Legislation to restrict so-called leadership political action committees was introduced Thursday in the state House by Rep. Dan Tripp, R-Mauldin.

Tripp said his bill would require that leadership PACs be subject to the same reporting requirements as political campaign committees and would ban legislators who operate them from donating to legislative campaigns.

"The idea that we have one set of rules limiting money and disclosing donors for most campaign committees and a second set of rules that allows for big-money contributions to be funneled to the leadership make a travesty of our state ethics laws," Tripp said in a prepared statement.

The PACs are cash cows used by top legislative leaders to reward their supporters. The money often comes from individuals and business groups seeking access to the leadership, or support to pass, kill or amend legislation. They're prevalent in state capitals and Washington, where their use is part of an ongoing scandal and investigation.

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House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, has the largest of four such PACs in South Carolina, with $239,000 in cash as of Dec. 31, according to state Ethics Commission records.

Harrell's Palmetto Leadership Council has given each Republican House member, except the retiring Tripp, $1,000 this election cycle and also sponsors conferences at which members hear major national and international speakers.

After reviewing Tripp's statement, Harrell said, "Like any member of the House can, Dan has introduced a bill. I look forward to discussing this with members of the House."

The leadership PACs allow key lawmakers to accept more money -- up to $3,500 per donor -- than the $1,000 they are limited to for their own campaigns.

Tripp, who isn't seeking re-election, cast the lone vote against Harrell's election as speaker when David Wilkins of Greenville resigned last June to become U.S. ambassador to Canada.

He said Thursday that "there's a putrid smell emanating from the House chambers and it's not Gov. Sanford's pigs. Legislative loopholes that allow a House speaker or a committee chairman to shake down big business for leadership PAC contributions just don't pass the smell test."

Thirteen other House members co-sponsored the bill with Tripp, including Reps. Lewis Vaughn, R-Taylors, and Fletcher Smith, D-Greenville.