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Robert W. Harrell, Jr. (born on March 7, 1956) is a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 114th District since first elected in 1992. Harrell has served as the Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives since House members elected him to the post in 2005.

Early political career

Harrell was the chairman of his Freshman Caucus in 1992. Two years after Harrell was elected, he was appointed to serve on the Ways and Means Committee in 1994. Later, he was elected to serve as Majority Leader from 1997–1999 when he became the Ways and Means Committee Chairman in 1999. He has also served as Chairman of the Economic Development and the Public Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee. In South Carolina, State Legislators serve as part-time employees making only $10,400/year.

In addition, he receives $11,000 as House Speaker. Also, South Carolina legislators can claim $131 a day in per diem expenses. During the 30-month period between January 1, 2008, through June 30, 2010, Harrell received total compensation of $128,406, according to information obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.

Business career

Harrell earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife own a State Farm Insurance agency and Palmetto State Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical repackaging company.

State legislature

Among Harrell's biggest focuses has been in the area of economic development. In 2010 Harrell sponsored the S.C. Economic Development Competitiveness Act. Since the bill’s passage, South Carolina has jumped to the top of more than a dozen business competitiveness rankings – including being ranked number one in the nation for “Economic Growth Potential” by Business Facilities magazine.

Harrell was among South Carolina political leaders credited with playing a key role in getting Boeing Co. to build a 787 Dreamliner assembly plant in North Charleston, S.C. The $750 million assembly line and 3,800 direct jobs by Boeing stands as the state’s largest announced economic development project ever.

A study of the economic impact Boeing’s new plant will have on South Carolina reported that it will add $6 billion to the state’s economy annually and will create a total of 15,278 permanent jobs. In 2009, Business Facilities magazine awarded the S.C. Department of Commerce the Economic Development Deal of the Year Award for their work in recruiting Boeing to South Carolina.

Originally, it was estimated that the incentives package offered to Boeing was approximately $450 million. But a later analysis by the paper estimated that Boeing will receive more than $900 million in total incentives.

Reimbursement controversy

In September 2012, the Charleston Post and Courer reported that Harrell had reimbursed himself more than $325,000 from his campaign war chest since 2008 but had produced no receipts or itemized invoices accounting for the spending.

In South Carolina, politicians must maintain such documentation for four years to prove they are using campaign money for political rather than personal spending. Harrell told the Post and Courier that all his expenses were legitimate. But the State Ethics Commission told the paper that without the required documentation, it is impossible to confirm that Harrell spent the money properly.

Harrell's office claimed that the Speaker reimbursed himself less than the fair market value of his flights.

Knowledge economy

In 2008, Harrell, legislative leaders and business executives formed the Knowledge Sector Council. In an effort to support South Carolina’s growing knowledge-based economy, the public/private Council was created to encourage research universities, economic development entities, private businesses and state agencies to work together in expanding jobs and economic opportunity.

South Carolina has realized a 10-to-1 return on its state investment in the area of hydrogen technology and has partnered with over 40 different companies. Over five years, the state invested $12.2 million which spurred an additional $115 million in non-state investments. 

The Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina is home to the largest concentration of hydrogen scientists in the world. In an independent statewide analysis of South Carolina’s hydrogen and fuel cell potential, ICF International determined that “this industry represented a significant knowledge-based market opportunity for the state.”

This has led several South Carolina companies to make significant investments in this new technology. Proterra Is investing $68 million and says it will create more than 1,300 jobs at its Greenville, S.C., plant where it will specialize in developing hybrid battery and hydrogen fuel cell buses. Bridgestone Firestone's Aiken, South Carolina plant recently converted its entire forklift fleet to more efficient, cost-effective hydrogen powered forklifts.

However, some have questioned the state's investment in hydrogen, including the South Carolina Policy Council. For instance, more than $40 million in tax dollars have been invested in hydrogen research in the South Carolina Midlands alone through 2010 with the net result being the creation of a couple hundred jobs, according to information released by Harrell's office.

Speaker elections

Harrell was unopposed in being re-elected Speaker in 2006 and 2008. In September 2010, Rep. Ralph Norman challenged Harrell for Speaker. Harrell was overwhelmingly re-elected Speaker in 2010, easily defeating Norman who only drew five votes of support - including his own vote - among the 124 House members.

Tax Foundation

The Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank, recently released a study that ranked South Carolina as having the lowest state tax collections per capita in the nation.

