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South Carolina State Senate

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South Carolina State Senate

Seal of South Carolina.jpg
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 11, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   John E. Courson, (R)
Majority Leader:   Harvey Peeler, (R)
Minority leader:   John Land, (D)
Structure
Members:  46
   Democratic Party (19)
Republican Party (26)
Vacant (1)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art III, Sec 1, South Carolina Constitution
Salary:   $10,400/year
Elections
Last Election:  November 4, 2008 (35 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (35 seats)
Redistricting:  South Carolina Legislature has control

Contents

The South Carolina Senate is the upper house in the South Carolina Legislature. It consists of 46 state senators who are elected to four-year terms without term limits.[1]

South Carolina state senators are not subject to term limits.[2]

Each member represents an average of 100,551 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 87,218 residents.[4]

Sessions

Article III of the South Carolina Constitution establishes when the South Carolina State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 9 of Article III states that the Legislature is to convene on the second Tuesday of January each year. Section 9 allows the General Assembly to recede from session for up to thirty days by a majority vote of the legislative house seeking to recede. Furthermore, one or both houses can recede from session for more than thirty days if that action is approved by two-thirds of the members.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate will be in session from January 11 through mid-June.

Major issues

Legislators will be addressing a budget surplus of $900 million. Major agenda issues include tax reform, job security measures, reforming the state retirement system, and creating a new school funding formula.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in regular session from January 11 through June 2. [6] On June 2, Governor Nikki Haley attempted to call the Legislature into an "emergency" special session to begin on June 7 to create the new South Carolina Department of Administration. A lawsuit was filed by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, in which he contended that Haley's call for a special session was unconstitutional, and that it violated the state Constitution's requirement of separation of powers among the governor, legislature and courts. [7] On June 6, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled 3-2 against Governor Haley, stating that her order violated the Legislature's ability to set its calendar and agenda. [8]

The legislature met in a special redistricting session from June 14 - July 1. [9] The legislature re-convened July 26. [10]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 12 to June 3.[11]

Elections

2012

See also: South Carolina State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of South Carolina State Senate will be held in South Carolina on November 6, 2012. A total of 46 seats will be up for election.

The signature filing deadline is March 30, 2012 and the primary date is June 12, 2012.

2010

South Carolina did not hold any State Senate elections in 2010.

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the South Carolina State Senate a candidate must be:[12]

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 21 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A resident of the district at the filing deadline time

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. If candidates plan to seek the nomination through a party convention, the filing period begins on the third Friday after the vacancy happened. The qualifying deadline is ten days after the filing period opens[13].

If a candidate plans to seek the nomination via petition, all signatures must submitted to the appropriate filing officer no later than sixty days before the election. All signatures must be verified by the filing officer no later than 45 days before the election[14].

A primary election must be held on the eleventh Tuesday after the vacancy occurs. If necessary, a primary runoff must be held on the thirteenth Tuesday after the vacancy occurs. The special election is held on the eighteenth Tuesday after vacancy occurs. No special election can be held less than 60 days before the general election[14].

Senators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2011, members of the South Carolina Legislature are paid $10,400 a year during legislative sessions. Legislators receive $119 a day for meals and housing for each statewide session day and committee meeting. Per diem is tied to the federal rate.[15]

The $10,400/year that South Carolina legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and 2007. Per diem is decreased from $131/day in 2010.[16][17]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2012
     Democratic Party 19
     Republican Party 26
     Vacancy 1
Total 46


Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate.[18]

Current leadership

Position Representative Party
President of the Senate Glenn McConnell Ends.png Republican
State Senate President Pro Tempore John E. Courson Ends.png Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler Ends.png Republican
State Senate Minority Leader John Land Electiondot.png Democratic

2010 Leadership

Position Representative Party
President of the Senate Andre Bauer Ends.png Republican
State senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell Ends.png Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler Ends.png Republican
State Senate Minority Leader John Land Electiondot.png Democratic

