Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:4862 Primary Sponsor:Kennedy Type of Legislation:CR Subject:Baxter Healthcare Cooperation Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19940308 Computer Document Number:GJK/20551SD.94 Introduced Date:19940302 Last History Body:House Last History Date:19940308 Last History Type:Received from Senate Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Kennedy Snow Harvin Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved
____ ______ ____________ ______________________________ ___ ____________
4862 House 19940308 Received from Senate
4862 Senate 19940308 Introduced, adopted, returned
with concurrence
4862 House 19940307 Adopted, sent to Senate
4862 House 19940307 Committee Report: Favorable 24
4862 House 19940302 Introduced, referred to 24
Committee
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TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THE GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND EACH MEMBER OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN EFFORTS TO HELP THE TOWN OF KINGSTREE AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY RECOVER FROM THE DEVASTATING NEWS THAT BAXTER HEALTHCARE CORPORATION WILL CLOSE ITS PLANT IN KINGSTREE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS PUTTING EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly were shocked to learn that Baxter Healthcare Corporation, a hospital products' manufacturer, will close its plant in Kingstree over the next two years, putting eight hundred thirty people out of work; and
Whereas, the company, which makes latex medical gloves and surgical trays at the Kingstree plant, will transfer those operations to Malaysia, a Pacific Rim nation with a ready supply of home-grown rubber and inexpensive labor; and
Whereas, this news is a big blow to the Town of Kingstree and Williamsburg County. Kingstree has approximately three thousand nine hundred residents, and Williamsburg County has approximately thirty-nine thousand residents based on the 1990 Census, and the loss of Baxter, one of the area's largest and highest-paying employers, will be difficult if not impossible to replace; and
Whereas, Williamsburg County, one of the poorest counties in the State, continues to suffer the highest unemployment rate in South Carolina at almost fourteen percent which is nearly double the state's and the nation's average; and
Whereas, one of the roles of government is to assist its citizens in times of crisis, and this announcement of the closing of the Baxter plant in Kingstree is clearly a time of crisis; and
Whereas, the federal government working in conjunction with the state government should now marshal those agencies, government officials, and programs which can help the citizens of Kingstree and Williamsburg County recruit industry, retrain workers, and provide the infrastructure necessary for economic development so that this poor region of South Carolina will not be permanently devastated by this announcement; and
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, hereby request the highest elected officials of this State and nation to take action immediately to soften the blow of this truly unfortunate and regrettable occurrence. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly memorialize the President of the United States, the Governor of South Carolina, and each member of the South Carolina congressional delegation to immediately begin efforts to help the Town of Kingstree and Williamsburg County recover from the devastating news that Baxter Healthcare Corporation will close its plant in Kingstree over the next two years putting eight hundred thirty people out of work.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to The President of the United States, the Governor of South Carolina, and each member of the South Carolina congressional delegation.