The governor would directly control more state agencies -- including some now overseen by other elected officials -- under a government restructuring plan pitched Wednesday by Republican leaders.

Gov. Mark Sanford, House Speaker David Wilkins and Senate president pro tem Glenn McConnell pitched the plan as an extension of reforms initiated by former Gov. Carroll Campbell a decade ago.

The goal, they said, is a more efficient and flexible government.

"Restructuring, ultimately, is about delivering more cost-effective and cost-efficient government to the citizens of South Carolina," said Sanford, whose campaign pledge to restructure government is at the heart of the proposed legislation.

While restructuring should not cost the state any money, Sanford said, it would likely reduce state jobs.

Under the legislation, the governor would appoint the secretary of state, education superintendent, state treasurer, comptroller general and agriculture commissioner -- rather than allowing voters to elect them.

If lawmakers approve that part of the proposal, the state's voters also would have to approve it, since it would require a change in the state constitution.

Some lawmakers fear that will limit voters' rights to select candidates.

The "removal of direct public input" on constitutional officers is a significant change that will require lengthy debate by legislators, said House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Richland.

But Sanford said the legislation would not take away voters' voices. "They will still have that loud and clear in the legislative and executive branches."

Wilkins agreed that voters' rights to elect statewide officials "is sacred and must be guarded.

"But we can also agree that just as the governor appoints the heads of agencies like DSS and the Department of Revenue, it's appropriate for him to make additional appointments."

Two elected positions -- attorney general and adjutant general -- would not become appointed under the proposal unveiled Wednesday.

The state needs an independent prosecutor to "preserve a critical check in the system," Sanford spokesman Will Folks said. And while Sanford is "open to looking at the possibility" of making the adjutant general position appointed, "now is just not the time to do that.

"With so many Guard members deployed overseas," Folks said, "we didn't feel it was appropriate at this time to engage in any kind of political debate over the adjutant general's position."

The adjutant general leads and directs the 13,500-member S.C. Army and Air National Guard, and oversees operations of the S.C. State Guard and the State Emergency Management Division.

The proposal also would make changes in the lieutenant governor's office. It would require that the governor and lieutenant governor nominees selected by political parties run as a team -- as nominees for president and vice president do -- rather than running separate campaigns. It also would make lieutenant governor a full-time position.

"Having a ticket is simply more conducive to getting things done ‘.‘.‘. and to have a strong right arm advancing your proposals," Folks said. "Look at Dick Cheney and the immense support role he plays to President Bush. That's in a lot of ways the ideal relationship.

"Lieutenant governor will be a closer advisory position‘.‘.‘. an integral component of the exec branch of government, like vice president is at the federal level."

The "S.C. Government Restructuring Act" also would give the governor greater flexibility to move Cabinet agency programs and functions from one department to another. It would greatly reduce the size of the Budget and Control Board -- which now handles much of the state's administrative duties -- and create a Department of Administration as a Cabinet-level agency.

That would make state government leaner and more responsive, McConnell said.

South Carolina is 30 percent above the national average in the cost of delivering goods and services, Sanford said, citing figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Former Gov. Carroll Campbell led the move to restructure state government a decade ago. Wilkins said this legislation would continue that process.

"Now that we've worked under that restructured government for almost a decade, we've seen what works and where we need to make even greater reforms," the Greenville Republican said.

State Sen. Tommy Moore, D-Aiken, said he would like to hear specific details of the plan and study the impact of previous restructuring.

"We need to find out what are the results of restructuring in 1993; what have we benefited; what monies have we saved?" Moore said. "Just to say we're restructuring and ride (off) in the sunset saying we've solved the problems of South Carolina, I think is very naive."