South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000
Journal of the House of Representatives

Wednesday, December 2, 1998
(Organizational Session)

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The House assembled at 10:00 A.M.

Deliberations were opened with prayer by the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Rev. Dr. Alton C. Clark, as follows:

Our gracious God, as we continue to plan and prepare for the new Legislative Session, we continue to seek Your wisdom and guidance. We pray that You would remain near to these men and women chosen by the people, for You know them each one: their needs, their hopes and their desires. Give to each one a clear conscience. Forbid that we should think that when this prayer is done, that our dependence upon You is over. May we seek Your counsel for the rest of the day. From these interlude moments of prayer may their light flow for each one until the day is ended.

So help us this day, and every day. Amen.

Pursuant to Rule 6.3, the House of Representatives was led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America by the SPEAKER.

After corrections to the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday, the SPEAKER ordered it confirmed.

MOTION ADOPTED

Rep. PHILLIPS moved that when the House adjourns, it adjourn in memory of T. D. Wilkins of Blacksburg which was agreed to.

RESIGNATION

Hon. David H. Wilkins
Speaker of the House of Representatives
508 Blatt Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29211

Dear Mr. Speaker:

After sixteen rewarding years of service in the General Assembly, I have taken a position with Governor Elect Jim Hodges' administration. Therefore, I am resigning today effective January 13, 1999, from the South Carolina House of Representatives, District 44.

Thank you to all the members and staff that have assisted me in my service. I look forward to continued good working relationships with all of you, as I accept this new challenge of public service.

Sincerely,
William D. Boan
Representative

MOTION ADOPTED

On motion of Rep. JENNINGS, with unanimous consent, Rep. BOAN'S remarks were ordered printed in the journal as follows:

STATEMENT BY REP. BOAN

Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House:

I debated if I should address the House today but after 16 years here and being so much a part of your life, there are a few things I wanted to say as I leave. I am reminded as I stand at this place how intimidating it is. In my first four years as a member, the only time I came here to speak was to introduce the Mayor of Lancaster. I was so scared, I could not even call his name. And six years later I stood here all night for 23 straight hours to pass a budget. We had over 500 amendments-never invoked cloture-and everyone had an opportunity to speak. In 1983, I never dreamed I would spend so much time at this podium...much less 16 years as a member of this legislature. But they have been 16 years filled with great experiences and many wonderful memories. When I first ran for the House against a 12-year incumbent, I had no agenda other than I would work hard for my district. And I lost. It was the most lonesome feeling in the world. Two years later I won by 33 votes. Losing teaches you a valuable lesson- you don't want it to happen again. So the next 16 years I worked hard to make sure it would not happen again.

These past years have been so rewarding in so many ways. The best part of this experience is not hard to identify. It's not chairing the Ways & Means Committee or being on the Budget & Control Board. It's not property tax relief or restructuring state government or LIFE scholarships. It's not serving on the Joint Bond Review Committee or seven budget conference committees. Those positions and issues come and go. The greatest part of the legislative experience, and I believe you will agree, is the personal relationships made with the people involved in this process.

I have been so fortunate. There are so many to thank. I have had unparalleled support from my constituents in Lancaster and Kershaw counties. My colleagues have given me positions of responsibility and allowed me to be a leader in this chamber. Speaker Wilkins, you have shown our colleagues by your confidence in me that you don't have to be a committee chair to be on the leadership team. You allowed me to serve on budget conference committees two of the past three years and I am grateful. Mr. Sheheen, you supported me in chairing a committee and gave me an opportunity to govern. Thank you. Sandy McKinney and the ladies at the desk are indispensable to the operation of this body. I appreciate your hard work and commitment to the House. Mitch Dorman and the staff of the Sergeant at Arms, you take care of the members in so many ways. I appreciate everything. And the staff of the House. We are so fortunate to have the professional people to give us accurate information and detailed analysis to help us make decisions.

The first decision I made when I became Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee was to name Frank Fusco the Director of Research. I believe it is the best decision I made. And I believe Chairman Brown's best decision was to keep Frank Fusco. He always assembled talented professionals to assist us and make us look smarter, more informed, and more efficient than we are. That is representative of all our staff. Our staff, both research and administrative, are loyal, hard working, state employees that we need to function. None of us could enjoy success without their support.

