The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, May 16, 1968, Image 11
THK C HRONICLE, Clinlon, S. C., May 16, 1968—11
Many Meetings, Much Reading
A Legislative Day In The Life Of Sen. Dobbins
BY MARIAN MARSH
(Special to The Chronicle)
COLUMBIA - It’s a busy week
for the Senator from Laurens
Comity when the General Assem
bly is in session.
I he legislative week usually
begins on Tuesday when the Sen
ate and the House of Represen
tatives convene at noon to start
the week’s work.
F or Sen. William C. Dobbins,
this means driving to Columbia.
Tuesday morning from his home
in Ioanna.
Reps. W. Paul Culbertson and
David S. Taylor, who both live
in Laurens, usually make the
drive together to Columbia.
Upon arrival, Sen. Dobbins
goes directly to the Statehouse.
In the lobby other legislators
are gathering, chatting in small
groups while waiting for the bell
to ring.
The mood is generally jovial.
Legislators greet each other
heartily.
Visitors who wish to observe
the activities of the day may tie
seen filing into the galleries
of the House and Senate.
A fourth-grade teacher herds
her pupils up the stairs.
Mrs. Helen Slawson guides the
group, pointing out the South Car
olina State Seal emblazoned on
the red and gold carpet.
One youngster wants to know
if the two large Palmetto trees
at the top of the stairs are real.
Mrs. Slawson explains that both
trees were brought from Hilton
Head Island and were treated with
a plastic-like process topre-
serve them.
Ttie House and Senate secre
taries are busy in the lobby
answering the phones and handing
messages to pages who hurry off
in search of legislators.
The press begins to arrive:
reporters with their notebooks,
photographers with their cam
eras, and television cameramen
with their heavy equipment.
San. Dobbins picks up his mail
from the post office, collects his
messages from the lobby desk,
and walks into the Senate
chamber.
On his desk, and on the desks
of the other senators, are copies
of the Senate Journal and Calen
dar.
The Calendar is a numbered
green booklet which gives the
schedule for the day.
It lists bills coming up for
reading, bills to be introduced
and also lists special events such
as invitations to social events,
joint assemblies, and memorial
services.
OFFICIAL RECORD
The Journal is the official
record of Senate activities.
Both the Journal and Calendar
are available to Statehouse visi
tors upon request.
The senators rise as the pre
sident ex-officio of the Senate,
Lt.-Gov. JohnC. West of Camden,
enters.
He calls the Senate to order
and the legislative week is under
way.
Both the Senate and the House
open each day with a short de
votional by the Chaplains.
After the call to order and the
devotional, the usual order of
business in the Senate is:
(1) Receipt of communications
(2) Introduction of new bills
and resolutions
(3) Call of local uncontested
AT COMMITTEE MEETING —
Sen. Dobbins, third from left,
chats with Sen. Rembert ('. Dennis
of Berkeley County, left, and Sen.
Kdyrar A. Brown of Barnwell,
chairman of the Senate Finance
Committee of which Dobbins is a
member. At ritfht is Sen. William
Ci. DesChamps of Lee County. Pic
ture was taken prior to Finance
Committee meeting recently. —
( Photos by Bill Johnson, USC
Journalism School)
Upon introduction, bills are
referred to the appropriate com
mittee for study.
The committee studies the bill
and reports back either favorably
or unfavorably.
The fate of a bill often de
pends on the committee’s reac
tion to it. sometimes upon the
feeling of the committee chair
man.
After the committee has had the
bill for five days, the bill may
be recalled from committee by
a vote of the majority of the
Senate.
SENIORITY
Seniority is very important to
a legislator and determines to
a large extent his power and
effectiveness.
All committee assignments,
for example, are made on the
basis of seniority.
In the Senate, the top com
mittee is the Senate F inance
Committee and its chairman, Sen.
Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell, is
considered by many to be the most
powerful man in South Carolina
state government.
Sen. Brown has served in the
Senate since 1929 and as pre
sident pro tern and chairman of
the Senate Finance Committee
since 1942.
