House nixes naming state roads after living

COLUMBIA -- Roger Milliken's name adorns several buildings and the airfield at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. But the Spartanburg textile magnate will never see his name on a state highway.

Neither will James Talley, Spartanburg's first black mayor. Nor will any other of the countless individuals who have made lasting contributions to their communities across South Carolina.

The state House on Wednesday approved a bill that bans the naming of state roads for people who are still living. The ban also applies to interstates, bridges, interchanges and intersections. It does not apply to county roads.

The measure was approved by a 76-32 vote.

"This is something easy we can do to show our respect for the taxpayers of our state," said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, the bill's primary sponsor.

"It says in word and deed that we value the sensibilities of South Carolinians more than we do our own public recognition."

Several state roads or sections of roads in Spartanburg County are named for people still living -- including former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bruce Littlejohn, NASCAR legend David Pearson and former Beacon Drive-In owner John B. White.

The practice of naming roads for those still living became an issue when Earl Morris Jr., a former lieutenant governor and comptroller general, was convicted last year of securities fraud in connection with the collapse of Carolina Investors. A stretch of a Pickens County road is named for Morris, the former chairman of Carolina Investors.

Rep. Ted Vick, D-Chesterfield, proposed an amendment that would allow roads to be named for someone while they were living, but would remove the name if the person ran into trouble with the law.

"There have been 225 roads and bridges named after living people in the last five years," Vick said. "Only one of those has been convicted of a crime."

The amendment was tabled by an 81-29 vote.

Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, said he wouldn't support the measure because it's a great honor for people to see a road named for them in their lifetime. And Rep. B.R. Skelton, R-Six Mile, said the decision should be left to local delegations.

Rep. Bob Walker, R-Landrum, said he voted for the bill even though he didn't whole-heartedly support it.

"The point was to get at those situations (such as Morris') where problems arise later on," Walker said. "It probably would have been better to simply say to remove the name if someone is convicted of a crime."

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.

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