COLUMBIA--The stars were aligned for Gov. Mark Sanford last week as South Carolina's top legislative leaders got beyond their differences on the cigarette tax, Medicaid reform and the budget crisis to support his plan for restructuring state government.

In what may be the biggest coup of his first legislative session, Sanford managed to get House Speaker David Wilkins and Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell not only to support the restructuring legislation, but to carry it.

The plan would consolidate some state agencies under a department of administration and change several constitutional offices -- superintendent of education, secretary of state, comptroller general, treasurer, agriculture commissioner --from elected offices to appointed cabinet positions.

Outside the news conference, McConnell and Wilkins, the two most powerful lawmakers in the state, spoke graciously of Sanford's efforts to build a consensus with them before announcing the specifics of the plan, which is largely seen as the governor's pet project. They said the governor asked them what was realistic and what the General Assembly might pass.

"He said 'These are my ideas, if you've got better ones, bring them to the table,' " McConnell, R-Charleston, said of the governor. "That's important, much better than throwing political footballs."

In other words, if Sanford had tried to bully something through, it would not have gotten very far.

The sight of a governor, Senate president pro tem and House speaker agreeing on something as monumental as restructuring is rare, but the consensus should not be so surprising. Wilkins and McConnell have both said they favor restructuring to an extent but have always been reticent to predict how far it might go (probably because they didn't know what Sanford would ask for).

Turns out, they wanted much the same thing. For instance, none of the three wanted to see the attorney general become a cabinet position.

What the legislative leaders did not want to see happen -- and would not allow to happen -- was for the balance of power in the state to shift. In South Carolina, the legislative branch has the upper hand on the executive branch, and that's the way it would stay under this restructuring. McConnell and Wilkins' endorsements guarantee that.

And all the political scientists who predicted that the former maverick congressman might not play well with others at the Statehouse can take comfort in knowing that just because these guys agree on this, they still aren't playing ball on the cigarette tax.

LT. GOVERNOR ON TICKET

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the package was the proposal to make the lieutenant governor run on the same ticket as the governor, kind of like a vice president. McConnell initially seemed wary of that idea, promoted by Sanford during the campaign, on the grounds that the lieutenant governor presides over the Senate (as opposed to running it, which the president pro tem actually does). Under the current structure, that alliance could give a governor some power to impede the chamber's business. Of course, that will not be an issue. With this legislation, the Senate would select a presiding officer -- the pro tem or his designee -- and the lieutenant governor would become something like an assistant manager to the governor. No word yet on whether he would often be sent to "an undisclosed secure location."

CARPETBAGGER PROOFED

One more note on restructuring: Sanford said at Wednesday's press conference that the governor's powers were diluted in the state Constitution, written during Reconstruction, to make sure that "the carpetbaggers weren't taking over."

Sanford turned to McConnell, well-known across the state for his efforts to protect Southern heritage and the Confederate battle flag on Statehouse grounds, and said, "I believe you'd appreciate that."

HOUSE ON FURLOUGH

Mostly, though, it was a quiet week under the dome. House members weren't in session, serving a week of self-imposed furlough -- a move that saved some $42,000. In some ways, the Statehouse felt like a house with all the kids off on spring break (in some ways, you worry more when they're out of your sight). One of the odder phenomena on the second-floor lobby is that it's normally most crowded when the House is in session. When the Senate alone is meeting, there are fewer lobbyists, job candidates and groupies hanging out. But last week, the lobby was humming at normal levels. Apparently lobbyists didn't get a furlough.

House members weren't too sad about their vacation without pay. Rep. John Graham Altman III, R-West Ashley, said he had polled his district and found "This is the most popular thing we've done all session."

May they all do it again real soon.

PLAN TO REDUCE LICENSES

State Sen. John Kuhn introduced legislation last week to simplify the state's system for issuing hunting and fishing licenses. Kuhn, R-Charleston, wants South Carolina to offer only one hunting license and one fishing license -- or a combo deal. No more duck stamps, saltwater stamps, etc.

"The bottom line is that DNR has a cumbersome license process, and many hunters and fishermen would like to see it streamlined," Kuhn said. "This would also help DNR through this time of budget crisis."

The legislation will probably not see a strong push until next session, after officials have had a chance to gauge public reaction to the change. It is unclear if this legislation might be a sneaky attempt to outlaw Kuhn hunting.

CIVIL WAR AND SCHOOLS

Even with half the Charleston County delegation not in town, the other half still managed to raise the Statehouse roof with a little controversy. The Senate on Wednesday passed Sen. Arthur Ravenel's bill to introduce partisan politics to the Charleston County School Board. Democratic Sens. Robert Ford and Clementa Pinckney tried to amend the bill to add single-member districts, but the Republicans killed it.

Afterward, Ford said, "Them Confederates massacred me."

A few weeks ago an Upstate senator remarked that, with the Charleston delegation, it's either the schools or the Civil War.

Well, sometimes it's both.

HOUSE MEMBERS TO RETURN

This week, House members return to find legislation on restructuring state government with the speaker's name all over it. Expect it to begin the subcommittee process.

The Senate is still hashing out its own version of the budget, setting up the conference committee showdown between the House and Senate that will come next month. Look for the Charleston delegation to move that partisan school bill to the governor's desk quickly -- if not this week, then probably the next.

There is next to no doubt that the Republicans, led by Altman, have the votes to pass it.