Sen. Dobbins, who has twice
been elected to the Senate and
has served in the House for
three terms, is a member of the
Senate Finance Committee.
His other committee assign
ments are Agriculture; Aviation;
My Neighbors
Education; Fish, Game and For
estry; Highways; Medical Affairs
and Natural Resources.
He is 2nd vice-chairman ofthe
Natural Resources Committee.
Committee meetings are held
weekly on Tuesdays and Wed-
nesdays.
The powerful Senate Finance
Committee meets on Tuesday
from 2:30 p.m. until about 5:30
p.m.
The state appropriations bill
is, of course, the most import
ant legislation which the Senate
Finance Committee considers.
But every bill which carries
an appropriation eventually
comes before this committee.
All money bills must l>e in
troduced in the House of Repre
sentatives.
Other bills may lie introduced
in either the House or Senate.
Bills receive three readings
but debate is usually limited to
the second reading.
Bills are read by title only
on the first and third reading.
After passage by both houses,
the bill is enrolled for ratifi
cation.
Most bills liecome effective
upon the signature of the gov
ernor.
RPIEFS'
m
“Well, how’d the boss react
to your report?"
^
UNLOADING MILLIONS —
The United States has paid
“port charges" totaling $t>0()
million to unload foreign aid
cargoes at the ports of some
100 nations, according to Rep.
John Dowdy (D.-Tex.), even
though there had been an
agreement that there would be
no charge. He said, “It seems
to me. if we are going to give
our resources to a country, it
should not charge us for un
loading it in their country. We
are not buying any friends
with our foreign aid."
) Motion period
) Call of the statewide cal-
:r.
dnt meetings ofthe House and
ite are scheduled occasion-
to hear a visiting speaker
roup, for example when Miss
gy White of Laurens ad-
;sed the General Assembly
ebruary.
uesday’s session, usually
rt unless there is a filibus-
or unless a controversial
■e of legislation is being con-
.red, ends about 1:00 p.m.
the ’senators break for lunch.
he real work of the General
embly is done in committee.
he Senate has 25 standing
imittees. The House has eight.
BEAT THE
PRICE RISE
on BRONZED
BABY SHOES
Style 50
This is your last chance to have your baby shoes
bronzed at these savings as prices go up May 31.
ORDER NOW FOR FATHER'S DAY AND SAVE!
BRONZE STYLES
REG
PRICE
SALE
PRICE
50 Bookends S15.95 $13.95
62 Oval Miniature Frame 15.95 12.95
67 TV Lamp 19 95 16.95
86 • 2-Shoe Ashtray 14.50 12.50
91 Onyx Paperweight 10.50 8.95
Ei|r«vi<| is inly IRt per letter
BRING SHOES IN NOW
SALE ENDS MAY 29
J. C. Thomas, Jeweler
Clinton —Joanna
The Senate and House usually
begin at 11:00 a.m. on Wednes
day and at 10:00 a.m. on Thurs
day.
The legislators usually
free to head for hom^y lunch
time on Thursday
WEEKLY MEETING
The members of the Laurens
County delegation hold a weekly
get -to-gether on Thursday Im
mediately after the General As
sembly adjourns.
Tuesday and Wednesday nights
are often devoted to banquets and
social events with the legisla
tors as honored guests.
Since the wives of the legis
lators are Included In these in
vitations, Mrs. Dobbins attends
many of these events.
Gov. Robert E. McNair often
Invites groups of legislators to
breakfast with him during the
legislative week.
Sen Dobbins is often a guest
of the governor on Thursday
mornings, along with fellow
members of the Senate Finance
Committee.
DOBBINS CATCHES DP ON SENATE READING
7
You cannot bring about pros
perity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak
by weakening the strong. You
cannot help the wage earner by
pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot further the brother
hood of man by encouraging
class hatred. You cannot help
The poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble
by spending more than you
earn. You cannot build charac
ter and courage by taking away
man y s initiative and independ
ence. You cannot help men per
manently by doing for them
what they could and should do
for themselves.
Abraham Lincoln
This message sponsored
in the public interest by
GRE
ODD Joanna Plants
MILLS