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SC General Assembly

SC General Assembly

Summary

The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. All together, the General Assembly consists of 170 members. The legislature convenes at the State House in Columbia.

Prior to the 1964 federal Reynolds v. Sims decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the House of Representatives was apportioned so that each county had a number of representatives based on population, with each county guaranteed at least one representative, while each county had one Senator. Moreover, each county’s General Assembly delegation also doubled as its county council, as the state constitution made no provision for local government.

Reynolds v. Sims caused district lines to cross county lines, causing legislators to be on multiple county councils. This led to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1975, which created county councils that were independent of the General Assembly. However, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local government. As a result, the legislature still devotes considerable time to local matters, and county legislative delegations still handle many matters that are handled by county governments in the rest of the country.

There are 124 members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who are elected every two years, and the South Carolina Senate has 46 members, elected every four years concurrent to the presidential election. For both houses, there are no term limits. The General Assembly meets in joint session to elect judges, with all 170 members having an equal vote in such elections.

Source: Wikipedia

OnAir Post: SC General Assembly

News

3% State Employee Raise; No Vaccine Lottery Yet in SC Budget South Carolina Public Radio | By Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press Published June 2, 2021 at 9:07 PM EDT Email South Carolina Statehouse AP File Photo Meg Kinnard/AP / AP FILE – This Jan. 17, 2021, file photo shows the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina’s Legislature is ending its regular session on Thursday, April 13, 2021, ceremonially wrapping up its duties but expecting at least several returns later in the year to handle more work, including how to spend federal funding related to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The state spending plan heading to the South Carolina House floor next week offers state employees a 3% raise and teachers a $1,000 bump in pay. The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday approved a nearly $11 billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The spending plan includes money the state didn’t spend this budget year because lawmakers feared a more serious economic downturn in the COVID-19 pandemic. One issue the committee decided was best taken up next week by the whole House was a proposal to provide big lottery prizes to people who get a COVID-19 vaccine, based on programs in Ohio and other states. Only about 34% of South Carolina’s population is vaccinated. The state is well below the 41% rate nationwide and in the bottom ten in the country. “People in South Carolina love the lottery. We’ve got to get people vaccinated. We’ve got to reach the younger population. We’ve got to reach those people that currently have some hesitancy. The thought of winning a million dollars could overcome that hesitancy,” House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said. The Columbia Democrat suggested setting aside $2 million for an outreach program and prizes. But after Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith said the proposal was confusing as written, Rutherford offered to wait and put the amendment up during next week’s full General Assembly special session. The House is amending the Senate’s version of the budget. The Senate plan included constructing veteran nursing homes as well as dozens of local projects like boat ramps, parks, festivals and repairs to a lighthouse. Typically, House members make a few changes here and there to the Senate’s plan. But this year lawmakers started off much more cautious because they worried about greater economic difficulties from COVID-19. But the taxes and fees collected by the state have exceeded the conservative predictions. South Carolina is approaching $2 billion more than lawmakers had to spend in the previous plan because they didn’t spend everything collected in this year’s budget. “When we talk about a lot of revenue, we need to put into perspective that this is two years of a budget,” said Smith, a Republican from Sumter. The 3% raise for state employees is more than the 2% offered in the proposed Senate plan.. State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, who has fought for better pay for state employees throughout her nearly 30-year Statehouse career, suggested a 5% raise that was voted down. Rep. Bruce Bannister said the proposed budget also pays the increase in health insurance premiums for state employees and adds additional money to their retirement plans. “Really we’re close to a 5% raise with all the benefits we’ve put in the budget,” said Bannister, a Republican from Greenville. Cobb-Hunter, a Democrat from Greenville, said the benefits are nice and appreciated, but don’t increase base pay, which is used to calculate retirement benefits. Other items in the budget heading to the House floor include: — $440 million for college and universities to repair buildings and encourage them not to raise tuition — A $1,000 raise for all teachers and to increase the minimum pay for first-year teachers from $35,000 to $36,000 — A nurse in every South Carolina public school — A police officer in every public school and putting those officers under the supervision of the Department of Public Safety — Pay increases for nearly every law enforcement officer in the state — $4 million to prosecutors and public defenders to help get through a backlog in cases after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down courts for months ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. Tags SC Newssc newsSCETV AppNewsstate budgetSC Legislature Email Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press See stories by Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press A Houston Hospital System Mandated The
South Carolina Public Radio, Jeffrey Collins

The state spending plan heading to the South Carolina House floor next week offers state employees a 3% raise and teachers a $1,000 bump in pay.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday approved a nearly $11 billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The spending plan includes money the state didn’t spend this budget year because lawmakers feared a more serious economic downturn in the COVID-19 pandemic.

