Ethics reform derailed in Senate

Updated story can be found here

State senators voted 24-19 late Wednesday against a proposal that would have allowed state lawmakers to continue to be involved in policing themselves on ethical issues. Now some worry the vote may endanger ethics reform this year.

But those who want the independent review of legislators with ethics complaints will try through a procedural vote to save the Senate’s reform bill, according to Senate Judiciary chair Larry Martin, R-Pickens. If that measure fails, the Senate could revisit ethics reform via any of several House bills that are on their way to the upper chamber.

“The practical problem we have is our ability to take up separate bills as the House is proposing to do,” Martin said Thursday morning. “We don’t have that luxury under our rules. We don’t allow amendments to raise new and independent matters. Any amendment we can put on the bill has to specifically address the subject matter.

“That’s good in that it keeps us running from running rabbits and bobtailing onto a bill and oftentimes lengthening the debate needlessly on something. But the downside is it does tie our hands somewhat.”

During debate Wednesday, Senate Ethics Committee chair Luke Rankin, R-Horry, amended a broad Senate ethics reform measure (S. 1) with language that changed a proposed provision on having an independent body review ethics matters involving legislators. Rankin’s amendment essentially called for a committee that included legislators and others to be on that complaint-review panel.

Those who supported the change roundly argued that the Senate does a pretty good job in policing its members. Those who wanted the independent panel said lawmakers shouldn’t be involved in the process of investigating themselves. Gov. Nikki Haley has said she will veto any bill that “does not include true independent investigations of elected officials.”

Twenty-five senators, two of whom are Democrats, voted to kill the Senate bill after Rankin’s amendment became a part of it. Nineteen senators, including five Republicans, voted for the amended bill with the hybridized review panel that included legislators.

Martin said he would try to get the body to pass a motion to reconsider S. 1 today and then send it back to committee for a few weeks to allow for more talk and things to cool down.