Dubbed the "Palmetto Pledge," the agenda shares Sanford's vision for income tax reduction, government restructuring, broadening school choice and retooling the state's tort laws.

But where Sanford's agenda takes aim at changing the rules of the S.C. Senate, the House agenda turns its attention to small businesses.

Titled the 2005 Job Creations Act, the bill includes measures to expand the state's current job tax credit and create tax credits for small business investment and employee health care.

"In a nutshell, this bill is taking the advantages that big businesses enjoy today and applying them to the state's small businesses," said House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, who worked closely with the speaker on the bill. "The vast majority of economic growth in South Carolina comes from our small businesses. Helping them helps everyone."

Speaker of the House David Wilkins, R-Greenville, unveiled the agenda following his official re-election as speaker. Wilkins has served as leader of the House for 10 years, making him the third-longest serving speaker in state history.

Tuesday's rollout also marked the 10th anniversary of the original Palmetto Pledge, a promise House Republicans made to voters prior to their taking control of the House.

South Carolina was a different place then. Republicans, with 60 representatives, were the minority party. Today the GOP rules over the House, the Senate and the governor's office.

That dominance, however, has not equaled cooperation. Two contentious legislative sessions in a row have proved that sometimes it's easier to get elected than it is to govern.

"It's almost like too much of a good thing," said Neal Thigpen, a Francis Marion University political scientist.

"Without a strong opposition party to contend with, trouble springs up within the party. A powerful Democratic Party would force the Republicans to work together. That's simply not the case right now."

Last session, multiple flare-ups between the governor and General Assembly dominated headlines. The rift hit its nadir when Sanford brought two pigs to the door of the House to protest what he termed "pork" in the budget.

Wilkins was not amused and said at the time, "This is the people's house. ... I think the governor has defiled it to get a photo op."

The tension overshadowed the fact that the House passed 14 of Sanford's 16 agenda items last session.

Sanford, who was at Tuesday's press conference, said he fully supported the House's agenda and looked forward to working with House members on it.

"It dovetails nicely into what we are trying to do on the executive side," he said. "The missing piece of the puzzle is still the Senate rules."

Both Sanford and House Republicans fought last year to lower the state highest income tax bracket from 7 percent to 4.75 percent.

The measure bogged down and eventually died in the Senate. The governor and the House Republicans have vowed to fight for the measure again this year.

Likewise, both the governor and House Republicans have vowed to fight for capping liability costs and reducing unwarranted lawsuits, measures that failed to make it through the General Assembly last session.

Sanford and House Republicans believe the archaic rules of the Senate led to the death of many of their bills. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, has promised to fight to change the rules this session.

"We need for that to change this year," said House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island. "All we can do is take up the bills, debate the bills and pass them out of here. If they get stuck in the Senate, then there is nothing we can do about it."

Last session, House Republicans joined Sanford in fighting for increasing the number of charter schools in South Carolina and also in creating a tax credit for families seeking to send their children to private schools. The latter item, which died in the House, is again a priority. Democrats are already planning their fight against the proposal.

"Anytime you start talking about using public money to send kids to private schools, what you're really talking about is destroying public education," said state Rep. David Mack, D-North Charleston. "They can expect a big fight on that one, a big fight."

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