COLUMBIA--Two years ago, Gov. Mark Sanford's main campaign promise was to change state government. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee's decision to stall a key part of his restructuring proposal gave him a clear example of South Carolina's resistance to change.
The committee voted to send the constitutional portion of Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell's restructuring plan back to subcommittee, a move that typically signals the end for legislation this late in the session.
This came after two weeks of furious lobbying on the part of Sanford and his supporters to breathe life back into the proposal. Sanford even made an unusual appearance before the Judiciary Committee to plead for the plan.
Sanford and McConnell, R-Charleston, hope the plan will emerge from subcommittee for one final run, but both admit that's unlikely.
"It's a long shot," Sanford said. "I've not given up, but I'd say the prognosis is not good."
McConnell's proposal, inspired by Sanford's ambitious plan to reorganize state government, approached restructuring in two parts: constitutional changes and statutory changes.
Legislators did not seem to mind the statutory portion of the proposal, which is still in the Judiciary Committee. McConnell said the bill is crippled, however, without the corresponding constitutional changes, which provide the governor a management team to control state government better.
Almost from the start, lawmakers worried such constitutional changes would give Sanford and McConnell too much power.
The proposal called for a referendum in November to decide if five of the state's nine constitutional offices should be appointed, rather than elected. Under the plan, voters would elect a governor and lieutenant governor as a team from the same party, the attorney general and the treasurer. The adjutant general, education superintendent, comptroller general, secretary of state and agriculture commissioner would become gubernatorial appointees.
This would bring South Carolina in line with most states and give the governor an executive structure more like the federal model. The proposal also would remove the lieutenant governor from his post as president of the Senate, clearing the way for McConnell to assume that position. Many senators fear such a move would make the most powerful man in the Senate even more powerful.
Nearly three weeks ago, a group of senators in the Judiciary Committee attacked the constitutional bill, voting to remove the lieutenant governor, adjutant general and secretary of agriculture from the list of possible appointees.
McConnell said at the time: "It was like the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. They gutted real reform today, and if they don't put it back together, it has no chance of getting a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly."
On Thursday, McConnell admitted this might not be the year for restructuring.
"All we can hope for now is a groundswell of support from the public," he said. "From a PR standpoint, we have them where we want them. They have been exposed publicly as a group pursuing selfish interests. I think in time the public will demand these changes."
Still, for the governor, the move is a reminder of just how tough it will be to fulfill his campaign promise.
In two years, he has struggled to get any meaningful legislation passed. While his plan to reduce state income taxes, scheduled for debate this week in the House, seems to have widespread support, the failure of his restructuring proposal has been a bitter pill to swallow.
"All around us, the world is changing," he said. "Yet we have a political system that's stuck in the 1800s. It's not efficient. It does not lend itself to accountability. And until we get the structure right, we'll continue to have problems with government."
Sanford said he will continue to fight to restructure state government as long as he is in office.
"All we are asking for is to let people vote on the issue," he said. "What could be more fair than that?"
