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Article published Mar 19, 2003
Reese should concentrate on representing Spartanburg, not writing joke bills

The people of Spartanburg didn't elect Glenn Reese to the state Senate so that he could abuse the legislative process and write joke bills poking fun at Gov. Mark Sanford.
But that's precisely what Reese is doing.
He apparently didn't like the fact
that Sanford told the S.C. Baptist Con-
vention that he would "use biblical con-cepts that could be very strong tools in effecting change in South Carolina government."
So Reese and fellow Democratic Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston introduced a bill that states: "The Governor shall carry out the duties of the office and the administration of state government by applying biblical principles based upon his interpretation of the Bible."
The bill has no chance of passing, and Reese told The State newspaper he doesn't care whether it passes. Ford admitted the bill is a joke.
But it isn't the only one.
The pair have also introduced a bill requiring that "a plaque inscribed with the words 'In God We Trust' must be installed above the entrance to the Governor's office in the Statehouse and on the entrance gates to the Governor's Mansion."
After Sanford reduced his bodyguard contingent, Reese introduced a bill that would force the governor to resign unless he accepted State Law Enforcement Division protection or obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Reese also introduced a bill that would have forced the governor or any other constitutional officer to resign if they are part of a military reserve unit and did not report for active duty when that unit is activated. This is despite the fact that Sanford, an Air Force Reserve officer, has made clear his plan to serve active duty if his unit is activated.
Reese is clearly more occupied with abusing the legislative process in order to take shots at Sanford than in helpfully representing the people of his district.
The state faces a fiscal crisis that demands the attention and hard work of all lawmakers, and Reese is writing joke bills aimed at worsening the partisan atmosphere in Columbia. He should drop these juvenile political cracks and focus on the real legislative work.