2003-2004 Bill 4195: Nonjudicial and Judicial Candidates; Election Time Frame - South Carolina

South Carolina General Assembly

115th Session, 2003-2004

H. 4195

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Hagood, Young, Merrill, Herbkersman, Branham, Altman, Battle, Clyburn, Emory, Howard, Leach, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Miller, Parks, Perry, E.H.Pitts, Ceips, Sinclair, J.R.Smith, Thompson, Weeks and Witherspoon

Document Path: l:\council\bills\gjk\20580sd03.doc

Introduced in the House on May 13, 2003

Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Nonjudicial and judicial candidates; election time frame

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

5/13/2003HouseIntroduced and read first time HJ7

5/13/2003HouseReferred to Committee on JudiciaryHJ8

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/13/2003

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 21980, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE NOMINATION OF QUALIFIED JUDICIAL CANDIDATES BY THE JUDICIAL MERIT SELECTION COMMISSION FOR ELECTION BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE ELECTION MUST BE HELD NO LATER THAN THREE WEEKS AFTER THE DATE OF THE COMMISSION’S NOMINATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; AND BY ADDING SECTION 22075 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ELECTIONS FOR NONJUDICIAL CANDIDATES SCREENED BY A JOINT COMMITTEE MUST BE HELD NO LATER THAN THREE WEEKS AFTER THE DATE THE FINDINGS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE AS TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICES SOUGHT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNALS OF BOTH HOUSES.

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

SECTION1.Section 21980(E) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 49 of 2001, is further amended to read:

“(E) A period of at least two weeks must elapse between the date of the commission’s nominations to the General Assembly and the date the General Assembly conducts the election for these judgeships. The election must be held no later than three weeks after the date of the commission’s nominations to the General Assembly.”

SECTION2.Chapter 20, Title 2 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

“Section 22075.Except as to other times required by Section 22035, elections for candidates screened by a joint committee under this chapter must be held no later than three weeks after the date the findings of the joint committee as to the qualifications of candidates for the offices sought have been published in the journals of both houses.”

SECTION3.This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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