House speaker demotes Govan

Legislator involved in fight is reassigned to lesser panel; black lawmakers express frustration

House Speaker David Wilkins has demoted a legislator as punishment for his role in a fight over a bill designed to put more black judges on the bench.

Wilkins on Thursday removed state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, from the powerful Judiciary Committee and placed him on a less prominent, Democrat-controlled panel that handles military and veterans’ affairs, among other responsibilities.

Wilkins, a Greenville Republican, said he needed to act, and the rules give him few other options for sanctioning members.

“The actions that took place last Thursday were totally inappropriate and cannot be tolerated,” Wilkins said.

The committee he assigned Govan to was the only one with an opening, he said. Without Govan, six of the 24 members of the Judiciary Committee are black.

The events have intensified an already stewing racial tension in the Republican-controlled House.

Last week, a legislator was hit in the face as he tried to intervene in a dispute between Govan, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, and Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Richland. Govan was angry that the bill he sponsored advocating more black judges had failed to move forward in a subcommittee meeting.

Wilkins took the floor in a rare move Wednesday to talk about the incident. He said that after an investigation, he had determined Govan was at fault. He had asked Govan to apologize to the full House, but Govan had refused.

Govan said Thursday he has consulted a lawyer, who has advised him not to comment about the incident. He said he would respond in the future.

But other black legislators say the problem is deeper than a fight between two members. They say they are frustrated their bills don’t get the same attention as those filed by Republicans.

Rep. John Scott, D-Richland, said he has seen white members make rude gestures and comments and threaten black lawmakers in the past without being punished the way Wilkins punished Govan.

Thursday morning, Scott asked Wilkins to allow him to address the House about those issues. After debating with Scott about the rules, Wilkins denied him the floor. Afterward, Wilkins said the House would grind to a stop if every member with a grievance was allowed to pontificate on the floor.

In an interview, Scott angrily called Wilkins’ decision not to let him speak “a disgrace to this body.”

“This is about politics and whether one group has a problem with another group,” Scott said.

At other times, lawmakers have sparred over bills and almost come to blows, but Wilkins said the fight between Govan and Harrison is different because a member actually hit another. In nine years as speaker, he has never reassigned a member for a fight.

Wilkins said he has talked with the black caucus before and would be open to more discussions. But he doesn’t think the House has a problem with race relations.

“I can’t see the legislative body through John’s eyes, and he can’t see it through mine,” Wilkins said. “I do not buy at all that he is not respected for the color of his skin.”

House Majority Leader Rick Quinn, R-Richland, defended Wilkins. He called Govan a “good friend,” but said he should have apologized and been repentant about what occurred.

“This isn’t a hockey game where you go sit in a penalty box for a brief time for your misdeeds,” Quinn said.

Other legislators were hesitant to criticize Wilkins or Govan, but they hinted they see problems that need to be addressed.

Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland, said the Legislature is a microcosm of South Carolina. He said the House could benefit from talking about race and how legislators treat each other.

“This is a body of leaders,” he said, “and we all need to set an example.”

House Democratic Leader James Smith of Columbia said he has seen Wilkins be hard on Republicans for inappropriate behavior, but, “I only wish he had allowed John Scott to speak.”

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