The South Carolina legislature adjourned for the year on May 21. Although 60 bills to alter election laws had been introduced, not a single one passed. However, any bill introduced this year could conceivably pass in 2010, since South Carolina has two-year legislative sessions.
The only election law bills of interest that even passed one House were H3067, which would have banned fusion; and H3231, which would have provided that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor run as a team in the general election.
Other interesting bills that didn’t pass in even one house were SB 365, to elect one presidential elector from each U.S. House district; HB 3140, to establish registration by party; two bills to ban primary voters from signing an independent candidate’s petition, H3746 and S590; and H3389, to bar presidential candidates from the ballot unless they submit proof of eligibility.
As usual, the SC legislature did what it does best: nothing. On the down side of that, it didn’t pass payday lending reform and other important things. But at least fusion is safe for at least another year and primary voters can still sign independent petitions. And to the legislature’s real credit, it took on Gov.
Mark Sanford on the matter of the stimulus money for education.