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Week Ending December 6, 2008

Issue – Recorded Voting

The movement toward voting transparency within the Statehouse made some progress this week. During the organizational session where the House adopts their procedural rules for the coming year, a rule requiring recorded voting in the budgeting process was introduced by the Speaker of the House, Rep. Bobby Harrell (Charleston). After a series of debates lasting several hours, the new rule was adopted.

The issue of recorded voting was brought before the public earlier this year during a series of press conferences held by Rep. Nikki Haley, Rep. Nathan Ballentine and Gov. Mark Sanford. Rep. Haley plans to introduce a bill this Session that will bring further voting transparency to the budgeting process. I gave Rep. Haley early support on this issue and attended their press conference in Columbia earlier this year.

I voted Yes for the rule change

Issue – House Ethics Committee Election

The House Ethics Committee consists of six House members elected by the House as a whole. Any House member can seek election to the committee and the six members who receive the most votes are elected. Seven members sought election.

Following are the new members of the Ethics Committee – Laurie Funderburk, Phillip Lowe, Michael Pitts, William Sandifer, J. Roland Smith and Annette Young. Funderburk is the only Democrat.

I voted for Nathan Ballentine, Phillip Lowe, Michael Pitts, J. Roland Smith and Annette Young

Issue – Committee Assignments

The House has six standing committees –

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Education and Public Works
Judiciary
Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI)
Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (3M)
Ways and Means

I was assigned to the Agriculture Committee.

Other Freshman assignments of note –

Rita Allison (Spartanburg) – Education
Chandra Dillard (Greenville) – Agriculture
Mike Forrester (Spartanburg) – Agriculture
Dan Hamilton (Greenville) – Judiciary
Joey Millwood (Spartanburg) - Agriculture
Wendy Nanney (Greenville) – Judiciary
Steve Parker (Spartanburg) – Agriculture
Bill Wylie (Greenville) – Education

Committee movements of note –

Harry Cato (Greenville) – from LCI (Rep. Cato was elected Speaker Pro Tempore)
Dwight Loftis (Greenville) – from Agriculture to Ways and Means
Eric Bedingfield (Greenville) – from Education to LCI
Nikki Haley (Lexington) – from LCI to Education
Nathan Ballentine (Richland) – from Education to 3M

Other News –

I was invited to attend the 2008 States and Nations Policy Summit this week in Washington, DC. I was privileged to hear addresses from Congressman Tom Price of Georgia and Former Speaker Newt Gingrich. The sessions covered subjects such as funding higher education, transparency in government, future energy demand, and tax reform. The Summit was held by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).