How three Midlands lawmakers are adjusting to new life at the SC State House
South Carolina state Rep. Jermaine Johnson arrived to the state Capitol already knowing he was going to get lost.
The Lower Richland Democrat found his parking space in the State House’s underground garage, but then had trouble navigating the walk from the chamber back through the garage to the House’s underground Blatt office building entrance, a dark maze of turns that can can create a navigation challenge for newcomers to the State House.
Instead, Johnson chose to exit the State House and walk outdoors across the grounds to enter the House office building through its public entrance.
“That way I could see everything,” Johnson, 35, said chuckling.
South Carolina’s House members returned to Columbia for a quick, two-day rehearsal, if you will, Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for their official return back with senators to the Capitol on Jan. 12. There, the majority of the 124 members found their new seats and, in some cases, new seat mates. They found out whether the House speaker granted them the committee assignments they requested. And they learned that the chamber is much noisier than what you actually see on television.
“For our new members, this is kind of like the first day of school,” said state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, the chamber’s most senior member. “And for our new people, get used to people talking while people are up here talking, because that’s kind of the way we roll in here. And it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re being disrespectful. It just means you’re glad to see each other and you’ve got conversations that won’t wait.”
The 15 House freshman include three new lawmakers from Lexington and Richland counties, who each got their own unique taste of the session this week.
Johnson, a former College of Charleston basketball player who this summer won his seat over veteran incumbent Rep. Jimmy Bales, stood out on the House floor, towering over fellow members and sporting a “MATH” face mask, a nod to friend and former Democratic presidential nominee Andrew Yang who called on Americans to “Make America Think Harder” during his campaign. Yang plans to visit Columbia Friday for a swearing-in ceremony for Johnson outside the State House.
State Rep. RJ May, R-Lexington, above his State House pin, wore a Secret Service pin on his lapel he received when he worked for former Secret Service agent and state Rep. Andy Patrick, who ran for Congress.
And freshman Republican House Rep. Ryan McCabe, 47, an attorney — who challenged and won his seat against primary challenger and incumbent Rep. Kit Spires of Lexington County in June — watched the session online like most public viewers after he tested positive for COVID-19.
“I had to select someone to pick (my seat) for me, seat No. 11,” said McCabe, who told The State by phone Wednesday he was disappointed to have missed the first gathering of the new assembly. “Not sure what I knew what to expect from an organizational session. I’ve watched the session before, but I don’t recall ever watching an organizational session. That was interesting.”
When each member returns to Columbia in January, they’ll settle into their new offices and on their new committees.
May got a seat on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Johnson and McCabe were both put on the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, a popular first assignment for new lawmakers.
But for the two in attendance — Johnson and May, 34, who succeeded retired Rep. Mac Toole — both said a large enough takeaway was the help everyone was willing to offer, even help that was unsolicited.
“Everyone’s friendly. I assume that’ll stop at some point when we start getting down to business,” May said. “A lot of folks have offered what they’ve learned, whether they’ve been here for a term or 20-plus years.”
In Johnson’s case, surrounded by senior lawmakers, he said he is already doing his best to soak in information, advice he got from seatmate state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg.
“I want to sit back and get as much intel as possible,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to be a know-it-all guy.”