This ranking is due in large part to the more than $20 billion in tax cuts the S.C. Legislature has passed and the Legislature’s willingness to cut government spending instead of raising taxes to balance its state budget – resulting in a 2.4 percent average growth in government spending that Republican lawmakers have held since gaining the majority in 1994. This growth rate in state spending is well below proposed spending caps.

Awards

• 2008 SC Economic Developers Association Legislator of the Year
• 2007
  • "Friend of the Taxpayer" - South Carolina Association of Taxpayers
  • Top 10 People Who Made a Difference by Southern Business & Development magazine
  • Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership from Furman University’s Riley Institute (recognizes legislator with leadership, integrity, vision, civility, and courage)
• 2006 "Friend of the Taxpayer" - South Carolina Association of Taxpayers
• 2005 "Friend of the Taxpayer" - South Carolina Association of Taxpayers
• 2004
  • Fraternal Order of Police House Member of the Year Award
  • SC Solicitors Association Legislator of the Year Award
• 2000 "Friend of the Taxpayer" - South Carolina Association of Taxpayers

Political contributions

In 2010, Harrell received the largest amount of political contributions – $47,425, or nearly 22 percent – from lawyers and lobbyists, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. The next-largest amount, $30,100, came from health professionals.

For the 2008 election, Harrell received $361,053 in contributions. The largest contributing industries were real estate ($29,825), and lawyers and lobbyists ($28,000).

References

1. ^ SC State Legislature, Robert W. Harrell, Jr. Official Biography
2. Empire Center, Legislative Salaries Per State
3. Lawmakers Cost Taxpayers Millions, The Nerve, October 5, 2010
4. SC Economic Development Act of 2010, SC State Legislature, 2009–2010 Legislative Session
5. 2010 Ranking Report, Business Facilities, July/August 2010
6. He helped bring in Boeing; Big Deal, Charleston Post and Courier, February 15, 2010
7. The Economic Impact of Boeing in South Carolina, The Alliance for South Carolina’s Future, May 2010
8. Boeing Impact Study, The Alliance for South Carolina’s Future, May 2010
9. Study looks at Boeing’s impact, Charleston Post and Courier, May 21, 2010
10. Boeing Co. deal earns national recognition, Charleston Post and Courier, January, 11 2010
11. ^ Boeing's Whopping Incentives, Charleston Post and Courier, January 17, 2010
12. Harrell Offers No Details on Self-Reimbursement of $325,000 from Campaign Funds, Charleston Post and Courier, September 24, 2012
13. Harrell Offers No Details on Self-Reimbursement of $325,000 from Campaign Funds, Charleston Post and Courier, September 24, 2012
14. Harrell's Office Says Speaker Reimbursed Himself Below Market Value for Flights, Charleston Post and Courier, October 17, 2012
15. GOP Leaders Target Job Hunt, The State, July 31, 2008
16. Hydrogen Investment May Offer 10-to-1 Return for South Carolina, Charleston Regional Business Journal, June 22, 2009
17. Focus on strengths to grow new S.C. economy, The State, February 14, 2010
18. Hydrogen: Proving to be a Great Investment for SC, South Carolina House of Representatives, June 19, 2009
19. Proterra Selects Greenville as New Location for Research, Development and Assembly of Advanced Battery Commercial Vehicles and Systems, South Carolina Department of Commerce, February 4, 2010
20. Plant could create up to 1,300 jobs, The Post and Courier, December 7, 2009
21. Plant to invest in futuristic forklifts, Aiken Standard, April 4, 2008
22. South Carolina Policy Council, Statehouse Leaders Continue Hydrogen Push Despite Shortfalls, July 10, 2009
23. Harrell re-elected speaker, Charleston Post and Courier, November 17, 2010
24. State Tax Collections Per Capita, Tax Foundation, February 25, 2011
25. Estimated Tax Savings, S.C. Board of Economic Advisors, Fiscal Years 1996 to 2010
26. Government Growth, S.C. Office of State Budget, Fiscal Years 1995 to 2010
27. ^ Bobby Harrell, 2010 Campaign Contributions, Follow The Money
28. Bobby Harrell 2008 Campaign Contributions, Follow The Money

External links

• South Carolina Legislature - Speaker Robert W. Harrell, Jr. official SC Legislature website
• Project Vote Smart - Representative Robert W. Harrell, Jr. (SC) profile
• Robert W. Harrell, Jr. campaign contributions - Follow the Money

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• Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
• 1956 births
• Living people