(Columbia-AP) April 14, 2005 -- The Senate is
considering a bill to require governors to have strong
reasons to remove members from the board of the
state-owned utility, Santee Cooper.
The bill was moved out of a Senate Judiciary
subcommittee yesterday and was immediately put on the
Senate's calendar for debate in the next few days.
Myrtle Beach Senator Luke Rankin says the bill is a
reaction to the removal of board members by Governor
Mark Sanford and former Governor Jim Hodges.
The bill adds Santee Cooper to the list of agencies
that governors could replace board members only for
specific reasons, including incompetence, absenteeism
and misconduct. The measure also sets professional
standards for the utility's board and gives its
customers power to sue board members who act
inappropriately.
Posted 12:01pm by BrettWitt