THE BUZZ

“I paid for the chicken boxes.”

-- Senate Finance chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, speaking about a box of Bernie’s Broasted Chicken that lawmakers used to write out parts of a deal on state property tax reform.

SAIL AWAY

Gov. Mark Sanford consistently has beaten the drum for tax relief this year, and to make sure his bases were covered, he sent out a press release last week advocating a laundry list of options.

Since the Legislature has swatted aside previous proposals for income tax cuts, income tax rebates and rescinding the gas tax, the governor threw about every other option on the table.

But what really caught The Buzz’ eye was the clip art next to the proposal for property tax relief — a picture of a beach house replete with palm trees and pilings.

Not sure whose house that was, but we bet they’re pleased with changes in the tax system.

TURN IT UP

Call Encyclopedia Brown; it’s the case of the missing microphone.

Rep. Marty Coates, R-Florence, was left without one during floor debate last week.

According to witnesses, Rep. Michael Thompson, R-Anderson, was practicing on Coates’ mike to later pilfer Rep. B.R. Skelton’s, R-Pickens, microphone.

But Thompson fumbled the heist and broke the microphone, leading Rep. Ken Kennedy, D-Williamsburg, to hold the remaining cord above his head.

“I’ll give it back later,” said Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg.

Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown, a fictional boy detective, may be needed as lawmakers plow through bills this week.

POWER PLAYS

Immigration reform isn’t the only thing that separates South Carolina’s U.S. senators, according to a new power rankings index.

Lindsey Graham placed 20th in the U.S. Senate and first among his Palmetto State peers, while Jim DeMint was placed 99th, or least-powerful , among all senators.

The ranking was done by Knowlegis, a software research firm and part of a group that prints a range of congressional guide books. Interviews with staffers and academics, as well as reviews of legislative and political activities and position, are used in the evaluation.

Among U.S. House members, S.C.’s two Democratic representatives, who hold the most seniority in the group, fared best.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is House Democratic Caucus chairman, ranked highest, at 49th. He was followed by John Spratt (80th), and Republicans Gresham Barrett (110th), Joe Wilson (112th), Bob Inglis (121st) and Henry Brown (250th).

ON THE TRAIL

DeMint will get a little push in South Carolina this week.

Former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, the Georgia Democrat who stirred up the crowd at the last Republican National Convention, will speak at a DeMint fundraiser in Columbia on Tuesday.

Since leaving the Senate, Miller has joined the McKenna Long & Aldridge law firm in Atlanta and Washington, advising its clients on public policy issues. He also contributes to the Fox News Channel.

The fundraiser will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center at 6 p.m.

Y’ALL COME

Stephen Colbert, star of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” who grew up on James Island and now lives in the Big Apple, was in Charleston last week to address an international business conference.

Colbert, whose speech at the recent White House Correspondent’s Dinner sparked controversy, taped on-air promos for ETV’s election coverage and spoke with Andrew Gobeil, ETV’s news and public affairs producer.

During the interview, Colbert had this to say about Southern accents (and why he lost his):

“The first thing that they would say is, ‘Where’s your accent?’ Then I would say anybody who had a Southern accent on TV (when I was a kid) was supposed to sound stupid, and I wanted to sound smart. So, I decided that I was going to speak like John Chancellor at a very young age. And I have to be drunk, angry or tired for my Southern accent to come out.”

“And the second thing that they would say is, ‘Y’all really keep voting Strom Thurmond back in?’ And I go, ‘Yeah, I voted for the man.’”

• AT THE STATE HOUSE

Some ways to influence lawmakers this week:

TUESDAY

• THE HOUSE convenes at noon.

• THE SENATE convenes at noon.

WEDNESDAY

• THE HOUSE convenes at 10 a.m.

• THE SENATE convenes at 2 p.m.

THURSDAY

• THE HOUSE convenes at 10 a.m. for final day of session.

• • THE SENATE convenes at 11 a.m. for final day of session.

MORE MEETINGS

• Go to http://www.scstatehouse.net/ for a list of meetings.

LAST WEEK

PROPERTY TAXES: Lawmakers reached agreement on a wide-ranging plan that more than doubles statewide relief for owner-occupied homes, raises the sales tax but cuts the levy on groceries and gives additional millions to many of the poorest school districts. The agreement must be approved by lawmakers and Gov. Mark Sanford.

COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE: An legislative effort to end common-law marriage was shelved. Senate leaders gave up the effort after concluding continued pursuit of its abolition would take away too much time better devoted to passage of other proposals.

PROPERTY RIGHTS: The House will take up the hot-button issue of eminent domain this week. The Senate completed work on its version of a bill limiting local governments’ ability to take private property.

FETUS PROTECTION: The House gave key approval to a bill establishing criminal penalties for injuring or killing an unborn child. Under the measure, a person who commits a violent crime against an expectant mother that also injures the fetus she is carrying, will be guilty of a separate offense.

SEX OFFENDERS: The House gave final approval to a bill requiring child molesters to wear electronic monitoring devices. The bill does not include the provision added to Jessica’s Law in the Senate that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for someone convicted a second time of molesting a child younger than 11. An effort by some House members to insert the provision in the Senate bill is expected.

TO LEARN MORE

• YGA Today, midday news from inside the State House, is updated several times each legislative day at http://www.thestate.com/.

WHAT THEY MAKE

• Go to http://www.thestate.com/ for an updated, searchable list of salaries for state employees earning more than $50,000 a year.