South Carolina General Assembly
115th Session, 2003-2004

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 987

STATUS INFORMATION

Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Senators Jackson, Glover, Ford and Pinckney
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5841cm04.doc

Introduced in the Senate on February 19, 2004
Introduced in the House on May 4, 2004
Last Amended on April 29, 2004
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Robert Smalls, former U.S. Congressman, monument

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/19/2004  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-9
   2/19/2004  Senate  Referred to Committee on General SJ-9
   4/14/2004  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment General SJ-14
   4/15/2004          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/28/2004  Senate  Amended SJ-68
   4/28/2004  Senate  Read second time SJ-68
   4/28/2004          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/29/2004  Senate  Amended SJ-27
   4/29/2004  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-27
    5/4/2004  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-6
    5/4/2004  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-6

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/19/2004
4/14/2004
4/15/2004
4/28/2004
4/28/2004-A
4/28/2004-B
4/29/2004

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

AS PASSED BY THE SENATE

April 29, 2004

S. 987

Introduced by Senators Jackson, Glover, Ford and Pinckney

S. Printed 4/29/04--S.

Read the first time February 19, 2004.

            

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO RECOMMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE COMMITTEE TO ERECT A MARKER ON THE GROUNDS OF THE CAPITOL COMPLEX TO RECOGNIZE THE LIFE AND MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LATE UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN ROBERT SMALLS.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, in April 1862, Smalls was a twenty-three-year-old slave pilot when he commandeered a Confederate transport steamer, the Planter. Smalls sailed the ship, loaded with armaments away from a Charleston dock, past the heavily guarded Fort Sumter, and delivered it to the Union fleet; and

Whereas, a few months later, in August, Smalls served the Union as the pilot and captain of the ironclad Keokuk during a failed attack on Fort Sumter. Struck nineteen times at or below the waterline, the Keokuk sank, but Smalls and his crew were rescued; and

Whereas, after his naval career, Smalls moved back to his native Beaufort and established himself as a politician. He was elected to the South Carolina House in 1868 and the South Carolina Senate in 1870, where he fought for the economic rights and protection of blacks; and

Whereas, he also defended the cause of an honest and responsible government. In 1874, Smalls was elected to Congress, where he expanded his fight to protect the rights of black people despite the opposition and intimidation of whites; and

Whereas, it is fitting and proper to honor this outstanding son of the Palmetto State by placing a marker on the grounds of the Capitol Complex that chronicles his many achievements. Now, therefore,

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

SECTION    1.    There is hereby established on the grounds of the State House a monument to recognize the life and many accomplishments of the late United States Congressman Robert Smalls. The design and location of the monument shall be determined by the commission appointed pursuant to Section 2 of this joint resolution. The monument shall be erected as soon as is reasonably possible after the design and location are approved by the General Assembly by concurrent resolution.

SECTION    2.    (A)    A Robert Smalls' Monument Commission is created to determine the design of the monument and to determine the location of the monument on the State House grounds. The commission is empowered and directed to raise private funds and to receive gifts and grants to carry out the purpose for which it is created. The commission in this regard shall have the power to cause to be created a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation, the purpose of which shall be to receive and disburse funds for the Robert Smalls' Monument. The staff of the State Budget and Control Board shall assist the commission with the preparation and maintenance of financial records for the purpose of ensuring proper accounting of the records. The financial records are public records for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, except that the names of anonymous donors shall not be disclosed.

By no later than April 1, 2006, the commission shall report the proposed design and location of the monument to the State House Committee for its approval. After action by the committee approving the design and location, the State House Committee shall cause to be introduced the concurrent resolution serving as the instrument of approval as provided in Section 1 of this act. The State shall ensure proper maintenance of the monument as is done for other historical monuments on the State House grounds.

Four members of the commission must be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, four members must be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one member must be appointed by the Governor. Notwithstanding Section 8-13-770 of the 1976 Code, members of the General Assembly may be appointed to this commission. One of the members appointed by the President Pro Tempore must be a Senator and one of the members appointed by the Speaker must be a member of the House of Representatives.

The commission shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, and such other officers as the commission considers appropriate from among its membership. The senior Senator of the commission shall call an organizational meeting for the purpose of electing officers and such other matters as may arise. Commission members are not entitled to receive the subsistence, mileage, and per diem otherwise provided by law for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

(B)    The commission established pursuant to this act is dissolved on January 1, 2007. However, the commission must be dissolved earlier if both the monument is dedicated and the final report of accounting and activities of the commission is made before January 1, 2007, in which case the commission must be dissolved on the date of the later occurring event of the dedication of the monument or the receipt of the final report.

SECTION    3.    This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:21 A.M.