COLUMBIA - A watchdog group started by a Murrells Inlet man was at the center of a spat in the Statehouse on Thursday over election challenges for House incumbents.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, called a news conference to answer what he said were attacks financed by out-of-state interests that are trying to oust incumbents.

He refused to name any such groups, but one of the targeted legislators named South Carolinians for Responsible Government as the backer of his opponent.

The organization was started three years ago by Murrells Inlet resident Tom Swatzel. Swatzel served two terms on Georgetown County Council.

In a news release, Swatzel said Harrell's endorsement of the challenged incumbents "is nothing more than a call to maintain the status quo."

The news conference came a day after several challengers were endorsed by the S.C. Club for Growth, which is part of a national group that describes itself as Reagan-style conservatives.

Ads also began running on some TV stations for the challengers.

Harrell said the groups have a right to endorse candidates but the public should know about the out-of-state influence.

Spokesmen for both groups said they receive funds from many locations and so do legislators. The groups do not have to report their finances to anyone under state ethics laws.

"The people of South Carolina should decide who their representatives are," Harrell said. "I just hope you can see through the ads that are being put out."

Harrell said the challenged incumbents, most of whom are in the Midlands, helped hold government growth to 3.9 percent, helped provide $1 billion for tax relief over the past years and worked for "volumes of economic development."

Rep. Bill Cotty, R-Columbia, said his challenger is supported by both groups because of his strong opposition last year to a bill called Put Parents in Charge. It would have provided tax credits for people to send their children to private schools or public schools in a different district.

Club for Growth's leaders said Cotty was opposed to "school choice."

"I am not ashamed of being supportive of our public schools," Cotty said at the news conference. He said the state's public schools have too many needs that should be funded before the state starts paying for people to attend private school.

Harrell would not say whether the incumbents who are upset about the backing of their challengers are also upset with House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island. Merrill's brother, Denver Merrill, works for South Carolinians for Responsible Growth.

The majority leader is supposed to help members of his party get re-elected.

But Cotty said Denver Merrill's association with the organization did not affect his confidence in Jim Merrill.

"I trust Jim Merrill to be ethical," Cotty said.

Swatzel said the group does not endorse candidates but supports a change in the status quo that the incumbents represent.

"SCRG will continue its efforts to educate the general public on issues of concern in an effort to have them become engaged in the electoral process," Swatzel said.

This week

The upcoming week promises to be hectic in both the House and Senate. It is the last week for them to pass bills and send them over to the other side.

At the same time, the Senate is taking up the state budget and will not consider anything else until that is done.

Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, said he hopes they will finish the budget Wednesday night and be able to pass some other bills to get them to the House before adjourning for the week.

Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said he may call a meeting of the Judiciary Committee for Tuesday evening to handle some pending bills.

Among those is one that sets a sliding scale for annual Sunday alcohol sales permits. But the Senate staff said it doubts that information needed for the bill will be ready in time.

Also in danger is a Senate bill that provides state protection to isolated wetland. Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach, held it up with an objection, which means that debate on it would have to be forced, and that isn't likely to happen this week.

But lobbyists for the Coastal Conservation League, which supports the bill, said they think it still has a chance. The bill can be passed in the Senate after the deadline, and the House can receive it by a majority vote.

The House plans long days to handle as many bills as it can.

So far in the two-year session, 1,962 bills have been introduced in the House and 1,367 in the Senate.

The figure includes resolutions such as those congratulating people and asking to have roads and bridges named for people.

The number of bills enacted into law in the two years: 261.

Bobby Harrell | speaker of the House, R-Charleston