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| Monday, Jan 27, 2003 |
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Posted on January 22, 2003 Panel outlines plan to remold government
tony.taylor@shj.com COLUMBIA -- A panel created to revamp state government and campaign finance laws released a report Tuesday calling for massive reorganization of the executive branch of government, tightening campaign disclosure laws and transferring more power from state government to local government. The report, released by Gov. Mark Sanford's task force on government restructuring and campaign finance reform, said the executive branch could be streamlined by eliminating the offices of Secretary of State and Comptroller General and changing the offices of Adjutant General, Superintendent of Education and Commissioner of Agriculture and Treasurer from elected offices to Cabinet-type agencies headed by the governor. Sanford, who briefly attended the news conference Tuesday, said repeatedly during the campaign that government restructuring would be one of his top priorities. He reiterated that position during the news conference. "I think anything that we can do in Columbia this year to focus on the structure of government in a positive way would be a plus," Sanford said. Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, said he does not agree with the task force's recommendation to eliminate the Secretary of State's office. Former Spartanburg County Clerk of Court Mark Hammond, who was elected in November, holds the office. "I think the Secretary of State does a lot of good for the people of South Carolina, and it's good to have someone who is accountable to the people," Hawkins said. The task force recommended reorganizing the executive branch into about 15 departments. The report recommends initiating campaign finance reform by requiring political parties and their legislative caucuses to report any donation over $500. Political parties also would be responsible for providing itemized disclosure of all their expenditures. Kevin Hall, a Charleston attorney and a task force co-chair, said making contributions public would force candidates to be more cautious when accepting donations. "There's more money in the political process than ever before," Hall said. "Some would say there is too much money in politics. It's indicative when someone can give huge amounts of money to the state's political parties to influence elections. It doesn't promote public trust." Efforts to change campaign finance laws died in the House last year. The bill, which cleared the Senate with only four meeting days left in the session, would have forced electronic report filing for candidates for state offices and Statehouse seats and would have forced reporting of "soft money." The Legislature had passed a similar law that was vetoed by former Gov. Jim Hodges. House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, said he applauds Sanford's efforts to reform campaign finance law. "Everybody should be able to look at their computer and see who is giving money to who," Smith said. "If we're (lawmakers) not proud of it, then we shouldn't accept it." The final item included in the 14-page report calls for giving more power to local governments. The task force recommends encouraging counties to hold elections to determine the fate of special purpose districts. Those districts typically govern themselves and are set up to handle a number of services, including water, sewer and fire. Many grew out of the gap that exists between county services and the needs of citizens. Hall said county governments are better able to handle those needs today and should be given the opportunity to do so. Tony Taylor can be reached at 582-4511, Ext. 7219, or tony.taylor@shj.com. |
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