Mount Pleasant businessman Bob Faith won easy Senate confirmation as Gov. Mark Sanford's secretary of the Commerce Department. The only bit of controversy came when Charleston Democrat Sen. Robert Ford missed the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee hearing on Faith and asked the Senate to reconsider the decision until he could ask about diversity in the Commerce Department.

What a few lawmakers really wanted to quiz Faith about was how he would deal with the NAACP's ongoing boycott of the state over the Confederate flag compromise.

Some say that the organization's letter to DaimlerChrysler convinced the auto manufacturer to choose Savannah over Summerville and that Faith can expect to see that happen with every fish he gets on the line until the state revisits the deal that removed the Confederate Battle Flag from the Statehouse dome and replaced it with a similar banner on the grounds.

Expect Faith to have to answer the question at some point.

-- During Sanford's State of the State address to the General Assembly Wednesday night, the new governor scored rounds of applause from lawmakers when he mentioned eliminating "protected or classified" positions in state government, asked that agencies and departments find "just one function they can do without" and announced a new commission to look for government waste.

When a governor reads through a major speech, reporters dutifully note such responses, writing "applause" on their copies of the speech. What this signifies, no one knows. Regardless, media copies of Sanford's remarks were pretty marked by the time scribes gave up near the end of the night.

Late in the speech, Sanford mentioned his support of "neighborhood schools" and sporadic applause peppered the audience. He said the phrase again, and another lawmaker clapped until he started another round. A few seconds later, Sanford expanded on his position. A third round of applause. Every time the governor began to speak, it seemed like some overzealous lawmaker was making like a seal.

Sanford soon learned the power of the pulpit.

"I know I'm interrupting you all, but let's wrap this up," he said.

No one clapped again until he finished.

-- Speaking of applause, the first thing that stirred the General Assembly was the governor's announcement that he would hold public office hours once a month. He called the idea "Open Door After 4" and said anybody who wanted to see him could come and sit down in the governor's office with him on these days.

"This meeting is not with my staff, an intern or agency director; that's a visit with me," he said. "They won't be long visits, but anyone from anywhere in South Carolina will be able to sit down in the governor's office with the governor for a visit."

Statehouse oddsmakers expect these evenings will be among the most entertaining of the session, depending, of course, on who shows up.

-- Sen. John Kuhn's legislation to restructure the Charleston County school board has drawn attention to the school district throughout the delegation. The uncontested local bill is on the Senate's calendar for Tuesday, but don't expect to see it go anywhere soon. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, the Charleston Republican, says there are technical problems written into the bill that have to be corrected before it can be passed on second reading. But, even with technical corrections, it could be a while before it moves.

After Gov. Jim Hodges vetoed a measure last year to make school board election partisan, several members of the delegation have been considering what they could do this year.

Kuhn's bill, which calls for nine single-member districts, partisan elections and the elimination of the constituent school boards, is apt to attract all sorts of amendments of divergent interests. Expect the weeks to come to only make the issue murkier, especially in the House, where state Rep. John Graham Altman III appears steadfastly opposed to the move. As the delegation's education committee chairman, any plan with a chance of passage needs his support

--On Thursday, Columbia awoke to snow flurries, icy roads and 20-mph winds, more than enough to send lawmakers scurrying back to their homes. Both the House and the Senate adjourned without taking up their calendars, which really wasn't being slack. Both chambers had exactly one piece of legislation up for consideration.

With roads worsening as the day went on, House Speaker David Wilkins tried to shoo chatting lawmakers out of the chamber.

"I'd say 'You all go ahead, I'm going home,' but I wouldn't dare leave you here without me," Wilkins said.

Coming up this week, expect to see the first major legislation of the session moving. Wilkins's campaign finance reform bill will be on the House floor Tuesday, and is expected to pass easily. The measure basically shines a little more sunlight on ancillary campaign and party donations.

Also, the predatory lending bill will be debated in the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. Lawmakers have been looking for ways to stop abusive lenders who target unsophisticated borrowers and people with bad credit, and they are still looking.

Finally, the House will continue work on a bill to shorten the legislative session.

It is expected to move through the process until it reaches the Senate, where senators await the chance to shorten the bill's life.

- BRIAN HICKS