WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON AGAIN?

The debate on the seat-belt bill was frenzied and fast-paced Wednesday. Opponents, who appeared to have the votes, were trying to kill the bill. Supporters were desperate for any way to stop that, or at least delay it from happening.

Supporters tried everything: adjournment, recess, whatever. Each time they made a motion, opponents would make a motion to table it and would win the vote.

The back-and-forth finally reached the point of absurdity.

Opponents made a motion to send the bill to the Judiciary Committee, where, they hoped, surely it would languish and die. Supporters moved to table the motion, which failed in a roll call vote.

Rep. Ronny Townsend, R-Anderson, a seat-belt supporter, moved to reconsider the vote where the House refused to table the motion to commit the bill to Judiciary.

Finally, Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, moved to table Townsend’s motion.

So ... the vote then was on a motion to table the motion to reconsider the motion to table the motion to commit the bill to Judiciary. Got that?

Altman’s motion passed 71-45, meaning the House refused to reconsider the motion to table the motion to commit the bill.

Whew!

Thursday, the House finally sent the bill back to committee.

ONE WAY TO GET NOTICED

Rep. Ken Kennedy, D-Williamsburg, wanted in on the debate on seat belts last week.

But Kennedy’s seat is in the very back of the House, making it difficult to catch Speaker David Wilkins’ eye and get recognized.

So there was Kennedy, on his feet, waving his finger in the air, calling, “Mr. Speaker! Mr. Speaker!”

Directly behind Kennedy, several reporters watching the action noticed which finger Kennedy was waving in the air. It was his middle finger.

The rude finger.

“What?” Kennedy asked when he realized the reporters were laughing. “I’m just trying to get recognized.”

Wilkins, a Greenville Republican, never did call on Kennedy. He either did not see or chose to ignore him. But next to Wilkins at the front of the chamber, reading clerk Bubba Cromer did see Kennedy and laughed — wide-eyed.

TWO REPUBLICANS WALK INTO A BAR ...

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, had 400 guests practically rolling in the aisles at the Spartanburg GOP’s Presidents Day Dinner.

On being a Republican in South Carolina and Massachusetts, where only 13 percent of the registered voters are Republicans:

“There are more Republicans in this room tonight than I have in my state.

“Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts is a bit like being a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention.”

On visiting the Bible Belt:

“I know that we need to begin by thanking the Almighty for watching over us and caring for us — but enough about Speaker Wilkins.” House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, presided over the evening.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

For those who wonder if House Speaker David Wilkins’ bill to ban naming roads for living people would have any effect, one only needs to check out a recent House journal.

It records that the House gave final approval to Wilkins’ bill, H 3320, and sent it to the Senate.

But afterward, the House also approved a pair of resolutions renaming roads. The first, H 3367, renames a bridge in the town of Chesterfield after a prominent local family.

Next up was H 3368, which renames another bridge in Chesterfield after Hoover Fay Bell, a former member of the House, who — you guessed it — is still breathing.

It might be a race to the finish to see if Wilkins’ bill becomes law in time to block the Bell Bridge. Wilkins’ bill and the two resolutions must also pass the Senate, but only the speaker’s proposals also must be signed into law by the governor.

NOW, THAT’S BIPARTISANSHIP

Rep. David Mack, D-Charleston, must have seen one too many disaster movies lately.

Mack, the chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, believed he was in the middle of fantasy land recently in the House.

The cause of his concern? He and Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, actually were on the same side of an issue.

Both Mack and Altman opposed a bill that would develop a system of price controls for milk. The bill passed, but Mack was more concerned about fallout.

“I’m frightened,” Mack told his colleagues. “I’m frightened that John Graham Altman and I are on the same side. I’m frightened a meteor is going to strike us if we walk outside.”

Altman laughed.

PICKING UP THE TAB

Who could blame Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer for feeling unloved?

When piecing together the budget, members of the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously voted for a proviso that would make the Senate responsible for paying Bauer’s $10,000-a-year postage tab.

“I’m tired of it!” shouted Herb Kirsh, D-York, as he enthusiastically voted for the change that finally would free the House from picking up the check — a long-standing State House custom.

Two days later, a dejected committee chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, announced the postage tab would stay in the House. “The Senate told us they didn’t want it.”

HEARD AROUND THE STATE HOUSE

“We don’t need to know too much about what the House does. We’re going to give it a good look over, throw it in the trash and start over.”

— Sen. Verne Smith, R-Greenville, on his assessment of the House’s proposed version of the 2005-06 state budget

By Lee Bandy, Jeff Stensland and Aaron Gould Sheinin