COLUMBIA--Several lawmakers found themselves asking "Who let the hogs out?" this week as a hog farm bill dominated talk in the House for the better part of two days.

At issue is whether counties can impose stricter regulations on hog farms than the state can. Some industry officials say counties basically are outlawing the farms with zoning and other limiting conditions. Some lawmakers don't want counties to enact tougher laws than South Carolina mandates, claiming it is a constitutional issue.

Coastal lawmakers, particularly state Rep. Vida Miller, D-Georgetown, tried to exempt counties along the Atlantic from the bill. Miller argued that a hog farm spill could contaminate waters that counties rely on for drinking water and tourism.

The amendment was defeated by inland lawmakers.

Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Bennettsville, showed slides of the Neuse River in North Carolina following flooding that allowed waste from the hog farms to spill over into the river, leaving it streaked an unappetizing brown.

"That's exactly what you think it is," Jennings said. His county, Marlboro, has basically banned making bacon.

The bill failed, but could come up for consideration again this week. In other words, th-th-th-th-that's NOT all, folks!

AFTER THE PREDATORS

On Wednesday, the state Senate began its debate over predatory lending laws, meant to curb how much check-cashing outfits can charge their customers and whether they can "flip" or carry over loans to charge more interest.

During the arguments, Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, ducked into the Senate anteroom just as a staffer was opening the door. Outside, a crowd was gathered, and it caught the Charleston senator's attention.

Peering out of the chamber, he saw a group of lobbyists for the industry glued to the television simulcast of the ongoing Senate dialogue.

"Oh," Ford said, walking away, "that's just those predators."

LONG-DISTANCE GOVERNING

Even though Gov. Mark Sanford is off in Alabama training for his job in the Air Force Reserves, he's conducting business by phone. This week, Sanford's staff announced that lawmakers were introducing bills to help fulfill the governor's education agenda.

One of the bills would ease restrictions on charter schools and another would add conduct grades to report cards. A third would put into place incentives to grow smaller, neighborhood schools.

From the base, Sanford sent words of thanks to lawmakers for moving "key components" of his plan to improve public schools.

"I'm excited about the impact these reforms can have and I'm looking forward to working with the General Assembly on these and, quite frankly, a lot of the reforms to come," Sanford said.

CRITTER PROBLEMS

Late last week, state Sen. Arthur Ravenel, R-Mount Pleasant, got up to protest a bill that evidently would negatively impact the hunting season on raccoon and opossum.

The Mount Pleasant senator railed on the aggravating little varmints, holding up photos of the randy creatures with all their problem-causing young. Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleston, took offense at the photo.

"I think that's my Uncle Walter," Kuhn said.

Sen. Thomas Moore, D-Clearwater, asked Ravenel if he knew that raccoons have only 13 nipples but usually deliver litters of 21 babies. That, he said, probably wipes out a third of them.

No, Ravenel said, they just take turns. "What do you think homo sapiens do with triplets?" he said.

STILL IN SCHOOL

There was no movement last week on two bills of Charleston interest. There has been no attempt to try again to override the governor's veto of a bill to combine the Charleston County Election Commission and Board of Voter Registration. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hope for a compromise, or a coup. Stay tuned.

Likewise, lobbying continues in the House on Kuhn's bill to restructure the governance of the Charleston County School District. Reforms include modification of the constituent boards and partisan elections via single-member districts for the school board.

Part of the problem (besides the fact that opinions of the bill are all over the map) may be that the House Hatfields and McCoys (Republicans and Democrats) are still feuding over this election board mess.

ON THE WAR

Talk of the war with Iraq was surprisingly quiet around the Statehouse this week, with lawmakers paying more attention to committee meetings, hog farms and predatory lenders. On Wednesday, however, several state senators who have served in the military stood up in support of troops and suggested that war protesters be careful not to protest the men and women of the military.

"They won you the right to protest," Sen. John "Jake" Knotts, R-West Columbia, said.

The most powerful comments may have come from Sen. John Drummond, D-Ninety Six, a veteran of World War II, who said he would not join in the national frenzy of criticism and boycotts of all things French.

In the prisoner of war camp where he was held, Drummond said Nazi troops killed a French soldier caught behind enemy lines attempting to sabotage German defenses.

"I saw French troops die to protect our people," Drummond said. "I'll not criticize any of them."

NEXT WEEK'S WALLOWING

Next week, the House will again have to deal with hog slop, while the Senate may bring up Public Service Commission reform. Of course, they could try to do any number of things, since lawmakers have only one more week to play while the governor's away.

Contact Brian Hicks at (843) 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com.