Their Views

Imagine that the hottest new street drug is killing more than 600 South Carolinians every year, and sending 6,200 to the emergency room. ...

Now imagine that the Legislature wouldn’t let police arrest people who use the illegal drug unless they’re caught breaking into homes and cars or robbing pedestrians at gunpoint. Most people who use the drug don’t commit crimes, the legislators would explain, so we have no right to take away their right to use it.

Of course that’s simply too ridiculous a scenario to imagine. ...

But it is essentially what’s been going on in the Legislature for years, as some legislators defend the so-called ‘‘right’’ of people to put themselves at direct risk of injury, to endanger others (by making themselves less able to control their vehicles after a collision) and to subject the rest of society to huge financial burdens — all by refusing to wear seat belts when they use the public highways. ...

The House will try once again to pass this commonsense law, which most South Carolinians support. ... The only real argument against it is a foolish one that holds that individuals should be able to enjoy all the advantages of living in our communities while being left alone to do whatever destructive things they want. That’s not the way our country works. That’s not the way society operates. And it’s time for the Legislature to say so.

The (Columbia) State

Lawmakers should tilt concerns toward patients

Doctor discipline in South Carolina would be more open to the public under a bill passed by the South Carolina House of Representatives.

In a state where doctors now can work the system to keep the public in the dark about their serious misconduct, this is an important step forward. The bill would require that formal complaints regarding allegations of misconduct, and the doctor’s response, be made public.

Today, a doctor can face a long string of charges, and even multiple attempts by the S.C. Board of Medical Examiners to suspend his or her license to practice medicine, and the public won’t know it. ...

Change is needed, especially as the legislature has moved this year to cap medical malpractice awards in South Carolina. The state must bring the healthy flow of sunshine into disciplinary procedures involving those same doctors. ...

Like most legislation, this one represents compromise. We realize everyone cannot always get everything they want. We applaud the House, in this case led by bill sponsor Phil Sinclair, R-Spartanburg, for moving toward greater public scrutiny of such a personal and important issue. We encourage the legislators to tilt their concerns toward the patients. The issue of medical discipline ultimately should be considered from the perspective of a patient’s right to know.

The (Hilton Head) Island Packet

Tragedy might help bring changes to DSS

While the state Department of Social Services has been cleared of any criminal negligence in the events leading up to the deaths of the Meza family, a probe into how the agency protects children is warranted.

DSS had been investigating the Meza family for more than three months when, in August, all five family members were found dead in their York County home after a fire. The children had been killed before the fire started.

... The deaths sparked an internal review by DSS officials, which concluded that, while DSS procedure had not been followed, no one was criminally negligent.

Now, however, the executive board of the S.C. Legislative Audit Council has voted unanimously to audit the agency. ...

Auditors will look at child abuse and neglect cases to determine if DSS officials took the proper course of action. The investigation also may help determine whether the agency has enough staff and resources to do its job.

As state Rep. Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, noted, this is ‘‘fantastic news for children.’’ Simrill deserves credit for continuing to press for this audit. ...

Nothing will undo the Meza tragedy, but perhaps the family’s death will prompt changes that will save the lives of other children.

The (Rock Hill) Herald