Bourbon in The Back Room

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Representative Justin Bamberg, from Bamberg County, to discuss representing a small county, Justin's background and family, his practice as an attorney, becoming a civil rights lawyer, the unfortunate shift to Washington style politics at the State House, his controversial take on the income tax, and so much more! Hear the Senators, "bourbon briefs" segment, where they review top...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Shannon Erickson, chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, and discuss education in SC, early childhood care, key issues in public safety, autism care, and so much more! Hear about SC’s proposed liability changes, the state budget, the battle between the senate finance and the Treasurers office, fetal heartbeat bill, Nancy Mace’s continued attacks on Alan Wilson - and highlig...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Molly Fortune, to discuss celebrating SC's role in winning the revolutionary war! They then speak with Representative, Brandon Newton, to discuss raising teacher pay, serving on Ways and Means committee, tax reform, national political scene, Nancy Mace's new controversy, and so much more! Hear about the new "freedom to read" bill, funding school vouchers with lottery money, ...

 For the Third Year in a row Vincent and Joel host the podcast from the SC Realtor's Association Annual Conference with Guest, Speaker Pro Tempore Tommy Pope, and discuss what REALLY happened to the mysterious 1.8 billion, controversial  funding issues for South Carolina's education system, school vouchers, updates on Nancy Mace's and Alan Wilson's Gubernatorial aspirations, how the Parties have shifted to the e...

Joel sits down with guest, Chuck Todd, to discuss all things political reporting. They talk about combatting the rise of antisemitism in the US, effective reporting, aftermath of meet the press, how Chuck got started in politics, the benefits and detriments of AI in reporting, Lee Bandy, how to repair local news and communities, tribalism’s negative impacts, and so much more! Hear two true political junkies dive deep into their wor...

 Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Representative J. Todd Rutherford, to discuss Gambling in South Carolina, sports betting, funding state programs, dram shop liability, the fate of the missing 1.8 billion, and how the Freedom Caucus has changed the statehouse. They discuss whether we should get rid of all income taxes, Nancy Mace's ranting in congress, how leadership has devolved in U.S. politics, and so much more!

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Chairman Bruce Bannister, to discuss South Carolina's 40 Billion Dollar Budget, what South Carolina does with your tax dollars, how we became one of the most rapidly growing States, and so much more! Hear political insiders discuss how the State will fund school vouchers, what to look for this year in South Carolina politics, public schools, replacing buses, and how allocation of resources...

Vincent and Joel sit down with Will Folks and have an in-depth and substantive discussion about the tumultuous and turbulent year of 2024. 
They give a touching homage to Senator Kay Patterson and Congressman John Spratt, discuss the changes in the SC court system, controversies in the Freedom Caucus, what’s happened in South Carolina politics, and so much more! 

Support the show

Keep up to Date with BITBR:

Twitter.com/...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Lieutenant Governor and State Senator, Andre Bauer. They discuss his substantial background in politics, how working hard in politics can pay off, what is required to succeed in Rural Politics, and so much more! Hear an insider scoop on Andre's federal appointment that has NEVER been reported and enjoy one of the most comprehensive interviews Andre Bauer has ever done!

Get your la...

Happy Thanksgiving! Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Senator Nikki Setzler to discuss how he became a 48-year veteran of the State Senate and the longest serving Senator in the Nation. They discuss South Carolina politics, policy, historical changes, and what's in store for the future. Hear about his family's famous local Lexington fast-food restaurant, what it was like entering politics in the 70s, Joe Wilson's...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, journalist extraordinaire, Maayan Schechter to discuss the landmark elections occurring at local, State, and national levels in the United States. 
Hear insider takes on the national elections, who won and lost in South Carolina, and what the near future is going to look like for you, the listener, based on the changing political landscape. 
Newly elected Rep. Heather Bauer makes a spec...

Vincent and Joel sit down with our guest, Professor Bobby Donaldson, director of USC’s Center for Civil Rights History, to take a deep dive into the impact of race, ethnicity, and history on today’s political scene. 
Learn about politics and race from the Civil War, Reconstruction, up to today.  This episode is timely!

Get your latest Statehouse update and hear firsthand the rationale behind some of the legislature&apo...

Joel sits down with Mary Green, reporter for WIS, WCSC, WHNS, WMBF, WTOC, WRDW, and WBTV.  Joel and Mary break down various upcoming State and National elections, including the hotly contested Bauer-Finlay and Ott-Guerry races.  Then, Joel and Mary also discuss how the upcoming election results may impact the makeup of the General Assembly and the potential legislation that may follow the elections.  Also, Joel and Mary discuss the...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, SCDC Director Bryan Stirling, and discuss the status of SCDC, Bryan's interesting background as an attorney, declining crime rates, how we got the LOWEST recidivism rate in the country, SC plans for improvement, making SC safer, and so much more. Hear how your tax dollars get spent, about Medicaid expansion, S.C. Superintendent of Education's decision to partner with a controversial s...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, North Carolina House member, Zack Hawkins to discuss southern politics, N.C.'s changing political dynamics, and the heated battle for N.C.'s Governor seat. Hear about both states' public schools, funding, how local politics in both states impact the national political scene, a discussion on the S.C. Supreme Court's strong ruling on the use of public dollars for private schoo...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Valerie Bauerlein, national reporter for the WSJ, and talk about her career in journalism and her beginnings in South Carolina political reporting.
They do a deep dive into her new book, The Devil at His Elbow, and talk in depth about the Murdaugh crime saga that has rocked South Carolina over the last several years. 

Hear political and journalistic insiders discuss the interwoven...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Antjuan Seawright and discuss national politics, the state of Washington D.C., how S.C. is still involved on a national scale, and so much more! Hear an insiders take on cell phones in classrooms, the death penalty, primary elections, S.C. in national elections, the first African American woman nominated for president, and what's going on behind the scenes in the presidential races. 
<...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Speaker of the House, Ambassador, and all-around statesman David H. Wilkins and discuss integrity in politics, the Speaker Wilkin's background, history in politics, growing up in Greenville, becoming the ambassador to Canada, and so much more! Take a look back at South Carolina when it was almost entirely run by Democrats, why that changed, and how leadership has shifted. Your hosts discus...

Vincent and Joel sit down with guest, Senator Larry Grooms, and discuss his family and background in business, the most recent updates on LOFTISgate, magistrate judge qualifications, how state funds get allocated, and the argument for school choice and public funding for it. Hear how Senator Grooms and Joel come from similar backgrounds, the S.C. Budget, how the senate has changed over the years, and so much more!

Get your...