And most of all, thank you to my colleagues. I have great respect and admiration for all of you who choose to serve. Some of the finest men and women I know have served in this chamber. This process by nature is competitive. But to be successful here I believe we must always show respect for our colleagues. Sometimes debate can get tense, it is important to remember that today's opponent will be tomorrow's ally. Keep things in perspective. We are only making laws here and next year we will come back and change them. No loss we suffer here can match the disappointment of losing a spouse. And no victory we enjoy can come close to the joy of the birth of a child. Again, keep things in perspective. I hope during our time here we have made government work better for the people of South Carolina. I look forward to a continued good working relationship in my new challenge. And I hope as I leave this body today, that I have earned the same respect that I have for each of you. God bless you all.

ROLL CALL

The roll call of the House of Representatives was taken resulting as follows:

Allison                Altman                 Askins
Bailey                 Bales                  Barfield
Barrett                Battle                 Bauer
Beck                   Bowers                 Brown G.
Brown H.               Brown J.               Brown T.
Campsen                Canty                  Carnell
Cato                   Cave                   Chellis
Clyburn                Cobb-Hunt              Cooper
Cotty                  Dantzler               Davenport
Delleney               Easterday              Edge
Emory                  Fleming                Gamble
Gilham                 Gourdine               Govan
Hamilton               Harrell                Harris
Harrison               Harvin                 Hawkins
Hayes                  Hines J.               Hines M.
Hinson                 Howard                 Inabinett
Jennings               Keegan                 Kelley
Kennedy                Kirsh                  Klauber
Knotts                 Koon                   Lanford
Law                    Leach                  Lee
Limehouse              Littlejohn             Loftis
Lourie                 Lucas                  Mack
Maddox                 Martin                 Mason
McCraw                 McGee                  McKay
McLeod M.              McLeod W.              Meacham
Miller                 Moody-Lawrence         Neilson
Ott                    Parks                  Phillips
Pinckney               Quinn                  Rhoad
Rice                   Riser                  Robinson
Rodgers                Rutherford             Sandifer
Scott                  Seithel                Sharpe
Sheheen                Simrill                Smith D.
Smith F.               Smith J.               Smith R.
Spearman               Stille                 Stuart
Taylor                 Townsend               Tripp
Trotter                Vaughn                 Walker
Webb                   Whipper                Wilder
Wilkes                 Wilkins                Witherspoon
Woodrum                Young-Brickell

STATEMENT OF ATTENDANCE

I came in after the roll call and was present for the Session on Wednesday, December 2.

Floyd Breeland                                        Joseph Neal
Total Present-118

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

The SPEAKER granted Rep. HASKINS a leave of absence for the day due to illness.

The SPEAKER granted Rep. WHATLEY a leave of absence for the day due to illness.

STANDING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

The SPEAKER announced the following Standing Committee Appointments:

AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES
AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

Charles R. Sharpe, Chairman     Liston D. Barfield
James A. Battle, Jr.     André Bauer
William K. Bowers     Theodore A. Brown
G. Ralph Davenport, Jr.     Tracy Edge
JoAnne Gilham     Amos Lee Gourdine
Glenn Lewis Hamilton     Walter P. Lloyd
E.B. "Mac" McLeod, Jr.     Harry Legare Ott
Thomas N. Rhoad     Rex Fontaine Rice
Timothy C. Wilkes     William D. Witherspoon

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC WORKS

Ronald P.Townsend, Chairman     J. Gresham Barrett
Jesse E. Hines     Shirley R. Hinson
Curtis B. Inabinett     Robert W. "Bob" Leach
Lanny F. Littlejohn     Dwight A. Loftis
Becky Rogers Martin     Willie B. McMahand
Vida Osteen Miller     Bessie Moody-Lawrence
Joseph H. Neal     Edith M. "Edie" Rodgers
Harry C. Stille     Elsie Rast Stuart
Robert E. Walker     Byron K. "Bud" Webb

