Staff reports | Looks like there might be a showdown over how the state might get its next lieutenant governor if the current one, Henry McMaster, becomes governor when Gov. Nikki Haley is confirmed to be United Nations ambassador.
The kerfuffle comes from an effort to get future lieutenant governors to run on the same ticket as gubernatorial candidates, a state version of what happens with presidential candidates. In 2012, 55.5 percent of voters approved a measure to amend the state constitution to do just that.
But the reform was delayed from being implemented at the polls until 2018, according to this story. State lawmakers, however, went ahead and amended the constitution in 2014 to add the voter-backed change so that Section 11 of Article IV of the S.C. State Constitution now reads:
“In the case of the removal of the Lieutenant Governor from office by impeachment, death, resignation, disqualification, disability, or removal from the State, the Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, a successor to fulfill the unexpired term.”
It would seem clear that the new constitutional wording would mean McMaster could pick his lieutenant governor. But Statehouse insiders say not so fast – the intent of the General Assembly was for the provision to go into effect starting with the 2018 election.
If that is the case, it would mean that the next lieutenant governor, under the old rules, would be the state Senate president pro tempore, who happens to be state Sen. Hugh Leatherman. But here’s the catch – the powerful Florence Republican chairs the Senate Finance Committee and often is considered the most powerful man in the state.
If old rules applied, he likely would step down from the pro tem slot so that the Senate elected another pro tem, who would then rise to become lieutenant governor It’s happened recently – just recall how Sen. John Courson didn’t want to be lieutenant governor back in 2014 and resigned as pro tem, which led to the rise of Democratic Sen. Yancey McGill of Kingstree to become lieutenant governor.
Folks, this one has “lawsuit” written all over it. Stay tuned.
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