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SC House speaker easily defeats Freedom Caucus challenger

South Carolina Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, is sworn in by state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, after winning reelection to serve his second two-year term as speaker of the House of Representatives.
GAVIN JACKSON
South Carolina Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, is sworn in by state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, after winning reelection to serve his second two-year term as speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sumter Republican Murrell Smith was reelected Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, to serve his second two-year term as speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Happy Tuesday.

As a quick reminder: Welcome to SCETV and South Carolina Public Radio's newest blog, of sorts, previewing and capturing what goes on at the South Carolina Statehouse.

The blog is brought to you by longtime Statehouse reporters Gavin Jackson, Russ McKinney and Maayan Schechter.

It will include insider news, important meeting schedules, photos, video, behind-the-scenes interview clips with the state's policymakers and more.

We're still working on the name for the blog/newsletter.

Got ideas? Email us.

Alright, here's what happened today at the S.C. Statehouse, starting with an effort by the House Freedom Caucus.

As background: 123 of the 124-member South Carolina House of Representatives (there's one vacancy) were sworn in today for the 126th General Assembly. It was Day One of the lower chamber's organizational session. Day Two starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The Senate will start their organizational session at noon Wednesday. We're not expecting a lot of surprises in the upper chamber.

The organizational session is like the first day of school, except with lawmakers and a bunch of decorum rules.

In lawmakers' case, you get to see your old friends after a break. There are even freshmen. You find out what seat you get to sit in and who your desk mate will be. You get to vote on rules, find out your committee assignments and vote on who will run the chamber for the next two years.

That brings us to what occurred on the floor Tuesday.

Murrell Smith wins speaker reelection

House Speaker Murrell Smith, a Sumter Republican, successfully fended off a far-right challenge from longtime state Rep. Bill Chumley, a Spartanburg Republican and member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Jordan Pace, R-Berkeley, nominated Chumley. You can listen to his nominating speech below:

JordanPaceNominatesBillChumley.wav

Smith's win was not a surprise. (He won 102 votes to Chumley's 17).

But, as we wrote this morning, it was a good indicator of the continued GOP fault lines going into the next session, and it gave us a better sense of where the Freedom Caucus membership may stand heading into the legislative session starting Jan. 14, 2025.

Other House officers elected Tuesday

  • House Speaker Pro Tempore Tommy Pope, R-York, was reelected to another two-year term. He faced no opposition.
  • House Clerk Charles Reid was reelected to serve another term. He faced no opposition.
  • Sergeant-At-Arms Mitch Dorman was reelected to another term in the House, a job he's held for more than 30 years. He faced no opposition.
  • Charles Seastrunk was reelected to another term of serving as House chaplain. He faced no opposition.
  • Bubba Cromer survived a push to oust him as reading clerk by a vote of 88-12. Despite the opposition from many Republican lawmakers, no one nominated an alternative.

Under investigation, RJ May shows up

State Rep. RJ May, currently under federal investigation, showed up for Statehouse work Tuesday, answering an ongoing question over whether the Lexington Republican would be an active member this session.

Reporters on Tuesday watched May, who now sports a full beard, walk into the House chamber and participate in the swearing-in ceremony. May stood mostly in the far-left corner of the chamber, close to an exit that leads to what's known as the "cookie room," a room which also includes an exit out of the south side of the Statehouse. Reporters are not allowed inside, but did see a small handful of other lawmakers of both political parties stop to speak to him. May eventually spoke to reporters in separate small gaggles.

Republican South Carolina Rep. R.J. May of Lexington speaks to reporters during the organizational session for the House on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Jeffrey Collins/AP
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AP
Republican South Carolina Rep. R.J. May of Lexington speaks to reporters during the organizational session for the House on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

May is a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, and previously served as vice chair.

However, since the U.S. Attorney's Office of South Carolina formally filed official notice confirming an investigation, May has not been seen publicly.

In all his interviews with Statehouse reporters, May stayed on message and did not answer questions related to the investigation.

See below:

RepRJMaySpeaksToReporters.wav

Rutherford holds onto Dem leader role

Longtime House Rep. Todd Rutherford will serve another two-year term as the minority leader of the House Democratic Caucus.

Rutherford, 54, successfully fended off challenger and Richland County colleague Rep. Kambrell Garvin, 33, by a 19-13 vote.

The ballot was secret, so we don't know how each lawmaker voted, but we're told a few lawmakers sat out of the race.

Rutherford told SC Public Radio on Monday before the vote that his key priority for the caucus is to maintain Democrats' voice in a chamber where Democrats currently hold 35 seats to 88 Republican seats.

"We have always pulled for the little guy, for public education, for the working stiffs in South Carolina," Rutherford said Monday. "And we will continue to do that."

South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford speaks against a bond bill in Columbia, S.C. on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.Both state legislative chambers on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would require the payment of a full cash bond to post bail for people charged with a second violent or firearm-involved offense while out on pretrial release for a first offense. (AP Photo/James Pollard)
James Pollard/AP
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AP
South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford speaks against a bond bill in Columbia, S.C. on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.Both state legislative chambers on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would require the payment of a full cash bond to post bail for people charged with a second violent or firearm-involved offense while out on pretrial release for a first offense. (AP Photo/James Pollard)

Daily planner: A look ahead (12/4)

SC House

SC Senate

*Livestreams brought to you by SCETV

The first year of the legislative session is set to end May 11, which is less than a month away. Crossover Day was April 10 which is a time when bills have to clear one chamber to another in order to have a higher chance of making it to the governor’s desk before Sine Die this year.
Gavin Jackson
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SCETV/SC Public Radio
The first year of the legislative session is set to end May 11, which is less than a month away. Crossover Day was April 10 which is a time when bills have to clear one chamber to another in order to have a higher chance of making it to the governor’s desk before Sine Die this year.

Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter) is a news reporter with South Carolina Public Radio and ETV. She worked at South Carolina newspapers for a decade, previously working as a reporter and then editor of The State’s S.C. State House and politics team, and as a reporter at the Aiken Standard and the Greenville News. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2013.
Gavin Jackson graduated with a visual journalism degree from Kent State University in 2008 and has been in the news industry ever since. He has worked at newspapers in Ohio, Louisiana and most recently in South Carolina at the Florence Morning News and Charleston Post and Courier.
Russ McKinney has 30 years of experience in radio news and public affairs. He is a former broadcast news reporter in Spartanburg, Columbia and Atlanta. He served as Press Secretary to former S.C. Governor Dick Riley for two terms, and for 20 years was the chief public affairs officer for the University of South Carolina.