S.C. lawmakers always have been an independent lot, and they seem to have turned on the state's Republican torch bearer possibly denying a major element of his programs. The S.C. Senate Judiciary Committee gave Gov. Mark Sanford a major setback on government restructuring Tuesday. In the process, the panel seems to have slammed the door in the face of voters.

Sanford campaigned for office on a platform of restructuring. He gathered support of key legislative members.

In the last week in February, Judiciary members agreed to make the state superintendent of education an elective office. The committee refused to do away with elections for the lieutenant governor, adjutant general and agriculture commissioner. Tuesday, they referred the proposal back to subcommittee because they also want the secretary of state to be popularly elected.

Sanford's plan would have the governor and lieutenant governor run as a ticket, and the governor would select his running mate, as the U.S. president and vice president do.

An argument can be made for not having all constitutional officers appointed by the governor.

As has been said here before, changing the secretary of state, superintendent of education, agriculture commissioner, comptroller general and adjutant general to appointive offices makes a lot of sense.

It's one thing to try and put a governor who doesn't cater to the Legislature in his place. It's another to slam the door in the face of South Carolinians.

State voters should have an opportunity to help decide if this portion of the government restructuringbegun more than a decade ago should move forward. The proposal strengthens the governor, but it will result in a significant change in the line of authority and could result in considerable savings in the operation of government.

Sanford has tried in the last two weeks to drum up popular support for his proposal. He sent an e-mail last weekend to campaign supporters and others asking them to lobby legislators to get the two restructuring bills out of the committee.

Some say the proposal is all but dead, but the governor pledges to continue to seek support.

Given the sentiment in Columbia, Sanford will clearly have to spend more time placating individual lawmakers if he wants to get this program through. Individual citizens could do the same by telling their lawmakers they want a say in the future of their government through the referendum on electing constitutional officers.