Gov. Haley sets deadlines for domestic violence task force

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Gov. Nikki Haley has instructed members of her domestic violence task force to take the problem personally, saying if their effort fails, people die.

Haley led the first meeting Tuesday of the group she created last month to come up with recommendations for stemming South Carolina’s generational cycles of domestic abuse.

She told more than 40 people gathered at the Department of Juvenile Justice that their task involves evaluating how people respond to victims, not how the victim thinks. The final report is not due until Dec. 31. But Haley laid out her deadlines of interim reports due over four phases.

South Carolina has long ranked among the nation’s worst states in violence against women. The House and Senate have separate bills aimed at curbing the problem.