A look at what went down Wednesday at the State House:

DAUGHTER’S NAME WOULD BE ADDED TO THURMOND STATUE

Essie Mae Washington Williams is close to being recognized in stone as a daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond.

A bill to add her name to Thurmond’s statue on the south side of the State House got key approval Wednesday in the House. The bill should get routine final approval today and move to the governor’s desk.

Williams, 78, is the daughter of Thurmond, who was 22 when she was born, and a then-16-year-old black maid working at the family’s Edgefield home. She knew Thurmond was her father for decades, but kept silent until after his death in June out of respect for the former senator’s career.

The monument lists the names of Thurmond’s four children with his second wife, Nancy. He had no children from his first marriage.

BILL TO EASE CREATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS GOES TO SENATE

A bill making it easier to create charter schools is on its way to the Senate floor. The proposal to create a statewide school district that would oversee the special public schools passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

A different version of the bill has already been approved in the House.

Currently, only the local school district where a charter school wants to open can approve the special schools. Supporters say that has prevented more of them from opening.

Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders and educational entrepreneurs.

But with two senators on the committee opposing the bill, it will face an uphill struggle to be approved by the entire Senate by the time the General Assembly adjourns on June 3.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE ON LEGISLATIVE ADD-ONS

The state’s highest court has agreed to decide a lawsuit brought by a government watchdog challenging the Legislature on an economic development bill.

Edward Sloan Jr.’s lawsuit claims that so many items were tacked on to the original legislation it violates a state constitutional requirement that limits legislation to one subject. Adding unrelated items to a popular bill is called bobtailing.

Gov. Mark Sanford, who won a lawsuit Sloan filed against him about the governor’s U.S. Air Force Reserve commission, also threatened to sue lawmakers himself, but later backed off. Sanford vetoed the bill, but lawmakers overrode his veto.

The economic development legislation was intended to extend incentives to pharmaceutical companies for locating or expanding in the state. Lawmakers attached several amendments, including provisions to expand USC-Sumter to a four-year school and to create a four-year cooking program at Trident Technical College.

Jim Carpenter, Sloan’s attorney, said if the court requests oral arguments, he doesn’t expect them to happen before the fall.

From Wire Reports