The conference committee formed to resolve differences in competing ethics bills has reached an agreement. House Bill 3945 is now poised to revise the state’s ethics laws, but will not include an independent committee to review complaints against lawmakers. Members of the House and Senate will continue to investigate their own members, described by critics as the “fox guarding the henhouse.”

Lawmakers agreed to raise the annual fee for registered lobbyists to $200 from $100, but rejected a proposal to require consultants to register and pay fees with the state. The bill also revises the previously unconstitutional definition of “committee” in order to require reporting for anonymous political groups attacking candidates.

The final version of the bill needs approval from the House and Senate before heading to Gov. Nikki Haley for consideration.

Gov. Nikki Haley has rejected a proposed compromise on ethics oversight by the House ethics reform panel. The panel unanimously advanced a proposal in House Bill 3945 to create an independent investigative commission.

The commission would consist of 12 members selected by all three branches of state government and have the power to investigate allegations of violations by officials and candidates. Power to punish violations would remain with the existing House and Senate ethics committees. The governor has also rejected the panel’s previous attempt to create an omnibus commission with the power to investigate, judge, and punish.

The panel is attempting to find compromise between the House version containing a combined ethics committee and the Senate version maintaining separate ethics committees. The investigative committee proposal will go before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.

The lieutenant governor’s office could be vacant if Glenn McConnell is selected as the College of Charleston’s next president on July 1. Senate President Pro Tempore John Courson is next in line to become lieutenant governor, but said he would not take the office if school trustees choose McConnell.

South Carolina would not have a lieutenant governor until January, 2015 when the winner of the November general election takes the oath of office. A constitutional amendment passed in 2012 will end the separate ticket for lieutenant governor beginning with the 2018 election.

The Senate has approved a new version of a bill to overhaul ethics. The Senate version of House Bill 3945 requires public officials to report sources of private income, but not the amounts paid. The bill creates educational ethics seminars for public officials and requires anonymous political groups to register and report if more than half of their activity goes toward influencing elections.

The bill as passed would make no changes to who would enforce the new ethics laws or to the practice of lawmakers policing themselves. An earlier version of the bill extended state lobbying regulations to the local level, but the Senate has removed this provision.

The bill now moves back to the House for approval. If the House does not approve the Senate version as is, the bill will go to conference committee.

Gov. Nikki Haley has nominated eight individuals to the State Ethics Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, the appointments will bring stability to the commission, where four of the nine seats are vacant and the terms of the five serving commissioners have expired.

The Senate is also debating a bill to overhaul the commission and empower it to confidentially investigate complaints filed against House and Senate members.

House Bill 3945 would also expand the definition of lobbying and modify reporting requirements.

The Legislature is not meeting this week because of the winter storm in the Carolinas. Most legislative meetings are also canceled.

Gov. Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, January 28, as light sleet began falling on the state capital.

The Legislature will resume its normal schedule next week on Tuesday, February 4.

The bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Ethics has issued its final report and recommendations on an ethics bill to be considered during the start of next week’s legislative session. House Bill 3945 already has 54 pending Senate amendments and will likely have more by next week.

The committee’s final report highlighted possible changes to lobbying regulations including a two-year revolving door restriction and a doubling of annual registration fees from $100 to $200. The committee recommends “meaningful and comprehensive ethics reform” to address weaknesses in the current law.

The Senate Select Committee held hearings to consider changes to the ethics complaint process. The ethics debate centered around deciding who should investigate and punish violations of the state ethics code. The committee also heard recommendations regarding gift and disclosure provisions.

The state inspector general advised lawmakers to adopt a policy of rejecting gifts over $50 and reform advocates support more comprehensive income disclosure laws for lawmakers. The committee will submit their recommendations on the ethics bill and amendment to the senate once the session resumes on January 14, 2014.

The Commission on Ethics Reform, formed by Governor Nikki Haley in October, 2012, has released 23 recommendations following a series of public meetings. Recommendation 12 would revise lobbying definitions to cover individuals who lobby any political subdivision of the state, including counties, city councils, municipalities, school districts, and special purpose or public service districts.

The commission hopes to offset the additional cost associated with expanding lobbying registration and reporting by increasing the registration fee for lobbyists and lobbyist principals. Whether or not the reform recommendations will produce new legislation is up to state lawmakers.

The special election to fill House District 1 and succeed Tim Scott in Congress is attracting notable candidates including Democrat Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, the sister of Comedy Central’s Steven Colbert. Colbert-Busch works at Clemson University as director of sales and marketing for the Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility.

Republican candidates include wealthy businessman Martin Skelly and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

The special primary is scheduled for March 19. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held April 2. The special election will be held May 7, 2013.

A special election will be held to fill the House District 17 seat, left vacant by Tom Corbin following the November 6, 2012 election. Corbin, elected to both the House and Senate, resigned as a state representative November 12th to become a state senator.

Filing for the open seat begins November 30th and closes December 10, 2012. Primaries will be January 22nd followed by possible runoffs on February 5, 2013. The special election will be held on March 12, 2013.

Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution requiring the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket.

Beginning with the general election of 2018, the lieutenant governor will no longer be elected separately and will no longer preside over the senate.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has created an independent commission responsible for making recommendations to reform state ethics and open records laws.

The executive order establishes an 11-member panel to review several ethics areas including conflict of interest rules, lobbying regulation, and enforcement of existing laws.

The governor expects a report from the commission by January 28, 2013, just weeks after the beginning of the next legislative session.

Photo of Governor Haley courtesy of Albert N. Milliron on Wikipedia.

“Lobbyist asks lawmakers to re-tweet anti-piracy study” by Brendan Sasso in The Hill.

North Carolina: “Legislators, lobbyists mix business with pleasure” by Mandy Locke in the News Observer.

South Carolina: “S.C.’s ‘wink, wink’ policies” in the Anderson Independent Mail.

South Carolina: “CEOs, lobbyists eyed as S.C. legislative panel probing Gov. Haley ethics charges prepares witness list” by Gina Smith in the Sacramento Bee.