COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – The South Carolina General Assembly opened its 2021 session on Tuesday promising not to let COVID-19 interrupt its work and with the largest Republican majority in the modern-day Senate changing rules that could limit long debates.
It was a very different opening day. There were masked lawmakers – though not all – and elbows and punches instead of hugs and handshakes. There was extra security in uniforms and uniforms, complementing the typical Statehouse security in suits after last week’s violence, when a mob stormed the United States Capitol in Washington.
The Senate welcomed six new members to the 46-seat chamber. Three of them are Republicans who have replaced Democrats. They did not change their leadership, electing Republican Harvey Peeler de Gaffney as president of the Senate after he was nominated and supported by the leader of each party.
Peeler took office for the first time two years ago, when voters passed a constitutional amendment removing the vice governor from the role of chairman.
Peeler is demanding that all senators and officials wear masks in the legislature, where almost half of the members are over 60. But in his opening speech, he told the senators that they would not stop meeting. The coronavirus outbreak in 2020 meant that the Senate met only briefly for the most pressing issues after mid-March.
“We have a duty for our constituents to attend work because we have a lot to accomplish this year,” said Peeler. “This session will be different from any other.”
While the extra security was noticeable, lawmakers said they were not even concerned about the FBI telling state and local police that there were threats of armed protests and possible violence in capitals in all 50 states. They credited plans developed after fiery protests in 2015 against the Confederate flag to fix any deficiencies in the Statehouse’s guard, its grounds and legislative buildings.
“We are inviting people to use the grounds of the State House as they did in the past, for peaceful protests,” said Senate minority leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.
The Chamber met in an organizational session in December, which means they did little on Tuesday, but, say hello, they met for a few minutes and then postponed, allowing Mayor Jay Lucas and the President Pro Has Tommy Pope read the 500 designs submitted at the start of the session to an empty chamber.
Outside of Hutto’s election as a minority leader, most of the Senate leadership remains the same.
Republican Senator Shane Massey of Edgefield was re-elected majority leader in the Senate. “I think the state needs leadership and I have something to offer,” said Massey.
The new broader Republican majority has changed some Senate rules. The biggest one was making it easier to force a vote on a bill.
The new blocking rules allow senators to limit amendments or changes to the bill as part of their motion to limit debate. According to the old rules, any amendments submitted before the debate ended had to be considered. Senator Mike Fanning had 194 amendments to an education bill last year, meaning that if he took his entire 10 minutes to talk about each one, he would have spoken more than 32 hours.
“Yes, this is reactionary,” said Massey.
The new rules also require a larger vote than most for the final approval of a bill after the debate has been limited.
Hutto acknowledged that his 16 Democrats could do little to change Republican minds about the rules of the 46-member chamber and told Republicans that he trusted his offer in good faith to use the new rules sparingly and continue the state Senate tradition of robustness. , through the debate.
“I hope you respect our ability to offer our differences,” said Hutto.
Real business was limited on Tuesday, as bills had to be tabled and committees have not yet started work. But the simple fact of being in the Chamber shows that the state’s businesses work despite a COVID-19 pandemic that had a record number of cases in recent weeks and more than 5,300 deaths.
“We are working to send a sense of normalcy back home. If teachers can teach, if the police can police, legislators can legislate, ”said State Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville.
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