South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

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Bill 3029

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE REPORT

January 29, 2020

H. 3029

Introduced by Reps. Fry, B. Newton, Crawford and Clemmons

S. Printed 1/29/20--S.

Read the first time March 6, 2019.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3029) to amend Section 7-17-560, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to the authority of the state executive committees to hear certain protests and contests, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

Amend the bill, as and if amended, page 1, by striking line 34, in Section 7-17-560, as contained in SECTION 1 and inserting therein the following:

/        Representatives, and county officers, involving more than one        /

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

LUKE A. RANKIN for Committee.

            

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

Explanation of Fiscal Impact

Amended by House of Representatives on March 5, 2019

State Expenditure

This amended bill eliminates the county executive committees and gives the state executive committee the authority to hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections.

Currently, the county executive committees hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections. Both the county executive committees and the state executive committee hearings are paid for by the political parties. The SEC reimburses the political parties for the court reporters and transcript hearings at both the county and state level. The SEC will continue to reimburse the political parties for the court reporters and transcript hearings at the state level. Therefore, this bill will have no impact on the SEC.

Local Expenditure

This amended bill eliminates the county executive committees and gives the state executive committee the authority to hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections.

Currently, the county executive committees hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections. Both the county executive committees and the state executive committee hearings are paid for by the political parties. Therefore, this bill would not have an expenditure savings impact for counties.

Introduced on January 8, 2019

State Expenditure

This bill eliminates the county executive committees and gives the state executive committee the authority to hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections.

Currently, the county executive committees hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections. Both the county executive committees and the state executive committee hearings are paid for by the political parties. The SEC reimburses the political parties for the court reporters and transcript hearings at both the county and state level. The SEC will continue to reimburse the political parties for the court reporters and transcript hearings at the state level. Therefore, this bill will have no impact on the SEC.

Local Expenditure

This bill eliminates the county executive committees and gives the state executive committee the authority to hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections.

Currently, the county executive committees hear and decide protests and contests arising from local primary elections. Both the county executive committees and the state executive committee hearings are paid for by the political parties. Therefore, this bill would not have an expenditure savings impact for counties.

Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director

Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 7-17-560, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES TO HEAR CERTAIN PROTESTS AND CONTESTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES ALSO TO HEAR PROTESTS AND CONTESTS IN THE CASE OF COUNTY OFFICERS AND LESS THAN COUNTY OFFICERS; AND TO REPEAL SECTIONS 7-17-530, 7-17-540, AND 7-17-550 RELATING TO HEARINGS BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES AND APPEALS FROM DECISIONS OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 7-17-560 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section    7-17-560.     The state executive committee must meet in Columbia at such place as may be designated by the chairman to hear and decide protests and contests that may arise in the case of federal officers, state officers, State Senate, State House of Representatives, and county officers involving more than one county and less than county officers. Any protest or contest must be filed in writing with the chairman of the committee, together with a copy for each candidate in the race, not later than noon on Monday following the canvassing of the votes for these officers by the committee. However, service upon the chairman may be perfected by depositing at the office of the Chief of the State Law Enforcement Division a copy of the protest, together with a copy for each candidate in the race. The chief must take immediate steps to deliver these copies to the chairman. The protest must contain each ground thereof stated separately and concisely. The chairman of the committee must forthwith serve upon each candidate in the protested race a copy of the protest and serve a notice of the time and place of the meeting of the committee for the purposes of hearing the protest."

SECTION    2.    Sections 7-17-520, 7-17-530, 7-17-540, and 7-17-550 are repealed.

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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