Robert Ford (politician)

South Carolina State House

As senator, Ford has introduced many bills with only a small number becoming law, but has been more successful in contributing to compromise bills.[7] After becoming senator, Ford attempted to have the Confederate flag removed from the South Carolina State House.[21] It was the last state capitol to display a Confederate battle flag, and Ford had picketed the building in the 1960s as a symbol of discrimination.[7] Following years of debate, the flag was moved to a nearby monument with the adoption of a compromise bill authored by Ford.[7] He was responsible for the passage of a 1998[22] bill that paired Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with Confederate Memorial Day as paid holidays.[23] Ford stated that he hoped the legislation would improve race relations in South Carolina.

Ford described the election of judges by popular vote as a major goal[13] and supported increasing the number of judges.[24] He supported giving more authority to law enforcement, including the ability to search people on parole and probation without warrant, making attempted murder a crime with lifelong sentence, and increasing penalties for possession of illegal guns.[25] Ford is a proponent of stricter regulations of the financial industry.[26] He sponsored a 2006 ban on payday lending,[27] which was shown to discriminate against African Americans.[28] In 2008, Ford blocked all House bills in the Senate until the bill was taken up.[29] The bill failed in the Senate by a close vote and was heavily amended so lenders would not be banned but restricted. The bill then passed with Ford voting in favor but failed to advance after changes made in the House.[30] A bill preventing consumers from taking out more than one loan at a time passed the House in 2009.[31] Ford supported offshore drilling, stating conservation was not a priority for most citizens of the state.[32] Geologists believe there is little oil to be found off the South Carolina coast.[33] Ford wants to prevent the widening of Interstate 26 through Charleston, calling instead for a study for transportation needs.[34] Ford emphasized the need for more funding for school programs, which he claimed is necessary due to the small number of pupils attending college[35] and to remedy lacks of knowledge in geography and civics, which he wants reinstated as a school subject.[36] Ford was told about favoritism, intimidation and racism in the South Carolina Highway Patrol[37] and publicized it with Glenn McConnell.[38] Subsequently, director and deputy director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety resigned under pressure from governor Mark Sanford.[39]

Ford sponsored legislation defining a hate crime "as an assault, intimidation or threat based on 'actual or perceived' race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin and sexual orientation."[40] He also introduced several bills concerning gay rights in lodging,[41] hospital visitation rights[42] and partnerships. His partnership bill would provide for civil unions in South Carolina.[43] The effort was judged by state senator Mike Fair as predetermined to fail, but Ford cited the Democratic National Committee's platform on the issue and argued that Barack Obama's election showed that a change should be attempted.[44] Even if passed, the measure would be unenforceable, due to a constitutional amendment banning unions similar to marriage in South Carolina. Ford worked to outlaw profanity[45][46] and saggy pants and to keep music from minors that is "profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious or indecent."[47] Ford argued he did not expect these proposals to be approved but wanted to start a discussion specifically targeting young African American men's fashion as well as rap music. He stated: "You don't have to emulate prisoners no more. You can emulate somebody like Barack Obama."[47]

Ford often opposed governor Mark Sanford's political goals, arguing his proposed reforms were unwanted by the public,[48] and he mostly opposed Sanford's fiscal policy and worked to override budget vetoes by the governor, claiming he was removed from the interests of citizens.[49] An exception were security measures for the State House complex which Ford agreed were too costly.[50] He also opposed Sanford's goal to increase the number of roll calls in the State Senate[51] and voted against a 2008 immigration reform bill favored by Sanford, stating it would be an ineffective deterrent and would lead to less driving safety.[52] The reform would have required all employers to use state driver's licenses or a database from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to check the legal status of workers.[53] Ford co-sponsored a bill with Glenn McConnell that would limit the governor's authority to appoint and remove board members overseeing the Charleston port and increase required qualifications for board members.[54] Ford opposed a bill giving Sanford authority over the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.[55]