(Columbia-AP) March 4, 2004 - House Speaker David Wilkins removed Orangeburg Representative Jerry Govan from the Judiciary Committee on Thursday one a week after Govan had a heated exchange with another representative that allegedly nearly came to blows.

Last week Govan went to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison's office after a bill didn't get out of a subcommittee. Govan, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, was pushing a bill to help elect more black judges.

Harrison has said Govan grabbed him during the exchange and others had to separate them. Govan would not say whether he touched Harrison and said he would not comment on something based on hearsay. Both confirm that judiciary staffers and others came into the office to separate them.

Wilkins says the incident can't be tolerated, "Never, never, is there any excuse for a member of this body to mistreat, abuse or physically accost another member, period." The speaker criticized Govan from the House floor Wednesday after he said the offending member - he didn't criticize Govan by name - did not publicly apologize, despite being asked to do so by the speaker.

Wilkins says he wants the House to give him more authority to handle similar incidents in the future.

Govan will now serve on the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee.

Govan says his lawyer has advised him not to speak on the matter, but he and other Black Caucus members say the larger issue is that blacks are frustrated by a lack of respect in the House.

Govan and other members of the Legislative Black Caucus say the punishment just furthers their beliefs that black lawmakers are not respected. Wilkins says the House does not have a problem with race.

Govan and Harrison last week said they resolved their differences.

The Legislative Black Caucus had been trying for two weeks to get the caucus's bill to revamp the Judicial Merit Selection Commission through the subcommittee.

updated 2:18pm by Chris Rees