Halt abuse of Senate rule [The Problem with S. 261 CWP Reform Bill]

Charleston.net's POS PC Post and Courier ^ | 02/03/02 | The Editors, Post and Courier, Charleston, SC

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Sunday, February 3, 2002 Halt abuse of Senate rule    Recent debate over legislation to expand a concealed weapons law in the Senate ended with a threat by a single senator to generally hold up Senate business. The threat has become too routinely acted upon, to the detriment of the legislative process. Continued abuse of the Senate rule that permits a single senator to indefinitely put a hold on legislation should no longer be tolerated by that body. There's a great difference between holding up a bill because of its substance and using the rule as a tool of retaliation.      Last year, Sens. Darrell Jackson, Robert Ford and Maggie Glover stopped much of the legislation passed by the House in its tracks, because the House wasn't prepared to take up a bill on racial profiling. The current Senate calendar of pending bills takes up 51 pages. The House calendar of pending legislation consumes only 11 pages. That suggests the problem persists.      In response, the House has approved a measure that sets aside its usual tight requirements for germaneness to allow a House-passed bill to be tacked onto Senate-approved legislation. "The House is not going to be held hostage," House Speaker David Wilkins tells us.      It is, nevertheless, a convoluted way for the Legislature to do business.      Sen. Glenn McConnell, president pro tempore of the Senate, acknowledges the problem, but says, "It's not the roadblock it was a year ago." The Charleston Republican says he is working to overcome objections to important legislation, such as a truth-in-sentencing bill, for Senate consideration.      Sen. Ford tells us that the blanket objections to House legislation of last year have been removed in anticipation of House action on a bill to prohibit racial profiling. He insists that items remain on the contested calendar because they require "more study, more debate." That's certainly the concept behind the rule.      But the recent remarks of Sen. Jackson, in opposition to the concealed weapon bill, suggest a different agenda. "Starting tomorrow we can put an objection on every bill that comes across the Senate desk and really wreak havoc in the whole process," he said, in comments quoted by The Associated Press.      It's one thing to halt a single bill because of objections to its content. Bringing the Legislature to a standstill by objecting to every bill up for consideration is irresponsible.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

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The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.

[CWRWinger]

Thank you for your vigilance and posting this update on S. 261. Sen. Jackson needs to be taken to the woodshed.

[SC Swamp Fox]

I am not familiar with Sen. Jackson, but Sen. Maggie Williams is in a Democratic "safe zone", a virtual Sheila Jackson-Lee.

[CWRWinger]

Greetings SC Swamp Fox,

Does Sen. Maggie Glover = Sen. Maggie Williams?

Thanks for the "Jackson-Lee" alert, I'll boycott that part of the state.

[CWRWinger]

This bill, S. 261 absolutely needs to pass and become law. I heard Gov. Hodges would sign it, but have not gotten a second on that report.

I've sent the post cards (SCGR), sent the e-mails, made calls, talked with pastors and deacons, presented a resolution at the precinct meeting and will be very disappointed if S. 261 does not go thru.

One thing which needs to be done yet, is put pressure on the NRA to put their money and backing where their mouth is (or isn't). Last time I communicated with the NRA-ILA, a Mr. John Shipper was the SC state laison. He can be reached (last time I tried) at 800-392-8683.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Oops. I may have my Maggies mixed up.

[CWRWinger]

"Swamp water", eh?