Legislator removed from committee

COLUMBIA - House Speaker David Wilkins on Thursday removed Rep. Jerry Govan from the Judiciary Committee after the Orangeburg Democrat had a heated exchange with another representative last week that nearly came to blows.

Govan, D-Orangeburg, went to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison's office last week after a bill didn't get out of a subcommittee. Govan, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, was pushing a bill intended to help elect more black judges.

Harrison, R-Columbia, has said Govan grabbed him during the exchange and others had to separate them.

Wilkins said Thursday that he gave Govan notification he would be moved from the high-profile Judiciary Committee to the smaller Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee.

"The actions that took place last Thursday were totally inappropriate and cannot be tolerated," said Wilkins, R-Greenville. "I felt I had to act for the integrity of the House, and I needed to ensure there is a good and proper work environment in the Judiciary Committee."

It's not the first time there has been tension between members in the House. Last May, Rep. Leon Howard, a black Columbia Democrat, charged Rep. John Graham Altman's desk, calling the white Charleston Republican a "racist bastard" after Altman scuttled a bill Howard was pushing. A crowd formed, and Howard challenged Altman to "step outside" before Sergeant-at-Arms Mitch Dorman stepped in.

Wilkins criticized that incident last year but did not take action against the members.

"The difference in this one is the physical altercation aspect of it," Wilkins said. "Being disrespectful of members, losing your temper, none of that is acceptable behavior. But this certainly went further than actions that I'm aware of in the past."

Govan said he has sought legal counsel, who has advised him to limit his comments on the matter. However, he said the speaker has the authority to make committee assignments and can reassign members if he so chooses.

Govan and other members of the Legislative Black Caucus say the larger issue is that blacks are frustrated by a lack of respect in the body.

Govan and Rep. John Scott, D-Columbia, said many pieces of legislation by black caucus members do not get passed.

In this case, another black caucus member, Howard, sponsored similar legislation that already passed subcommittee, Wilkins said.

"Sometimes, there is legislation that the members simply don't support," Wilkins said. "It has, in my opinion, nothing to do with whether the member is a Republican or a Democrat or a member of the black caucus or not."

Scott, another black caucus member, asked the speaker to allow him to speak on the House floor about the issue, but Wilkins denied his request.

Scott later criticized Wilkins for taking to the House floor Wednesday and telling members that he'd asked the "offending member a number of times to make a statement of apology and regret."

"We don't know what happened in that room up there. The door was closed," Scott said. "[Govan] was tried by an individual and that was wrong."