JUDICIARY

James H. Harrison, Chairman     John G. Altman III
T. Scott Beck     George "Chip" Campsen III
Bill Cotty     F. G. "Greg" Delleney, Jr.
Michael E. Easterday     Ronald N. Fleming
Jerry N. Govan, Jr.     C. Anthony Harris, Jr.
John David Hawkins     Douglas Jennings, Jr.
James S. Klauber     J. M. "Jake" Knotts, Jr.
Jesse Cordell Maddox, Jr.     James G. McGee III
Walton J. McLeod     John L. Scott, Jr.
Lynn Seithel     J. Gary Simrill
Doug Smith     Fletcher Nathaniel Smith, Jr.
James Emerson Smith, Jr.     Michael S. "Mickey" Whatley
Jackson S. "Seth" Whipper

LABOR, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Harry F. Cato, Chairman     George H. Bailey
Grady A. Brown     Ralph W. Canty
Converse A. Chellis III     Thomas M. Dantzler
Margaret J. Gamble     Herbert Kirsh
James N. Law     Brenda Lee
H. B. "Chip" Limehouse III     Rudolph M. "Rudy" Mason
Becky Meacham     Olin R. Phillips
W. E. "Bill" Sandifer III     Daniel L. Tripp
Teddy N. Trotter     Thomas D. "Tom" Woodrum

MEDICAL, MILITARY, PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

Joe E. Brown, Chairman     Donald L. "Chuck" Allen
Harry R. Askins     Jimmy Charles Bales
Floyd Breeland     Wilbur L. Cave
Eldridge Emory     Jackie Elliott "Coach" Hayes
Mack T. Hines     Leon Howard
Joel Lourie     James H. "Jay" Lucas
David James Mack III     J. Anne Parks
Clementa C. Pinckney     J. Todd Rutherford
J. Adam Taylor     Donny Wilder

WAYS AND MEANS

Henry E. Brown, Jr., Chairman     Merita A. Allison
William D. Boan     Marion P. Carnell
William Clyburn     Gilda Cobb-Hunter
Daniel T. Cooper     Robert W. Harrell, Jr.
C. Alex Harvin III     Thomas G. Keegan
Mark S. Kelley     Kenneth Kennedy
Larry L. Koon     Steve P. Lanford
E. DeWitt McCraw     Woodrow M. McKay
Denny W. Neilson     Richard M. Quinn, Jr.
John W. "Bill" Riser     Alfred B. Robinson, Jr.
Robert J. Sheheen     Roland Smith
Molly M. Spearman     Lewis R. Vaughn
Annette Young-Brickell

RULES

Doug Smith, Chairman     Grady A. Brown
G. Ralph Davenport, Jr.     Jerry N. Govan, Jr.
Robert W. Harrell, Jr.     Mark S. Kelley
James S. Klauber     James N. Law
H. B. "Chip" Limehouse III     Joseph H. Neal
Denny W. Neilson     Rex Fontaine Rice
Alfred B. Robinson, Jr.     J. Gary Simrill
Robert E. Walker

INTERSTATE COOPERATION

Marion P. Carnell, Chairman     George H. Bailey
Curtis B. Inabinett     Woodrow M. McKay
Donny Wilder

INVITATIONS AND MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS

Richard M. Quinn, Jr., Chairman     Harry R. Askins
Theodore A. Brown     Ronald N. Fleming
Dwight A. Loftis

COMMITTEE OFFICERS

The SPEAKER announced the following Standing Committee Officers:

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra McKinney
Clerk of the House

Dear Mrs. McKinney:
The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee met on Wednesday, December 2, 1998, and elected the following officers:

1st Vice Chairman - Representative André Bauer
2nd Vice Chairman - Representative Tracy Edge
Secretary - Representative Theodore Brown

Sincerely,
Charles R. Sharpe
Chairman

MEMORANDUM TO:     The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney
FROM:                             Ronald P. Townsend, Chairman
DATE:                             December 2, 1998
RE:                                     Education and Public Works Committee Officers

At the Education and Public Works Committee meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 1998, the following officers were elected:

First Vice Chairman             Lanny F. Littlejohn
Second Vice Chairman         Jesse E. Hines

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney
Clerk, South Carolina House of Representatives
State House
Columbia, S.C. 29201

