South Carolina, famously hot tempered state that spurred on the Civil War, is once again mired in the important political questions of our time: Is it a great day in South Carolina today? Gov. Nikki Haley mandated in September that cabinet agencies greet people on the phone by saying, "It's a great day in South Carolina." So, of course, two Democrats have decided to legislate against this .... Reps. John Richard King and Wendell Gilliard are seeking legislation to say that state agencies can't force employees to use the greeting until unemployment sinks below 5 percent in the state. Gilliard really oversells it, as The Associated Press South Carolina wire reports:
"When you answer the phone and say, 'It's a great day in South Carolina,' to be honest with you, it's a lie," Gilliard said. "South Carolina is being misrepresented by its No. 1 leader, and that's the governor."
We admit South Carolina is doing its part to weigh in on other honest-to-God important debates like immigration and voting laws, these days. Also in the Democrats' defense, this regulation does make phoning up a state agency in South Carolina sound like a grim affair. As every fast food chain has taught us, there is no sunny greeting that a monotone teenage employee can't turn into something shockingly ironic. ("Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?") But still, it feels like there must be something else the state legislature should be doing, especially if it really and truly isn't a good day today in South Carolina.
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