizen Reporter Talbert Black and state Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, talk about…
S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell made a big announcement prior to the 2012 PGA Championship…
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There’s something to be said for reading the S.C. Constitution. In one example, the state’s…
If you loathe crowds, you might want to stay away from malls and other large…
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AT&T spent $276,000 trying to influence state government during this year’s legislative session, the largest…
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More than five years ago, the S.C. General Assembly was warned about potential conflicts of…
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More than a dozen state agencies disregarded the intent of state law and collectively spent…
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South Carolinians who were supposed to benefit from the state’s multimillion-dollar share of a national…
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If South Carolinians want to know who some state legislators are looking out for in…
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The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a mostly government-funded nonprofit that acts like a private…
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Despite the state spending hundreds of millions on economic development, a new report suggests South…
Gov. Nikki Haley was critical of more than just $57.1 million in legislative appropriations when…
The General Assembly is putting South Carolina taxpayers on the line for another $77 million…
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South Carolina legislators, whose power dominates the three branches of state government, once again have…
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When the S.C. General Assembly passes a budget each year, just like when families plan…
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Supporters of special-interest tax breaks for wealthy “angel” investors in South Carolina will have to…
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The S.C. General Assembly once again is tinkering with half-measures to address publicly funded lobbying,…
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The S.C. Department of Commerce is continuing its longstanding practice of paying for promotional services…
An ethics case involving Gov. Nikki Haley already has been the apparent source of a…
The S.C. General Assembly is moving to take control of a questionable legislative cash cow…
3 min read
The Boeing Co. is feeling the love for South Carolina’s congressional delegation – most of…
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A bill that has moved another step closer to passing would have the state subsidize…
Despite concerns across the country about a higher education “tuition bubble,” the University of South…
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An S.C. House-passed bill to monumentally strengthen the state’s open-government law faces a precarious road…
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The S.C. House passed a counter-proposal Wednesday to a Senate plan for restructuring state government,…
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Many state agencies and entities such as public-private partnerships work relentlessly to increase their economic…
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The S.C. Forestry Commission is supporting a bill to put its director on an obscure…