SC Daily Gazette

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.

Friday the General Assembly begins a special session called by the Governor for the purpose of redrawing our congressional districts and sending our primary elections into chaos to reflect the change. This will be a heartbreaking exercise for anyone who cares for all of our state’s people and for our nation’s highest ideals.

Understanding good governance is like working on creating a great recipe. A big part of getting that recipe “right” is protecting that “mix,” enabling everyone to contribute and accomplish League goals. As part of good governance, local Leagues should consider investing in Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance to cover directors and officers from all actions and decisions in the course of their duties and the costs associated with legal defense.