Legislative presiding officer
The president of the South Carolina Senate is the presiding officer of the body. The role of the president is to ensure that general order is maintained in the senate by recognizing members to speak, ensuring members are following established rules, and to call for votes. Additionally, the president is second in the line of succession should the governor and lieutenant governor be unable to serve as governor. The current president of the senate is Thomas C. Alexander, a Republican, who has held the position since December 6, 2021.
History.
Henry Laurens was the first president of the senate (as president of the Provincial Congress) beginning with South Carolina's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776. Until 1865, the president of the senate was chosen by the legislature. From 1865 to 2019, the position of president of the senate was held by the lieutenant governor, who was elected at-large by the population of the state. In a 2016 referendum, voters decided to separate the offices of lieutenant governor and president of the senate. Beginning in 2019, the lieutenant governor is selected by the governor and the president of the senate is selected by senators. Kevin L. Bryant was the last lieutenant governor to serve as president of the senate. The current president is Thomas C. Alexander, who succeeded Harvey Peeler after his resignation in December 2021.
Election.
The president of the South Carolina Senate is elected to a term of four years by a simple majority vote by the members of the senate. The next election will be held in January 2025. Any senator may be elected president, except those serving as majority or minority leaders. The president is usually a member of the majority party. One exception is when Democrat Yancey McGill was elected president of the senate in 2015 by the Republican-controlled senate.
Roles and responsibilities.
The president of the senate generally oversees the proceeding of the legislative body by recognizing senators to speak, calling for votes, and maintaining general order. The president is automatically the chairman of the committee on legislative oversight and is seated on the operations and management committee, but is prohibited from chairing any other committee. Additionally, the president of the senate has the ability to do the following:
Succession to governorship.
The president of the senate is second in the gubernatorial line of succession. If the lieutenant governor is unable to serve as governor, the president of the senate becomes governor. Since the role of lieutenant governor was separated from president of the senate, no president has succeeded to the office of governor.
References.
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