S.C. House leaders on Wednesday vowed to pass a bill strengthening the state’s criminal domestic violence laws by the end of the session.

The pledge came a day after WIS-TV reported that a House panel had killed one bill increasing penalties for domestic violence — while passing another making cockfighting a felony.

It also followed what critics called insulting comments about domestic violence victims made during the committee’s discussion of the legislation.

The controversy exploded after the WIS report, in which Rep. John Graham Altman questioned why battered women return to their abusers.

“The woman ought to not be around the man,” the Charleston Republican said. “I mean, you women want it one way and not another.”

Efforts by The State to reach Altman for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.

House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, and Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Harrison said they had talked about reintroducing a bill before the tidal wave of publicity following the WIS report.

“Criminal domestic violence is a critical issue and is something that should not be tolerated,” Wilkins said.

However, the report prompted Wilkins to send out a news release saying, “Criminal domestic violence and animal cruelty are both critical issues that this body takes very seriously.”

The Judiciary Committee on Monday tabled the domestic violence bill because it had several flaws that members objected to, said Harrison, R-Richland.

Wilkins said he and House staffers would clean up the bill and introduce a new version as early as next week.

Victims’ advocates, who had been dismayed by the committee’s actions, were thrilled at Wilkins’ news.

“The process has been very difficult and, in my opinion, very inappropriate, around this bill,” said Vicki Bourus, executive director of the S.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

In recent years, South Carolina has either led the nation or ranked in the top six in the rate of women killed by men.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, would have increased the penalties for domestic violence offenders and required judges to complete annual training in domestic violence issues.

Advocates said they had offered amendments to remove sections that committee members had objected to, such as one that expanded the definition of “physical cruelty,” a grounds for divorce.

But the amendments never got introduced. Instead, advocates said, committee members joked about the title of the bill and then tabled it with little discussion.

According to a tape of the meeting obtained by The State newspaper, Altman asked why the bill’s title — “Protect Our Women in Every Relationship (POWER)” — just mentioned protecting women. Harrison suggested making the bill the “Protecting Our People in Every Relationship” Act, or “POPER.”

A voice on the tape can be heard pronouncing it “Pop her.” Another voice then says, “Pop her again,” followed by laughter.

Cobb-Hunter and victims advocates didn’t think it was funny.

“And they wonder why we rank in the bottom on women in office and we lead in women getting killed by men,” she said.

Harrison said critics were “overreacting” and the comments weren’t intended to diminish the gravity of domestic violence. “If you take it that way, you’re overly sensitive,” he said.

WIS’ coverage became the subject of radio talk shows and State House chatter.

At one point during the report, Altman tells reporter Kara Gormley she is “not very bright” for questioning the committee’s actions.

Lawmakers who were in the room when Gormley interviewed Altman said the WIS report didn’t tell the whole story.

House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Charleston, said Altman gave a detailed explanation about the bill’s faults during the TV interview, but that portion wasn’t aired.

WIS news director Tina Blacklocke defended the piece but declined to let The State see the raw footage.

Cobb-Hunter said she doesn’t blame only Altman for killing the bill; any House member at the meeting could have saved it.

“The committee is made up of Democrats and Republicans, black and white, male and female. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a pox on all their houses.”

Staff writer Rick Brundrett contributed to this report. Reach Talhelm at (803) 771-8339 or jtalhelm@thestate.com.