“Let The Record Reflect …”

Can South Carolinians still trust their “public record?”

Or have we entered an era where politicians’ votes can be changed after the fact without the public even knowing it?

The fact that the S.C. General Assembly has moved to a “paperless” journal erases much of our ability to document what happened (originally, at least) on the floor of our state’s legislative bodies – but the votes don’t disappear completely.

That’s because SCETV – the state’s educational television network – keeps a “gavel to gavel” digital video record of both the S.C. House of Representatives and the S.C. Senate.

Obtained from sources close to the network, here is a video record of the April 29, 2009 S.C. Senate deliberations in which Upstate Sen. Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg) votes to accept – and spend – a controversial portion of federal “stimulus,” money which he had previously pledged to “roll up his sleeves” to keep from going toward new spending.

As the video clearly shows Senator Martin votes “aye” – to take the money – but since the Senate Journal was switched, and was switched without explanation, the official public record now has Martin on the record as voting “nay.”

Don’t believe us? Here is the vote taken from the “updated” Senate Journal.

Ordinarily an elected official who wants to change his or her vote must make a “unanimous consent” request of the Senate – which creates a public record of the vote being changed.

But that’s not what happened here.

This vote was changed in secret.

Even more disturbing are reports we’re receiving that these sorts of “secret switches” are quite common at the S.C. State House.

We’ve asked for answers – and are still awaiting responses to the following three questions: 1) Who switched the Senator’s vote? 2) At whose request was it switched? And, 3) Why wasn’t established procedure followed?

We’ll be sure to let you know when (if) we get an official response …

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