COLUMBIA — Republicans in the South Carolina House passed a new congressional map hours after voters’ rights groups sued the chamber’s GOP leaders Tuesday to stop the process.
The 74-36 vote at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday embraced a White House-backed plan aimed at securing a Republican clean sweep of South Carolina’s congressional delegation in November.
Four Republicans — Reps. Nathan Ballentine of Chapin, Tom Hartnett of Mount Pleasant, Dennis Moss of Gaffney and Heath Sessions of Rock Hill — joined Democrats in opposing the quick overhaul just one week before the start of early voting and after the mailing of more than 11,000 absentee ballots. Twelve legislators had excused absences for not voting. One Republican in the chamber over two full days of debate didn’t vote.
The House then adjourned and, since it was after midnight, immediately reconvened as the next day to take the perfunctory vote needed to send the bill to the Senate. With that final vote at 12:39 a.m., representatives went home to await what senators do with the bill.
The full Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Wednesday afternoon.
But before that, a judge will hear initial arguments in a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the House’s mid-debate change to the rules. The hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Richland County Court could put the process on pause pending a ruling.
Democrats said they expect the lawsuit to be the first of many against efforts to redraw South Carolina’s congressional lines.
House Republicans were expected to approve a new map just one week before early voting opens and after more than 2,100 absentee ballots have already been cast.
“What you all are doing is wrong,” said Rep. JA Moore.
“You can justify it, rationalize it, but it’s wrong,” the North Charleston Democrat added.
The rules change
The state chapters of the League of Women Voters and American Civil Liberties Union sued Tuesday over the way GOP leaders dispensed with more than 500 of Democrats’ proposed changes.
To end the potential of debate dragging on indefinitely, the House Rules Committee adopted new rules Monday night limiting every legislator to one amendment and debate on each to three minutes. The full House then voted 73-33 on a resolution that put the changes in place for the duration of the debate.
A judge, however, could require all discarded amendments to be heard.
“The League wants to see public transparency in the process because it’s just so important,” league lobbyist Lynn Teague said of the lawsuit’s goal.
The lawsuit alleges the hastily called meeting violated the state Freedom of Information Act, which requires public notice of meetings at least 24 hours in advance.
Notice of the meeting was posted just eight minutes before the committee convened, and the meeting ended before reporters could make it to the room.
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