Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on Small Business Healthcare Bill

GOVERNOR PRAISES COMMITTEE FOR PASSAGE OF BILL
AIMED AT IMPROVING SMALL BUSINESSES' ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

Columbia, S.C. - January 22, 2008 - Gov. Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the S.C. House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee's passage of S.588, a reform the governor called for in his State of the State address aimed at making it easier for small businesses to offer health insurance to their employees:

"With 97 percent of all businesses in South Carolina being small businesses and with more than half of our workforce employed by those companies, this bill would both help them compete and help make insurance more affordable for our state's workers," Gov. Sanford said. "I want to thank the committee for moving forward on this bill, and I look forward to the full House acting on it soon as well."

The bill would allow small businesses to band together in order to purchase health insurance for their employees. Small businesses are currently saddled with over 30 mandates that, while well intentioned, make the health care they can offer less affordable.