The South Carolina Senate passed ethics reform legislation yesterday related to investigations of lawmakers and financial disclosure requirements. One bill gives the State Ethics Commission the authority to investigate legislators accused of ethics violations. The bill also puts eight seats on the commission with four picked by the governor and two picked by each party’s legislative leadership.

Another bill requires lawmakers to disclose the sources of their private income, but falls short of requiring them to disclose the amount of the income. Together, the bills represent the Senate’s first real steps towards ethics reform, despite pushing from the House and the governor for the last four years.

Both houses now need to agree on versions of both bills.