As members of the Beaufort County Legislative Delegation stay in office longer, they find they're gaining more power and joining higher-ranking committees that could allow them greater influence on important bills.

Last year, Reps. Catherine Ceips of Beaufort and Bill Herbkersman of Bluffton -- both in their first terms -- were assigned to what lawmakers consider lesser committees. Ceips served on the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, while Herbkersman was a member of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.

But this year, Ceips and Herbkersman both have been promoted to the Judiciary Committee, considered a mid- to high-level panel that freshmen typically aren't allowed to join.

As House of Representatives members gain seniority, they typically try to join higher-ranking committees such as Ways and Means, which deals with taxes and the budget.

"When you write a bill, it could go through myriad committees," Ceips said. "Ways and Means is the most glamorous, but Judiciary is one that touches people's lives every day."

Herbkersman agreed, noting that part of the attraction of being in his second term means he is no longer on one of the committees reserved for first-term House members.

Being on the Judiciary Committee this year, he said, is "kind of a step up. I want to work my way up to Ways and Means and get my experience."

Hilton Head Island Rep. Richard Chalk, elected in November to his first term, had wanted to join the Education and Public Works Committee. But as a freshman, he doesn't have the seniority to join that panel and was instead assigned to Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs.

That has left Beaufort County without representation on the committee that deals with the environment and natural resources.

Herbkersman said last year when he was a freshman, he specifically asked to be placed on the Natural Resources Committee.

"Most of the rookies get on 3-M (Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs). I requested Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources because of all the environmental issues down here," he said.

Asked if it was a detriment to the county that it no longer has representation on the Natural Resources Committee, Herbkersman replied: "In a way it is. I talked to the chairman of Natural Resources, and he's agreed to let me sit in on all the meetings that affect this area, and I'll be sitting in on those. It's double duty, but for this area, it's something I've got to do."

Herbkersman said House Speaker David Wilkins had asked him to serve on the Judiciary Committee because of a need to have businessmen on the panel. Herbkersman said he liked the idea and hoped it would help him push through a proposed overhaul of the civil justice system to put limits on jury awards in injury lawsuits that supporters call "tort reform."

"About 80 percent of the laws in the House come through Judiciary. And we've got some important laws with tort reform coming through," he said.

Ceips agreed that Judiciary was a good committee to serve on and that Beaufort County wouldn't suffer just because it doesn't have representation on Natural Resources. She said local lawmakers could speak with the Natural Resources Committee chairman if the panel ever debates a local issue.

Besides, lawmakers have to keep track of what's happening in every committee regardless of whether they serve on that committee, she said.

"You've got an eye on everything going on up here," Ceips said. "You sort of have a handle on what's going on in all committees."

In addition to their main committee assignments, Ceips and Herbkersman also were chosen to serve on smaller committees. Ceips is on the Ethics Committee, while Herbkersman is a member of the Rules Committee.

The Ethics Committee deals with complaints or questions about the conduct of House members. Ceips said the committee already has dealt with three or four issues this year.

Herbkersman said the Rules Committee lays the framework for the House's operating procedure.

"You review all the rules and rule changes, and it kind of sets the tone," he said.

While House members are assigned to one committee and some join two committees, senators generally are assigned to five committees.

Both senators who represent parts of Beaufort County -- Scott Richardson of Hilton Head Island and Clementa Pinckney of Ridgeland -- serve on the powerful Finance Committee. That panel deals with tax policy and writes the state budget. (Half of the Senate's members are assigned to Finance, while the other half join the Judiciary Committee.)

Pinckney, Richardson and Rep. Walter Lloyd, D-Walterboro, could not be reached for comment.

Rep. Thayer Rivers, a Ridgeland lawyer, said he was happy to serve on the Judiciary Committee, which he considered the second-most powerful in the House.

"It's where all the action is," Rivers said. "All of the laws in South Carolina, unless they deal specifically with a tax bill, an education bill, doctors or regulating banking or insurance ... probably about 80 percent of the laws of this state go through Judiciary."

Chalk said while committee assignments are important, lawmakers can affect bills that aren't assigned to their committees.

"You don't necessarily get things accomplished on the committee you're on. It's never the way things have worked," he said. "My interests would be more from the outset on education issues. I have to get enough seniority to be able to earn a position on that committee. ... With rank comes privileges, so the longer you serve, the better chance you have to get on better committees."