The No. 1 excuse given by South Carolina lawmakers for their failure to show you their votes on any number of critical bills is that they “don’t have enough time.” As a result, millions of dollars are spent each year with absolutely no record of how individual lawmakers voted.
Seriously, how are taxpayers supposed to hold their elected officials accountable if so much of the people’s business is hidden from the public view?
Obviously, they’re not – and that’s the point. South Carolina’s current system makes it impossible to determine whether or not a lawmaker has been a good (or bad) steward of the taxpayers’ resources – which is precisely how lawmakers want to keep it.
Fortunately – like a good “defense lawyer” for the S.C. taxpayers who are forced to pay for all this waste and inefficiency – the S.C. Policy Council has taken it upon itself to knock down the “we’re too busy” excuse.
As anybody who’s spent a day observing the mind-numbing can tell you, lawmakers have plenty of time – they just waste it on an endless stream of ridiculous introductions, recognitions and ceremonial nonsense.
From the SC Policy Council:
State lawmakers have lots of excuses to downplay a new Policy Council study showing legislators recorded just 25 percent of their votes this year. In other words, 3 of every 4 votes taken by legislators were in secret with no record kept.
The latest reason lawmakers have for not recording votes is that they are just too busy. One lawmaker even openly complained he doesn’t ‘see the point’ because he thinks instituting the type of real accountability and transparency other states take for granted would grind the General Assembly to a halt.
In reality, South Carolina is one of just nine states that don’t require a recorded vote on EVERY bill passed into law. Those 41 other states seem to function just fine. The S.C. House even has an electronic voting system already in place — all legislators have to do is push yes or no.
So what are lawmakers doing now that keeps them too busy to record votes when passing laws and raising taxes?
Needless to say, that wasn’t a rhetorical question.
In fact, the Policy Council has put together a quick video highlighting a few scenes from a typical day at the S.C. State House.
Enjoy … and decide for yourself whether you think lawmakers are “too busy” in our poll below …
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By Old Army Guy June 30, 2009 at 11:28 am
Idiots acting like idiots. What a surprise! And when they actually get down to “business” it’s actually better than The Comedy Channel.
By not too smart June 30, 2009 at 11:54 am
FITS- As a lawyer i’m embarrassed to ask this, but does SC have a procedure for making laws by referendum? This seems like an issue that should have a lot of popular support.
By ShameOnJakie June 30, 2009 at 12:05 pm
And GUESS WHO is the chairman of the Senate Invitations committee, responsible for all these invitations and announcements that are wasting the valuable time of our legislators in the Senate? YUP – RINO Porky Knotts! Sen. Knotts is not only the most ardent opponent of ANY reforms put forth by our Governor, he is also one of the most outspoken opponents of On-The-Record voting in our state legislature. Go figure!
I wonder how many voters were fooled by the rhetoric of Jake Knotts during the primary elections last year? Obviously not enough to get Jake over the top, since he had to convince over 2,000 Lexington County Democrat voters to turn out and vote for him in the runoff with challenger Katrina Shealy.
SC Ethics Commission records also show Knotts accepted money from “Bridge PAC” which is run by US Congressman James Clyburn (D-6th district). Clyburn has received an 80% favorable rating from the ACLU. Those same records also show donations from a large number of trial lawyers, and the Trial Lawyers Association. I wonder how many voters realize this fact?
By LexingtonLady55 June 30, 2009 at 12:24 pm
ShameonJakie – your name says it all – you obviously have some sort of vendeta against Senator Knotts – and for the record, as Chairman of the Senate Invitations he has nothing to do with introductions or announcements in the Senate (that’s the Clerk’s job), much less the House, where that clip was filmed from. Do your homework.
By Elmo June 30, 2009 at 12:31 pm
LexingtonLady-
Do you have any quotes or statements or proof of any kind that Knotts supports recording all votes?
Surely you have to agree that our elected officials should be recording each and every vote ?
By GetHimOut June 30, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Get Sanford out…. how much time was wasted over ther stimulus $$$ while the Gov was writting his love letters and who knows where else he dipped his pen???? In the meantime the state sufford and now he wants to continue…. He was a lame duck has now disgraced the state …. but he feels like might as well state in the state Mansion and draw a salary for doing nothing rather than quit and have to get a real job….
Time to boot the man out
By LexingtonLady55 June 30, 2009 at 1:27 pm
No idea where he is on voting transparency, but I am for it. Just read where Sanford admits to meeting w/ lover on several occasions – as much as I hate to say it, now it’s time for him to go, before he embarresses our state and his family anymore. so sad.
By PandaChris June 30, 2009 at 1:31 pm
The legislature should tell us how they vote and the Governor should tell us how much of the taxpayers’ money he spent on his liaisons.
By Recovering Lobbyist June 30, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Not to Smart: There may be an exception, but I can’t think of one, but the only referenda that are binding are those placed on the ballot by the General Assembly or a county or city council if it is a local matter. Ralph Norman proposed ballot measures when he was in the House, but his bill never got traction. I think it would take a constitutional amendment to make that happen. I would suggest that while our legislature is imperfect, letting the voters legislate would be bad. Look at how crazy California has gotten if you need a reason why we shouldn’t go there.
By Toyota Kawaski July 1, 2009 at 8:49 am
SC Policy Council blah blah blah blah blah
By Do What Now? July 1, 2009 at 9:21 am
Let me get this straight. They’re too busy to record the voting which pretty much makes up half of their job description? Sounds like they’re too busy to run this state if you ask me…
By Fashizzle July 1, 2009 at 9:47 am
Citizens of all viewpoints want their government to be accountable and efficient even if they disagree on how big it should be. The only people who oppose transparency are the ones getting rich off the system.
The game is over. This issue resonates with voters.