By S.C. Department of Natural Resources

Published on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 10:37am |

• Sports

An estimated 50,000 hunters will take to the woods during the upcoming turkey season, generating an estimated $30 million in direct expenditures for South Carolina's economy.
     
The 2009 wild turkey season runs April 1 through May 1 for all Wildlife Management Areas where turkey hunting is allowed and on private lands in 34 counties that make up Game Zones 1-5. The season opens March 15 and runs through May 1 on private lands only in Game Zone 6: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper and Orangeburg counties.
     
Saturday, March 27 is Youth Turkey Hunt Day in areas where the season opens on April 1. On this day, youths 17 and under who are accompanied by a properly licensed adult (age 21 and older) may hunt turkeys. Only the youth can take or attempt to take turkeys. Tagging requirements remain in place for this special youth day.

By JAY BENDER/SCPA

Published on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 10:19am |

• Opinion

When the first South Carolina Freedom of Information Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in 1971, the bill stated that "The General Assembly finds that it is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner…." 

The purpose of this openness is to allow citizens to "be advised of the performance of public officials… the decisions…reached and…the formulation of public policy."    

These findings make sense.  The promise of democracy is hollow if the people are precluded from learning of governmental activity, and it is clear in the very first provision of the South Carolina Constitution that the political power of the state resides in the people.    

Yet, as we observe National Sunshine Week and the principle of "government in the sunshine," we are daily confronted by those who have been elected or employed to operate our government for us, who disregard the mandate of the law in order to hide their activities from the public.