List of current members

District Representative Party Residence
1 Thomas Alexander Ends.png Republican Walhalla
2 Larry Martin Ends.png Republican Pickens
3 Kevin Bryant Ends.png Republican Anderson
4 William O'Dell Ends.png Republican Greenwood
5 Phillip Shoopman Ends.png Republican Greer
6 Michael Fair Ends.png Republican Greenville
7 Ralph Anderson Electiondot.png Democratic Greenville
8 David Thomas Ends.png Republican Greenville
9 Daniel Verdin Ends.png Republican Laurens
10 Floyd Nicholson Electiondot.png Democratic Greenwood
11 Glenn Reese Electiondot.png Democratic Inman
12 Lee Bright Ends.png Republican Spartanburg
13 Shane Martin Ends.png Republican Spartanburg
14 Harvey Peeler Ends.png Republican Gaffney
15 Wes Hayes Ends.png Republican Rock Hill
16 Greg Gregory Ends.png Republican Lancaster
17 Creighton Coleman Electiondot.png Democratic Winnsboro
18 Ronnie Cromer Ends.png Republican Prosperity
19 John Scott Electiondot.png Democratic Columbia
20 John Courson Ends.png Republican Richland County
21 Darrell Jackson Electiondot.png Democratic Hopkins
22 Joel Lourie Electiondot.png Democratic Columbia
23 John Knotts Ends.png Republican West Columbia
24 Greg Ryberg Ends.png Republican Aiken
25 Shane Massey Ends.png Republican Edgefield
26 Nikki Setzler Electiondot.png Democratic West Columbia
27 Vincent Sheheen Electiondot.png Democratic Camden
28 Dick Elliott Electiondot.png Democratic North Myrtle Beach
29 Gerald Malloy Electiondot.png Democratic Hartsville
30 Kent Williams Electiondot.png Democratic Marion
31 Hugh Leatherman Ends.png Republican Florence
32 John McGill Electiondot.png Democratic Kingstree
33 Luke Rankin Ends.png Republican Myrtle Beach
34 Raymond Cleary Ends.png Republican Murrells Inlet
35 Phil Leventis Electiondot.png Democratic Sumter
36 John Land Electiondot.png Democratic Manning
37 Lawrence Grooms Ends.png Republican Bonneau
38 Mike Rose Ends.png Republican Summerville
39 John Matthews Electiondot.png Democratic Bowman
40 Brad Hutto Electiondot.png Democratic Orangeburg
41 Vacant Ends.png Republican Charleston
42 Robert Ford Electiondot.png Democratic Charleston
43 George Campsen Ends.png Republican Isle of Palms
44 Paul Campbell Ends.png Republican Goose Creek
45 Clementa Pinckney Electiondot.png Democratic Ridgeland
46 Tom Davis Ends.png Republican Beaufort

State Senate Committees

The South Carolina State Senate has 15 standing committees:

External links

References

  1. ↑ List of state legislative term limits
  2. ↑ List of state legislative term limits
  3. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  4. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  5. ↑ The State, "Legislative key issues," January 8, 2012
  6. ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
  7. ↑ The State, Haley tells court she has right to call special session, 6 June 2011
  8. ↑ Wltx.com, SC Supreme Court Rules Against Nikki Haley's Extra Session, June 6, 2011
  9. ↑ TheSunNews.com, The Carolinas | S.C. House to have special session in June, 6 May 2011
  10. ↑ The Island Packet, S.C. Senate OKs new congressional districted anchored in Beaufort County, June 29, 2011
  11. ↑ 2010 session dates for South Carolina legislature
  12. ↑ Qualifications for running for South Carolina State Senate
  13. ↑ South Carolina State Legislature "South Carolina Code"(Referenced Statute 7-13-190 (A)-(B))
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 South Carolina State Legislature "South Carolina Code"(Referenced Statute 7-13-190 (B))
  15. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
  16. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  17. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  18. ↑ South Carolina Senate Leadership
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the South Carolina State Senate
Senate President: John Courson (R) • Senate Majority Leader: Harvey Peeler (R) • Senate Minority Leader: John Land (D)
   
Democratic (19) • Republican (26) • South Carolina State Senate • South Carolina House of Representatives
v • d • e
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