Over the years, various lieutenant governors have tried to make more of that job than the state constitution ever intended. Now, the House of Representatives has joined in that pursuit. The House actually passed a bill this week that would put the lieutenant governor in charge of affordable housing. We can only conclude that the advocates of government restructuring in that body were fast asleep.

According to a story in The Greenville News, the legislation was spearheaded by Rep. Harold Mitchell of Spartanburg and had a total of 48 sponsors. The aim is to bypass the State Housing Finance and Development Authority through the creation of a 15-member advisory commission to be run by a director appointed by the lieutenant governor, the News reported.

Rep. Mitchell was quoted as saying the issue would get more attention under the lieutenant governor, who was given the Commission on Aging two years ago. The article cited problems the Legislative Audit Council found with the housing agency two years ago. It also quoted a housing agency spokesman as saying $329 million has been invested in more than 4,000 housing units in the last fiscal year. A governor's aide reminded us that the housing agency is under new management since Gov. Mark Sanford took office and the Budget and Control Board is poised to approve a $85 million bond issue for multi-family housing for the first time in 10 years. Further, the seven-member housing board already has a 22-member advisory committee.

"To create an entirely new division and place it somewhere other than the State Housing Authority runs completely counter to what we've been talking about for the better part of four years, which is government restructuring and government efficiency," governor's aide Joel Sawyer told the News. He's exactly right. So is Sen. David Thomas, a former candidate for lieutenant governor. Here's what Sen. Thomas told the News:

"This is totally senseless. The office of lieutenant governor is a part-time position. It is not meant to be a constitutional position where you have agencies under your control. That has not been the history of the office. To try and create some special status for the lieutenant governor to try and pretend like the lieutenant governor is anything other than a bully pulpit for significant issues, I think is just a waste."

The measure passed with virtually no comment in a frenzy of bill approval this week in the House. Several House members since have told us they were taken by surprise by news accounts of the legislation's potential impact.

The lieutenant governor's spokesman did tell the News that his boss didn't initiate the new duties. That should make it even easier for Sen. Thomas to stop this ill-advised move dead in its tracks.