SC Senate leader calls governor ‘dismissive’ over confirmations of appointments
As the state Senate considers the nomination of the next permanent director of the S.C. Department of Corrections, members of the upper chamber have called the governor’s treatment of the Senate confirmation process dismissive.
Joel Anderson, who is currently the acting director of Corrections, was nominated for the role last spring. The Senate offered to hold confirmation hearings in May, with a Senate vote when the General Assembly returned to approve the budget last year, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told reporters Thursday. But the governor’s office declined.
“It struck me as dismissive of the Senate not to engage in the full confirmation process back then, but you do an interim appointment, and you get a full year with no Senate oversight whatsoever. And this is not the only one,” Massey told reporters Thursday. “There’s going to be others that are coming, because there were other interim appointments last year, where ‘here we did this, and that’s just that.’ That’s not how it’s been working the last several years, and I’m frustrated by that.”
Anderson’s appointment to replace Bryan Stirling had enough votes to gain approval from the Senate Corrections and Penology Committee on Thursday, but Massey was one of four committee members to vote against the confirmation. Massey made it clear it wasn’t because of Anderson’s qualifications.
“This has nothing to do with you personally,” Massey said to Anderson. “I appreciate the work you’ve done. I appreciate your experience, but there’s an important check and balance with the Senate’s process to being able to conduct this type of screening to question you and to hold the department accountable. That’s an important role to us.”
State Sen. Matt Leber, R-Charleston, said the upper chamber has to protect its oversight powers.
“We have been steamrolled by the governor’s office in the last little while,” Leber said.
Last year the state Senate’s Medical Affairs Committee did not give a favorable report on the nomination of Dr. Edward Simmer to run the Department of Public Health. Simmer continues to have the “interim” tag on his title. Simmer continues to lead the agency.
According to the governor’s office, 76 appointments for agency directors and to seats on boards and commission are still pending. Five of those appointments are to the Transportation Commission, which also require House approval.
Massey conceded the Senate sometimes moves slowly with some confirmations of the governor’s appointments.
“The governor’s been frustrated because sometimes we’re slow with some confirmations, and I understand that frustration,” Massey said. “I’ve been frustrated with our pace in some committees as well. But overall, I do think we’ve done a much better job. We’ve been getting them out. We’ve been we’ve been moving pretty well.”
The governor’s office contended the relationship between McMaster and lawmakers remains good.
“Governor McMaster enjoys a historic and productive working relationship with the General Assembly. As is his practice, his door is always open for any legislator, his mobile phone stands ready for their call,” Michelle LeClair, McMaster’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.
