GOP Leaders Continue to Play Games in Closed Primary Debate
At the turn of this year, Columbia lawmakers received the most pressure yet over finally closing partisan primaries. After two decades of proposed legislation, the state house constitutional laws subcommittee held a hearing on H.3643 and H.3310.
Per usual, legislation that the Republican establishment has no appetite to pass is scheduled at the end of the hearing and/or under tremendous time restraints due to the representatives needing to get to the house floor for proceedings.
You see, an important part of holding together the uniparty statehouse coalition together is having moderates and leftists vote in Republican primaries in our Republican supermajority state.
The Jan. 21st hearing had testimony from three groups – those opposed to closing primaries, the establishment types supporting H.3643 and conservative activists supporting H.3310.
As the hearing predictably ran out of time without a vote on either bill, Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jay Jordan (R-Florence) explained how this was a complicated issue and that it did not appear that the issue was closed to being at a place where a bill could pass. Keep in mind that once again, legislation has been in introduced for two decades for the members to ponder and improve. The message was clear, the committee did not intend to bring it up again for the rest of this year’s session.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks later, Jordan and Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Weston Newton (R-Beaufort) penned a column titled “Commentary: Let GOP voters decide the future of SC primaries.” A curious headline considering primary voters had indeed voted overwhelmingly in favor of close primaries in advisory questions in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
The duo urged for more discussion and stated that “a more responsible approach is to slow down, allow party leaders and activists to work through their differences and give Republican voters a clear and neutral opportunity to weigh in themselves before the General Assembly acts.”
This is complete gaslighting. Simultaneously, H.5183 was in the process of being introduced. This closed primary bill from Reps. Burns, Chumley and Pace resolved some of the issues with both previous bills and received strong support from Republican house members and Republican activists. A discussion was had and a compromise was made.
The surprise on March 4
On Wednesday, just 35 minutes before the Judiciary Tort Reform Ad Hoc Committee meeting (don’t ask me how election law ends up in this committee), a third agenda item was added. The item? H. 5183.
Those outside of leadership and a select few were the only ones who could discern what was happening there. It was a rare thing to happen. The hearing happened and the first two items were discussed and voted on.
Then it came time to discuss H.5183. Quickly, Rep. Justin Bamberg (D-Bamberg) moved to adjourn the meeting. There was a sudden vote and the meeting was adjourned. Confused, Rep. Kathy Landing (R-Charleston), who opposed the adjournment, asked “what happened to the agenda item (H.5183)”? She was ignored and the meeting was adjourned. It was clear that Chairman Newton knew that this was going to take place.
Why did this happen with a GOP committee supermajority on an adjourn motion from a radical Democrat? Why was discussion thwarted when Chairman Newton had asked for more discussion? The only logical conclusion is that yet again, GOP leadership was paying lip service to an issue that their base adamantly supports.
Don’t tap the brakes now
Finally, GOP leadership is paying attention. Now is not the time to let up while they maneuver to sideline closed primary legislation.
Ask your questions. Make your statements. Call your legislators.
Move it forward now. Time is of the essence in this year's legislative session.
State House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton (left) and Vice Chairman Jay Jordan (right)
