COLUMBIA-Boxes of bubble-wrapped picture frames still sit unpacked in Charleston Republican Bobby Harrell's new office.

It's been nearly a month since the 49-year-old insurance agent was elected to the powerful post of House speaker, but you can hardly tell.
He officially assumed the duties last week when former Speaker David Wilkins was sworn in as the U.S. ambassador to Canada. And this week Harrell began setting up his new office.

He acknowledges it is slow going, but he's technically still on vacation at Surfside Beach, so he has an excuse. Harrell, a certified pilot, just flew his personal plane to town for the day.

Despite the pomp and circumstance of Harrell's selection as speaker on June 2, he said it didn't really sink in until recently, when he saw his new state-issued stationary.

"It was strange to see my name and then 'Speaker of the House,' " Harrell said. "That's probably the moment in time where it hit me."
You'd think that becoming one of the most powerful politicians in South Carolina comes with some tangible perks, not just political ones. But it really doesn't, he said.

His office is actually smaller, square-footage wise. His assigned parking space is no closer to the building's elevators. The size of his staff decreased, as did his involvement in the day-to-day operations of state government.

He now has a nice view of the Statehouse dome, but Harrell said he liked looking at the University of South Carolina's foot-ball stadium from his previous office.

The time commitment is the same. And until Wednesday, Harrell thought he made less money."Wow," he said upon learning that the speaker receives an additional $11,000 stipend on top of the $22,400 state representatives receive for salary and expenses.

Harrell already had a sweet gig as Ways and Means chairman, which is considered the second most powerful position in the House. It meant he was a member of the influential Budget and Control Board and that entitled him to an additional $10,000 stipend.

His net pay gain: $1,000.

"But I do get to appoint committees," Harrell said with a smile. It is one of the greatest powers in the Legislature. Committee assignments can determine a lawmaker's career because they determine one's influence and stature.

"The speaker also influences legislation in all six committees instead of just one and oversees the implementation of the agenda," he said. "That's pretty serious stuff."

Harrell's election was trumpeted as the pinnacle of the Charleston area's Golden Age of power, given that local politicians now occupy the top positions in the legislative and executive branches of state government.

Destroying that perception - or at least calming some people's uneasiness - is one of the first tasks Harrell has undertaken as speaker.
Since his selection, Harrell attended two community events in the Upstate, which saw its influence drop as the Lowcountry's rose. Wilkins represented Greenville.

"It's a conscious effort," said Harrell, who was at an event in Anderson the day he assumed the speakership. "I am much more aware of the importance of going to things around the state than before. I didn't do that so much as Ways and Means chairman."

Some in the Upstate are taking notice. Millard Smith, the Anderson County School Board administrator, met Harrell at an election event for a local representative a couple years ago.

"He's always impressed me as a person," Smith said of the new speaker. "I think he's stood up to the governor well. It looks like he'll be another David Wilkins. He'll do great."

Harrell's calendar in July is full of events in the Greenville area, but he makes room for things back home in Charleston.

"You are elected by 33,000 people, and if you want to keep doing this, you can't forget that," he said.

In the meantime, he has to figure out what to do with his office. Luckily, his wife, Cathy, is planning to come up soon and help him decorate.
The most recent dilemma: The one bookcase is already filled with family photos and there are many more to display. "I don't know where I am going to put them all," Harrell said.