S*0427(Rat #0066, Act #0178 of 2005)  Joint Resolution, By Campsen, Leatherman, 
Cleary, Fair, Malloy, Cromer, McGill, Mescher, Rankin, Ritchie, Lourie, 
McConnell, Martin, Ryberg, Bryant, Peeler, Grooms, Verdin, Sheheen, Short, 
Gregory, J.V. Smith, Courson, Elliott, Alexander, Moore, Drummond, Hayes, Scott, 
Land, Williams, Thomas, Hutto and Matthews

Similar(H 3697)
 A JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 9 OF THE
 CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL
 ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT, AFTER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES ON THE
 SECOND TUESDAY IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR, THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF
 REPRESENTATIVES MAY RECEDE FOR A TIME PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED THIRTY CALENDAR
 DAYS BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE RECEDING BODY OR FOR MORE THAN THIRTY DAYS BY A
 TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE RECEDING BODY, TO PROVIDE THAT EACH BODY MAY PROVIDE
 FOR MEETINGS DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AS IT CONSIDERS APPROPRIATE AND TO
 AUTHORIZE AN ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION FOLLOWING THE ELECTION OF SENATORS; AND TO
 AMEND ARTICLE III BY DELETING SECTION 21, WHICH PROVIDES THAT NEITHER HOUSE,
 DURING THE SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SHALL WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE
 OTHER ADJOURN FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS, NOR TO ANY OTHER PLACE THAN THAT IN
 WHICH IT SHALL BE AT THE TIME SITTING. - ratified title

   02/08/05  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-15
   02/08/05  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-15
   03/02/05  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary SJ-13
   03/03/05  Senate Amended SJ-39
   03/03/05         Scrivener's error corrected
   03/08/05  Senate Read second time SJ-17
   03/09/05  Senate Amended SJ-28
   03/09/05  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-28
   03/14/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-6
   03/14/05  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-6
   05/04/05  House  Committee report: Favorable Judiciary HJ-42
   05/05/05         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/10/05  House  Read second time HJ-10
   05/10/05  House  Roll call Yeas-102  Nays-2 HJ-14
   05/11/05  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-26
   05/11/05         Ratified R 66
   05/11/05         No signature required
   05/19/05         Copies available
   05/19/05         Effective date 05/11/05
   07/20/05         Act No. 178

(A178, R66, S427)

A JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 9 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT, AFTER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES ON THE SECOND TUESDAY IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR, THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY RECEDE FOR A TIME PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED THIRTY CALENDAR DAYS BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE RECEDING BODY OR FOR MORE THAN THIRTY DAYS BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE RECEDING BODY, TO PROVIDE THAT EACH BODY MAY PROVIDE FOR MEETINGS DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AS IT CONSIDERS APPROPRIATE AND TO AUTHORIZE AN ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION FOLLOWING THE ELECTION OF SENATORS; AND TO AMEND ARTICLE III BY DELETING SECTION 21, WHICH PROVIDES THAT NEITHER HOUSE, DURING THE SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SHALL WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE OTHER ADJOURN FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS, NOR TO ANY OTHER PLACE THAN THAT IN WHICH IT SHALL BE AT THE TIME SITTING.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Meetings of the General Assembly

SECTION    1.    It is proposed that Article III, Section 9 of the Constitution of this State be amended to read:

"Section 9.    The annual session of the General Assembly shall convene at the State Capitol Building in the City of Columbia on the second Tuesday of January of each year. After the convening of the General Assembly, nothing in this section shall prohibit the Senate or the House of Representatives, or both, from receding for a time period not to exceed thirty consecutive calendar days at a time by a majority vote of the members of the body of the General Assembly seeking to recede for a time period not to exceed thirty consecutive calendar days, or from receding for a time period of more than thirty consecutive calendar days at a time by a two-thirds vote of the members of the body of the General Assembly seeking to recede for more than thirty consecutive calendar days at a time. Each body shall sit in session at the State Capitol Building in the City of Columbia and may provide for meetings during the legislative session as it shall consider appropriate. Furthermore, the Senate or the House of Representatives, or both, may meet on the first Tuesday following the certification of the election of its members for not more than three days following the general election in even-numbered years for the purpose of organizing. If the casualties of war or contagious disease render it unsafe to meet at the seat of government, the Governor, by proclamation, may appoint a more secure and convenient place of meeting. Members of the General Assembly shall not receive any compensation for more than forty days of any one session."

Question

SECTION    2.    The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballots:

"Shall Article III, Section 9 of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to provide that the annual session of the General Assembly shall commence on the second Tuesday in January at the State Capitol Building in the City of Columbia, but that each body shall be authorized by majority vote to recede for a period of time not to exceed thirty consecutive calendar days at a time, or by two-thirds vote to recede for a time period of more than thirty consecutive calendar days at a time, and to sit in session at the State Capitol Building in the City of Columbia, and to provide for meetings as each body shall consider appropriate, and to provide for an organizational session for the Senate in those years in which the membership of the Senate is elected and to delete obsolete language relating to earlier sessions of the General Assembly?

Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'Yes' and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."

Meetings of the General Assembly

SECTION    3.    It is proposed that Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended by deleting Section 21, which reads:

"Section 21.    Neither house, during the session of the General Assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which it shall be at the time sitting."

Question

SECTION    4.    The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballots:

"Shall Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended by deleting Section 21 which provides that neither house of the General Assembly shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which it shall be at the time sitting?

Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'Yes' and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."

Ratified the 11th day of May, 2005.