Lawmakers shouldn't require elected officials to hold a college degree

State lawmakers should reject a proposal that would require the state's constitutional officers to hold four-year college degrees.

The bill has been introduced by two Columbia-area state senators, Republican Jake Knotts and Democrat Darrell Jackson. It's unlikely to be debated this year, but deserves to be rejected outright.

There is simply no reason for it. Voters are easily made aware of the qualifications of candidates for these statewide posts. They can judge those qualifications themselves.

For some jobs, such as attorney general and comptroller general, the educational requirements are obvious. Other constitutional offices, such as agriculture commissioner, require other training and on-the-job experience. The people are best empowered to judge the candidates presented to them.

Voters shouldn't be restricted. The proposal to add these requirements is a vote of no confidence in the electorate. This bill may as well state that its authors have no faith in the people of South Carolina to choose the right leaders, so they feel they have to restrict the choices available.

Many successful individuals, including some leaders in business, do not have college degrees. But they do have a wealth of practical experience that can be more valuable than a degree. Politicians shouldn't eliminate these choices for voters.

The sponsors of the bill noted that a four-year degree is now required for magistrates, so it should be required of statewide elected officials as well. But the people don't select magistrates. State senators do. If the senators want to put that restriction on themselves, they have that prerogative. It isn't as though they have a stellar record of running the Magistrate Court system. But senators have no such prerogative to limit the voters.

It's also interesting that lawmakers don't want to extend this requirement to those really holding the reins of power in Columbia. Most of the power over state government resides in the General Assembly. Yet lawmakers aren't adding this provision to their own job descriptions.

The State newspaper reports that Knotts and Jackson both support Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who faces a challenge this year from Mike Campbell, a businessman without a four-year degree. If they have sponsored this bill to embarrass Campbell, they should be ashamed for their misuse of the legislative process.

If not, they should still be chastened for their attempt to restrict the choices of voters.