New regulation targets Occupy

COLUMBIA -- The showdown between Gov. Nikki Haley and the Occupy Columbia protesters continues.

Haley will preside over an emergency meeting of the state Budget and Control Board today to discuss whether to adopt a new regulation that will allow state officials to stop the protesters from camping on the Statehouse grounds, where they have been staying day and night since mid-October.

Richard Eckstrom, a member of the board and the state's comptroller general, said the state needs to take action to add a layer of protection for the public's health and welfare.

Schoolchildren visiting the Statehouse, for instance, can learn a lesson in democracy by seeing the protesters, but they shouldn't have to walk around a campsite to take a tour, he said.

"I don't think anyone wants to deny anyone's use of the property; it's a matter of achieving a useful balance," Eckstrom said.

The board's potential action follows a federal court ruling Wednesday that found state regulations not sufficient to kick the protesters -- and their gear -- off the grounds.

Haley ordered the arrests of any protesters who marched after 6 p.m. Nov. 16., citing a public health hazard because of the occupiers' camping gear and food supply.

Haley also said the protesters had urinated in the bushes outside the Capitol and threw around debris, including toilet paper. In the first month of protest, the governor also said the occupiers had cost the state $17,000 for outside lighting and law enforcement overtime.

Nineteen protesters were arrested and charged with unauthorized use of Statehouse grounds. Seven later sued Haley and law enforcement officials over a complaint that their First Amendment rights were trampled on.

Tim Liszewski of Columbia was one of the 19 arrested and one of the seven that filed suit.

Liszewski's objective is to have a presence at the Statehouse, the way lobbyists do, he said. The protesters are working with the Statehouse grounds crew to preserve the area's pristine appearance, including shifting their tents several times a week to make sure the grass isn't harmed, he said.

The matter comes down to free speech, Liszewski said.

"They don't like what we have to say," he said of the state leaders opposing their stay.