Sanford will pitch restructuring to panel

Gov. Mark Sanford will take the extraordinary step of appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today to fight for his massive government restructuring plan.

Sanford will be the first governor in recent memory to testify to a legislative committee.

Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, a 20-year Senate veteran, said it has never happened in his tenure. Sen. Tommy Moore, D-Aiken, a senator since 1981, also could not recall a chief executive appearing before a committee.

Sanford was invited to testify by Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, the committee’s chairman and legislative sponsor of the governor’s plan. The 23-member committee will consider the 1,900-page restructuring bill at 3 p.m.

Government restructuring is a top priority of the governor and has been since he was elected in 2002. With McConnell’s support, Sanford appears poised to find some success in the Senate.

But as the bill has worked its way through subcommittee to the full Judiciary, critics are taking aim at Sanford’s plan.

That makes Sanford’s decision smart, but also politically risky, Courson said.

“It is a very bold and courageous thing to do,” Courson said.

With 23 senators on the committee, including 10 Democrats, the Republican Sanford will get pointed queries.

Some senators have opposed making most of the state’s constitutional officers appointed, rather than elected, positions.

Sanford’s goal is to “lay out the larger vision and the benefits of restructuring,” spokesman Will Folks said. “The other part will be to answer questions from senators.”

Under the legislation, only the attorney general and state treasurer would be elected. The others — education superintendent, comptroller general, agriculture secretary, secretary of state — would be appointed by the governor.

Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, will offer an amendment today to keep the adjutant general an elected office. He said he wanted to hear from the governor before deciding whether he can support the rest of the bill.

Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, has no such qualms.

“I’m not for that crap,” Ford said. “There’s no need for it. We’ve got a great system.”

Ford said Sanford is making a mistake by trying to take away the public’s opportunity to vote for those officials.

“The people love voting for those things,” Ford said.

Ford also sees a conspiracy at work. The bill takes away what little official power the lieutenant governor has: presiding over the Senate, deciding rules challenges, ruling on motions and breaking ties.

Under the bill, those powers would belong to a senator named president by the members.

Ford thinks that’s an effort to weaken Republican Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

“They don’t like Andre,” Ford said of Sanford and McConnell. “I’m going to ask (Sanford) tomorrow if this is based on personality.”

Bauer would not criticize Sanford, McConnell or the bill.

“I would hope instead of taking away that responsibility, they would actually give me more,” he said.

McConnell could not be reached for comment.

Still, Ford believes the bill will make it out of the committee today, but not without being amended.

Moore, the Aiken Democrat, agrees that the bill is likely to make it out of committee.

“I think I’m going to be all right to vote (for) it,” Moore said. “It’s just depending on how many twists and turns this thing takes.”

Some critics are not as strident as Ford, but just as heartfelt.

Sen. Bob Waldrep, R-Anderson, said he has “somewhat of a philosophical objection.”

Waldrep is worried the bill concentrates power with the governor.

“This is a quantum leap we’re taking,” he said.

Perhaps the most important opinion is that of McConnell, who is not just Judiciary chairman, but is also Senate president pro tem.

In an op-ed to be published in The State newspaper this morning, McConnell and Sanford write that the restructuring proposals outline “our vision for the future of state government.”

Whether that vision has a chance of being realized could be determined today.

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@thestate.com