COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The Latest on the first day of South Carolina’s legislative session (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
South Carolina senators have approved new rules since the lieutenant governor is no longer presiding.
The Senate unanimously approved a new position called “President of the Senate” on Tuesday to preside over the body like the lieutenant governor had done.
Senators picked 38-year Senate veteran Harvey Peeler to be president. The Republican from Gaffney says it was the culmination of a lifelong dream to lead his fellow senators.
Senators agreed the Senate President cannot be the leader of a Senate committee to prevent consolidation of power.
Current Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman of Florence is also chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee.
Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant of Anderson quietly left the chamber after Peeler’s selection. Voters changed the constitution to remove the lieutenant governor’s powers in 2012.
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1:45 p.m.
For the first time in 29 years, South Carolina state senators have a new person in charge of their safety.
Senate Sergeant At Arms James Melton retired Tuesday after 29 years in the position. The Senate voted his assistant, Charles “Chuck” Williams Jr. the new Sergeant At Arms.
Along with safety, Melton is in charge of enforcing decorum in the chamber and making sure people get where they need to be. One of his last official acts was to guide members of Sen. Harvey Peeler’s family to the front of the chamber with his purple robe after he was elected Senate President.
Melton has served in law enforcement for 40 years and lives in Camden.
Williams has spent two years as assistant Sergeant At Arms and lives in Irmo.
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7:15 a.m.
South Carolina lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse with the promise of overhauling the state’s education system.
The state’s General Assembly begins its 123rd session in Columbia on Tuesday. Over the 18-week session, House and Senate leaders have said they plan to focus on improvements to the state’s K-12 and higher education systems.
The session also starts with new leaders for several key committees, including the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee. There are also new rules for the Senate now that the lieutenant governor no longer presides over that chamber.
Lawmakers may also decide what to do with state-owned utility Santee Cooper, which is saddled with around $9 billion in debt, about half of it from paying for nuclear reactors that were never finished.
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Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
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