Dear Mrs. McKinney:
The House Legislative Ethics Committee met on Tuesday, December 2, 1998, and elected the following officers:
Becky Meacham, Chairman
J. Roland Smith, Vice-Chairman
Michael E. Easterday, Secretary
Lynn Seithel, Treasurer

Sincerely,
Ruth D. Muldrow
Executive Secretary

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney
Clerk of the House
P.O. Box 11867
Columbia, S.C. 29211

Dear Sandy:
The Interstate Cooperation Committee met today for the purpose of organizing and elected the following officers:
Marion P. Carnell     Chairman
Woody McKay         First Vice Chairman
George Bailey         Second Vice Chairman
Curtis Inabinett         Secretary
Donny Wilder         Treasurer
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please let me know if further information is needed.

Sincerely,
Marion P. Carnell

MEMORANDUM

TO:             Sandy McKinney, Clerk of the House
FROM:             Ruth Tidwell, Administrative Assistant
House Judiciary Committee
DATE:             December 2, 1998
RE:             New Committee Officers

The officers for the House Judiciary Committee for the 1999-2000 Legislative Session are as follows:
Chairman         Honorable James H. Harrison
First Vice Chairman     Honorable Doug Smith
Second Vice Chairman     Honorable John M. Knotts, Jr.
If you have any questions, please call me.

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney

The following officers have been elected to the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee this date:
Harry F. Cato, Chairman
James N. Law, First Vice-Chairman
William E. Sandifer III, Second Vice-Chairman

Harry F. Cato
Chairman

TO:     Sandra McKinney
FROM:     Barbara M. Coleman
SUBJECT: Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee
DATE:     December 2, 1998

The following officers have been elected to the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee for the 1999-2000 Legislative Session:

Chairman:         Representative Joe E. Brown
1st Vice Chairman:     Representative Donny Wilder
2nd Vice Chairman:     Representative Leon Howard
3rd Vice Chairman:     Representative Wilbur L. Cave
Secretary:         Representative Floyd Breeland

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney
Clerk of the House
South Carolina House of Representatives
Columbia, S.C. 29211

Dear Ms. McKinney:
At a meeting of the House Operations and Management Committee held upon adjournment of the House in Room 501, Blatt Building on Tuesday, December 1, 1998, the following Committee Officers were elected:

Chairman         The Honorable Lewis R. Vaughan
First Vice-Chairman     The Honorable Merita A. Allison
Second Vice-Chairman     The Honorable Gilda Cobb-Hunter
Secretary/Treasurer     The Honorable Thomas G. Keegan
Other Committee Members include:
The Honorable Becky R. Martin
The Honorable Thomas N. Rhoad
The Honorable William D. Witherspoon
Please let me know if you require any further information from the Committee at this time.

Respectfully,
Cheryl L. Fennell
Executive Secretary

December 2, 1998
The Honorable Sandra K. McKinney
Clerk, South Carolina House of Representatives
State House
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Dear Mrs. McKinney:
The House Rules Committee met on Wednesday, December 2, 1998, and elected the following officers:
Doug Smith, Chairman
Alfred B. Robinson, Vice-Chairman

Sincerely,
Ruth D. Muldrow
Executive Secretary

MEMORANDUM

TO:         Sandra K. McKinney
Clerk of the House
FROM:         Jeannie R. Potter
Executive Secretary
SUBJECT:     Ways and Means Committee Officers
DATE:         December 2, 1998

The officers of the Ways and Means Committee for the 1999-2000 Legislative Session are as follows:
Chairman         Representative Henry E. Brown, Jr.
First Vice-Chairman     Representative Larry L. Koon
Second Vice-Chairman     Representative Woodrow M. McKay
Third Vice-Chairman     Representative Alfred B. Robinson, Jr.
Secretary/Treasurer     Representative Merita Ann Allison

Rep. FLEMING moved that the House do now adjourn, which was adopted.

ADJOURNMENT

At 10:30 A.M. the House in accordance with the motion of Rep. PHILLIPS adjourned in memory of T. D. Wilkins of Blacksburg, to meet at 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, January 12, 1999.

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