SC corrections director confirmed after Senate rejects future interim leaders

Joel Anderson was confirmed as the permanent leader of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, but the governor’s future temporary appointments would be rejected or not considered, the state Senate decided Tuesday.

Before the vote, the Senate passed a resolution making it clear the upper chamber would not confirm future interim appointments made by the governor without advanced notice of need and an emergency making it unreasonable to wait for lawmakers to reconvene.

“The constitution is greater than any governor or any Senate,” said Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee. ”This is to make sure we have an understanding going forward from today, going forward with interim appointments.”

The Sense of the Senate resolution comes after Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, voiced dissatisfaction last month with how Anderson’s interim appointment was done. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Anderson to replace Bryan Stirling last spring. At the time, the Senate offered to hold hearings and approve Anderson when they returned to approve the budget, but McMaster’s office declined, Massey told reporters in February.

“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 in early February.

The frustration did not keep the Senate from confirming Anderson on Tuesday, but future appointments would be impacted by the resolution, Alexander said.

McMaster said his office worked closely with the Senate and House.

“My door is always open,” McMaster told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Anderson has led the corrections department since April 2025. Previously, he served as deputy director for operations at the agency.

“Since stepping in as interim director, he [Anderson] has provided steady leadership with a clear focus on public safety, and I am confident he is the right person to continue leading SCDC forward,” McMaster said in a statement Tuesday.

This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 2:33 PM.