“S” is for Sheheen, Robert Joseph [b. 1943]. Lawyer. Legislator. Sheheen graduated from Duke and USC Law School. In 1976 he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. As chair of the House Judiciary Committee he championed causes including freedom-of-information legislation, the strengthening of local government powers, and the periodic review of state agency regulatory functions popularly known as “sunset laws.” He was elected Speaker in 1986. As Speaker, Sheheen devoted much of his time to organizational and procedural issues at a time when South Carolina’s two-party system was growing increasingly partisan and competitive. His eight years as Speaker ended in 1994 when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. Robert Joseph Sheheen served three more terms in the House before retiring at the end of the 1999-2000 session.