Election results to shake up committee assignments in S.C. Legislature

By ROBERT CATHCART

Editor’s note: Cathcart is the chief executive officer of the South Carolina Policy Council – The Nerve’s parent organization.

The S.C. House and Senate face a number of committee changes following last week’s general election.

In the 46-member Senate, which was not up for election this year, Wes Climer, R-York, the former Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee chairman, won the 5^th Congressional District seat vacated by Republican Ralph Norman. Climer had previously resigned his state legislative seat, effective Nov. 3, regardless of the outcome of the general election for the U.S. House seat.

Climer leaves vacancies on the Senate Family and Veterans’ Services; Finance; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Transportation; and Legislative Oversight committees. His chairmanship on Agriculture and Natural Resources has been assumed by Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, R-Georgetown. Senate chairmanships are bestowed upon the most senior member of the committee in the majority party.

Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-Florence, who is now the lieutenant governor-elect, will resign his Senate seat, leaving vacancies on the Banking and Insurance, Family and Veterans’ Services, Judiciary, and Labor, Commerce and Industry committees.

In the 124-member House, there are plenty of post-election committee vacancies. The Rules Committee took the biggest hit, shedding 33% of its membership, with four members leaving as well as its chairman, Micah Caskey, R-Lexington.

Following is a chart showing House committee vacancies:

The majority Republican Party has up to three seats to fill on the powerful, budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, which are usually held by more senior party members, as are seats on Judiciary and Labor, Commerce and Industry. As a result, there will likely be more vacancies on some of the remaining committees as members seek to serve on the committees they deem more powerful. 

Members of another standing House committee can serve on the Rules; Government Efficiency and Legislative Oversight; and Regulations, Administrative Procedures, AI and Cybersecurity committees, as outlined in S.C. House Rule 4.2.    

Keep reading The Nerve to learn who will receive committee postings in the House and Senate.

Cathcart, who became the Policy Council’s CEO in September, previously served as an attorney, policy advisor and legislative liaison at two state agencies. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and USC’s Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in history.