Behavior was unacceptable

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for frustrated state legislators.

The altercation that took place last week after a heated legislative debate is unacceptable, and House Speaker David Wilkins has taken appropriate action. Wilkins, R-Greenville, announced Thursday that he has removed Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, from the House Judiciary Committee because of his conduct.

Govan, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, was described as angry that the Judiciary Committee had not taken up his bill on merit selection, and he reportedly followed Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison, R-Columbia, to his office last Thursday.

Wilkins investigated the incident and talked to the parties involved and a number of witnesses. He delivered the results of this work and a scorching lecture on Wednesday to a silent House of Representatives. The incident was not minor, according to Wilkins' report.

And Harrison later told Greenville News reporter Dan Hoover that the incident was more serious than he had publicly disclosed. Govan had come behind Harrison's desk, Harrison said, and "he had my necktie in his hands and was swinging me, or at least tugging on my tie, and my shirt was ripped."

Such conduct cannot be tolerated. It stains the reputation of the House of Representatives and invites ridicule of those who make the laws for our state. In the corporate world, the offending party would have been terminated. And this distressing situation was made worse by Govan's refusal to apologize on the floor of the House.

Lawmaking can be tense work, and opposing sides are allowed to disagree vigorously. Our system of government encourages dissent, but it also demands respect for the individuals involved.

Govan and other black legislators have expressed concern over the relative scarcity of black judges in our state. Just last week, South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal urged lawmakers to figure out a way to get more minorities on the bench. About 6 percent of the state's judges are black, Toal said in her annual State of the Judiciary speech, but as the chief justice acknowledged, the number of minorities on the bench does mirror the number of minorities who pass the state's bar exam.

That fact shows that this problem doesn't lend itself to easy solutions. It also won't be solved by altercations that involve physical force and bring discredit to the legislative process. Wilkins was right to use some of the strongest disciplinary action at his discretion.