Lobbyists, protesters, placards greet lawmakers

Newly elected Rep. Joan Brady, R-Richland, had packed her two children off to college after winter break and, in a way, started school herself Tuesday.

Brady joined fellow freshman members from the Columbia area — Nikki Haley, R-Lexington; Nathan Ballentine, R-Richland; and Laurie Slade Funderburk, D-Kershaw — for their first official day as state lawmakers.

Former Rep. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, spent his first day as a state senator as the South Carolina General Assembly arrived at the State House for its 116th session.

The first few months as a lawmaker are full of new experiences. With all the reading, a new group of people to get to know and work with, and a seat assignment, Brady said, “it’s exactly like school.”

She carried a folder packed with notes on the bills she co-sponsored — just in case they came up for debate.

The new members are still learning the ropes. Brady downloaded all 346 pages of Gov. Mark Sanford’s budget proposal after he released it last week — only to learn the next day that she had a copy waiting in her office.

Lawmakers arriving at the State House for the opening day of the 2005 legislative session were met by a crush of lobbyists, judgeship candidates, abortion protesters and 100 motorcyclists from the group ABATE, which opposes stronger seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws.

Placards outside the Capitol reminded them to keep taxes down. And restaurants, eager for the business the legislative session brings, hung colorful welcome signs.

House members spent about an hour in session, mostly assigning about 240 new bills to committees.

The House was a beehive, with members wandering in and out of the chamber, gossiping and building alliances for bills on school funding, economic development and other issues.

The activity halted only for a moment, for House members to silently pray for the victims of last week’s train wreck and chemical spill in Aiken County.

Two Aiken senators, Tommy Moore, a Democrat, and Greg Ryberg, a Republican, briefed colleagues on the disaster.

“You can’t imagine the devastation,” said Ryberg, recounting the thousands of people who have been displaced by the chemical spill.

After that, it was all business in the Senate, where members debated changing their rules. Many observers say the new rules will make it harder for individuals to hold up progress on bills.

Lobbyists, House members, staffers and journalists watched the Senate rules debate with the intensity of fans at a USC-Clemson football game. Members deliberated for three hours before approving the changes.

Lourie said the day was particularly emotional for him. He’s been waiting 32 years to get to the Senate, ever since he watched his father, the late Isadore Lourie take the oath of office.

“No one will ever fill his shoes,” Lourie said. “I hope to be a bridge builder. My father was well known for that.”

Reach Talhelm at (803) 771-8339 or jtalhelm@thestate.com. Staff writer Jeff Stensland and The Associated Press contributed to this report.