On Wednesday, Sens. Vincent Sheheen and Chip Campsen proposed a compromise compromise to try to break the Senate logjam on DOT reform.
Or maybe that’s a compromise compromise compromise; I don’t know. Lawmakers as a body refuse to do the simple, obvious thing that would actually address the structural problem with the agency’s accountability — eliminate the commission in any form and put the elected chief executive in charge. Since that’s not going to happen — despite some good efforts from Sen. John Courson and others — we have to look to something much less to make any progress at all.
Under the Sheheen/Campsen proposal, the governor would hire (and fire, at will) the director to run the agency "charged with the construction, maintenance, and operation of the state highway system pursuant the direction of the planning commission."
The current commission would be abolished. Legislators would appoint a Transportation Planning Commission (in the same way they now appoint board members), which would be charged with "developing a budget for the department’s operations and the systematic planning of the state highway system, the development of a statewide mass transit system, and the review and authorization of routine operation and maintenance requests and emergency repairs. "
Even this was too much for the Senate. While the reformers were willing to go along with it, they didn’t constitute a large-enough number. It was tabled on a 20-19 vote. An AYE is a vote to table the amendment; a NAY is a vote to support the amendment.
AYES
Alexander Anderson Ford
Hutto Jackson Land
Leatherman Leventis Malloy
Matthews McGill Moore
O’Dell Patterson Peeler
Rankin Reese Ritchie
Short Williams
NAYS
Bryant Campsen Cleary
Courson Cromer Fair
Grooms Hawkins Hayes
Knotts Lourie Martin
McConnell Ryberg Scott
Setzler Sheheen Thomas
The Senate also rejected another plan, which means senators will return to work Tuesday to face the continuation of the John Land filibuster against the McConnell-Grooms plan — which in reality is a filibuster against any reform at all, because the effort here is to keep the bill from ever going to conference committee, where status quo supporters fear the Senate conferees will accept the House bill.
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Business as usual, I see.
Thanks for publishing the names and votes of the various senators, Brad.
SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAYS EMBARRASS ME. THE
PATCHED BUMPS KNOCK MY CAR OUT OF LINE.
OUR HOUSE AND SENATE ARE TOO IMPRESSED WITH
POWER, CONTROL AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR
THEMSELVES.
COMMON SENSE TELLS YOU TO PROVIDE GOOD ROADS
FOR OUR TOURISTS. CHECK OUT TEXAS AND TENNESSEE!!!!!
Thanks for giving us the pertinent details. I just wrote to my Senator (Jackson) and asked him to support DOT reform.