Upstate SC lawmaker in line to lead powerful House budget-writing committee
A Greenville County Republican is set to take the lead of the South Carolina House’s budget-writing committee allowing him to have lots of influence over how state dollars are spent.
State Rep. Bruce Bannister is in line to be elected as the House Ways and Means chairman when the new South Carolina House of Representatives convenes next month, he told The State newspaper this week.
Bannister’s ascension to the chairmanship was confirmed by a source with knowledge of the planned move.
The Greenville County lawyer has been in the House since October 2005 and joined the Ways and Means Committee four years ago.
The Ways and Means chairman has a great amount of influence over where state tax dollars are directed, how much money agencies receive each year and how much lawmakers can bring back to their districts for local projects.
State economists estimate lawmakers will have $3.5 billion to distribute during the spring’s budget debate to set a state spending plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year, which begins July 1. About $754 million will be annual dollars, which can be used for ongoing expenses such as employee salaries and benefits.
Bannister would not comment on specific goals he wants to focus on as Ways and Means chairman but said the $3.5 billion available to allocate is an exciting opportunity to invest in projects or initiatives that could transform the state.
The expected move to elect Bannister as the House budget chairman brings more budget-writing power to the Upstate.
His Senate Finance Committee counterpart, state Sen. Harvey Peeler, is a Cherokee County Republican.
“Yes, Harvey and I are in the Upstate,” Bannister said. “Neither one of us are naive (to believe) that the entire state isn’t really reliant on each other. We’re too small to be parochial.”
Bannister, who served as House majority leader from 2012 to 2016, replaces former chairman Gary Simrill, R-York, who took over the chairmanship in May when previous Chairman Murrell Smith became speaker of the House.
Bannister recently oversaw a subcommittee that determined how to spend federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act and from the Savannah River Site settlement.
He also chaired a Ways and Means panel that oversaw budgets for the Adjutant General’s office, Comptroller General, State Election Commission, Lottery Commission, Secretary of State and Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, among other state agencies.
Earlier this year, state Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Beaufort; state Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence; former state Rep. Kirkman Finlay, R-Richland; and Bannister all aimed for the powerful chairmanship. Finlay lost his reelection bid, and Herbkersman and Lowe have since withdrawn their candidacy for the chairmanship, Bannister said.
Herbkersman told The State he ultimately withdrew about three weeks ago because he could not commit to the amount of time needed for the role.
“As of today, I’ll be the only one running at reorganization,” Bannister said.
Bannister will take over a committee that will have at least six new members when it convenes next month.
House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, a Richland County Democrat who sits on the budget-writing committee, said the race for the chairmanship had been between Herbkersman and Bannister.
Committees elect their chairs during the organizational session.
“They’re both great guys, have knowledge of the subject matter, and both have proven they’ll put South Carolina first, which is what I’m interested in,” Rutherford said.
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 11:12 AM.
