GREENVILLE, S.C. -- State lawmakers met briefly on Tuesday to open for what promises to be a very busy session of the General Assembly.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer gaveled the Senate to order just after noon. House Speaker Bobby Harrell followed suit with the House just minutes later.

House Speaker Discusses Legislative Priorities

Much of the session was ceremonial and procedural.

Both the state Republican Party and Democratic Education Superintendent-elect Jim Rex have inaugural events planned for Tuesday night.

Gov. Mark Sanford, Bauer and other constitutional officers will be sworn into office during a ceremony at the Statehouse on Wednesday.

Among the issues the House is expected to debate are cigarette taxes and smoking bans, the cost of retirement and the state's program that lets teacher draw retirement pay and continue to draw a paycheck, too.

But perhaps the most contentious issues will concern proposals to make major restructuring changes to state government.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell said that some of the legislation will be of particular interest to the Upstate.

Both the House and Senate will debate a proposal for statewide smoking ban that would be very similar to the one recently enacted in Greenville.

Greenville's ban is tied up in court because the proposed state ban is less restrictive and might take precedence over a city ordinance.

Lawmakers will also discuss ways to protect private computer information like the kind accidentally sold on old Greenville County schools computers..

Harrell said that the priorities are the economy, education, reform and restructuring.

Among the restructuring changes proposed are a bill that would let voters decide whether most constitutional offices, like secretary of state, treasurer and superintendent of education would become positions by the governor.

"We ought to put all of the constitutional offices, or as many as we can, on the ballot for the public to decide if we're going to keep the form of government we have or change the form of government," Harrell told WYFF News 4's Gordon Dill.

Other legislation includes as a bill to raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax by 60 cents a pack. That debate may be derailed by legislators who have pledged not to raise taxes of any kind

As far as education goes, Harrell said the legislature needs to fix the PACT test and make college more affordable.

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