One issue the committee decided was best taken up next week by the whole House was a proposal to provide big lottery prizes to people who get a COVID-19 vaccine, based on programs in Ohio and other states.

About

Source: Wikipedia

Officers

Senate

South Carolina Senate Officers
PositionNameParty
President of the SenateHarvey S. Peeler Jr.Republican
Majority LeaderA. Shane MasseyRepublican
Minority LeaderBrad HuttoDemocratic

House of Representatives

South Carolina House of Representatives Officers
PositionNameParty
SpeakerJames H. “Jay” LucasRepublican
Speaker pro temporeTommy PopeRepublican
Majority LeaderGary SimrillRepublican
Minority LeaderJ. Todd RutherfordDemocratic

See also

References

  1.  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/house.php
  2.  “Reynolds v. Sims 377 U.S. 533 (1964)”. Justia Law. Retrieved May 12, 2016.

Wikipedia

Governor Donald Russell addressing the Assembly in 1964

The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. All together, the General Assembly consists of 170 members. The legislature convenes at the State House in Columbia.

Prior to the 1964 federal Reynolds v. Sims decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, each county doubled as a legislative district, with each county electing one senator and at least one representative. Moreover, each county's General Assembly delegation also doubled as its county council, as the state constitution made no provision for local government.

The "one man, one vote" provision of Reynolds v. Sims[2] caused district lines to cross county lines, causing legislators to be on multiple county councils. This led to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1975, which created county councils that were independent of the General Assembly. However, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local government. As a result, the legislature still devotes considerable time to local matters, and county legislative delegations still handle many matters that are handled by county governments in the rest of the country.[3]

There are 124 members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who are elected every two years, and the South Carolina Senate has 46 members, elected every four years concurrent to the presidential election. For both houses, there are no term limits. The General Assembly meets in joint session to elect judges, with all 170 members having an equal vote in such elections.

Role

The main role of the South Carolina General Assembly is to pass laws "as the common good may require."[4] In order for a bill to become law, both the Senate and House of Representatives must vote to pass the bill by a simple majority. Then the bill must be sent to the governor. If the governor vetoes the bill, both houses can either sustain the veto or override the veto. Veto overrides require a two-thirds majority. Once he receives the bill, if the governor neither signs nor vetoes the bill, it becomes law after five days, Sundays excluded.[5]

Qualifications

Senators

According to the South Carolina Constitution, no person may serve as a senator who:[6]

  • Is not qualified to vote in state elections
  • Is not a resident of the district in which he or she seeks to represent
  • Is not at least 25 years of age
  • Has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony or voter fraud or bribery unless 15 years has elapsed since the time was served.

Representatives

According to the South Carolina Constitution, no person may serve as a representative who:[7]

  • Is not qualified to vote in state elections
  • Is not a resident of the district in which he or she seeks to represent
  • Is not at least 21 years of age
  • Has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony or voter fraud or bribery unless 15 years has elapsed since the time was served.

Officers

Seal of the General Assembly, c. 1790.

Senate

South Carolina Senate officers
PositionNameParty
President of the SenateThomas C. AlexanderRepublican
Majority LeaderA. Shane MasseyRepublican
Minority LeaderBrad HuttoDemocratic

House of Representatives

South Carolina House of Representatives officers
PositionNameParty
SpeakerMurrell SmithRepublican
Speaker pro temporeTommy PopeRepublican
Majority LeaderDavey HiottRepublican
Minority LeaderJ. Todd RutherfordDemocratic

Historic party control

Statehouse Party Control since 1868
Year[a]Senate
Majority		House
Majority		Governor
Control
1868RepublicanRepublicanRepublican
1870
1872
1874
1876DemocraticDemocratic
1878Democratic
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974Republican
1978Democratic
1982
1986Republican
1990
1994Republican
1998RepublicanDemocratic
2002Republican
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2024
2026TBD

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Years reflected in chart match gubernatorial elections

References

  1. ^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - House of Representatives".
  2. ^ "Reynolds v. Sims 377 U.S. 533 (1964)". Justia Law. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  3. ^ "Scoppe: The Home Rule Act that didn't really allow home rule". thestate. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  4. ^ "ARTICLE III LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). scstathouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  5. ^ "ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). scstatehouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  6. ^ "ARTICLE III LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). scstathouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. ^ "ARTICLE III LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). scstathouse.gov. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_General_Assembly
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