The S.C. Senate gave key approval to a bill Thursday that would allow S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint members to a screening panel for judicial candidates — up to a maximum of four people. It also requires all qualified candidates — up to a maximum of six — be sent to the General Assembly for election.
This is a change from the current method S.C. judges are selected for election. The current process involves the Judicial Merit Selection Commission screening applicants and forwarding up to three candidates deemed qualified to the Legislature for a vote. Of the panel’s 10 members, six are legislators who are also lawyers. The other four are lawyers appointed by legislators.
Critics from both parties and the state attorney general have complained for months that the current system gives the Legislature too much power over judges, particularly lawyer-legislators who appear before the judges they put on the bench, according to media reports.
The bill would add up to two new members to the panel and allow the governor to make appointments, giving the executive branch up to a third of the say in who advances to a joint assembly vote.
A routine third vote Tuesday will officially send the compromise to the House, where observers say its fate is dubious, as the House has been meeting since last fall and continues to work on its own version of a bill to alter the judicial selection process.
In City Paper news today:
CP OPINION: Charleston school board should have won anti-transparency recognition. “Mired in controversy for well over a year with shady employment practices, the local school board made lots of headlines in 2023. Its unannounced and abruptly called meetings, as well as its nebulous and frequent executive sessions, brought continuing criticism from media and school advocates for the board running roughshod over state transparency laws.”
CP CARTOON:
CP FEATURE: Foilies 2024: The worst of government transparency. It’s Sunshine Week — the seven days that newspapers across the country focus on transparency in government afforded by Freedom of Information (FOI) laws. This week’s feature gives examples of how some government agencies have kept public information private.
CP NEWS: Union Pier’s history at center of design, project leaders say. Union Pier redevelopment project leaders wrapped up on a second March round of public workshops at the historic site, giving many Charleston residents their first opportunity to see storied locations like the Mosquito Fleet landing site and the Bennett Rice Mill Facade up close.
CP NEWS: S.C. leads the nation in preschool suspensions. South Carolina leads the nation in the number of preschool children, ages 2½ to 5 years old, who are suspended from school one or more times.
CP FOOD: Inclement weather caused major changes to Charleston Wine + Food. The inclement weather that brought record rainfall to the Charleston area forced several big events, including opening night, inside to backup locations, while Culinary Village was ultimately canceled Saturday and Sunday due to major flooding at Riverfront Park.
CP FOOD: Bumpa’s in Charleston focuses on family. Brothers Dan and Conor Sullivan named their Irish pub, Bumpa’s, after their late paternal grandfather, who one of their older cousins deemed “Bumpa.” The pair said that you’d be surprised how many folks have a Bumpa in their lives.
HOLIDAY: What to do for St. Patrick’s Day in Charleston. Celebrate the Irish-themed holiday in Charleston with food and drink specials across town.
In other recent news:
Charleston’s plan to prevent future major flooding
Mayor William Cogswell announced March 13 a new “Active Flooding Mitigation Plan,” which calls for opening parking garages ahead of severe weather, placing pumps in often-flooded areas and ensuring storm drains are open and clear.
Arrest in North Charleston prompts question of mask legality in S.C. A decades-old state law prohibiting anyone over 16 from wearing a mask that conceals their identity in public has come into the spotlight after an arrest was made in North Charleston.
Charleston postal workers fear survey will cut labor
U.S. Postal Service officials told Charleston mail workers in a meeting this week a looming USPS review of their North Charleston mail-processing facility will not lead to layoffs or cut hours. The mail workers disagree.
North Charleston students blend culture and cuisine. A new class at Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston is educating students on the cultural impact of cuisine to better understand worldviews.
Summerville introduces hate intimidation ordinance. Councilwoman Tiffany Johson-Wilson proposed the Hate Intimidation Ordinance, which would allow harsher punishments at the local level for those convicted of crimes determined to have been prompted by biased hate.
Dorchester Co. partners with Lowcountry nonprofit. Dorchester County is partnering with the nonprofit Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy for the Dorchester County Wellness Project, a new initiative to assist first responders struggling with mental health.
Ravenel town council holds workshop to get answers for controversial zoning. The town of Ravenel held a council workshop Thursday night to further discuss a rezoning request involving nearly 100 acres of land that some residents oppose.
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