South Carolina General Assembly
109th Session, 1991-1992

Bill 4893


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               House
Bill Number:                    4893
Primary Sponsor:                Neilson
Type of Legislation:            HR
Subject:                        Sheheen, Robert J.
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   May 28, 1992
Computer Document Number:       JIC/6646.HC
Introduced Date:                May 28, 1992
Last History Body:              House
Last History Date:              May 28, 1992
Last History Type:              Introduced, adopted
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Neilson
                                Holt
                                P. Harris
                                L. Martin
                                Farr
                                Smith
                                M.O. Alexander
                                T.C. Alexander
                                Altman
                                Anderson
                                G. Bailey
                                J. Bailey
                                Baker
                                Barber
                                Baxley
                                Beasley
                                Beatty
                                Bennett
                                Boan
                                G. Brown
                                H. Brown
                                J. Brown
                                Bruce
                                K. Burch
                                Byrd
                                Canty
                                Carnell
                                Cato
                                Chamblee
                                Clyborne
                                Cobb-Hunter
                                Cooper
                                Corbett
                                Corning
                                Council
                                Cromer
                                Delleney
                                D. Elliott
                                L. Elliott
                                Fair
                                Felder
                                Foster
                                Fulmer
                                Gentry
                                Glover
                                Gonzales
                                Hallman
                                Harrelson
                                J. Harris
                                Harrison
                                Harvin
                                Harwell
                                Haskins
                                Hendricks
                                Hodges
                                Houck
                                Huff
                                Hyatt
                                Inabinett
                                Jaskwhich
                                Jennings
                                J.C. Johnson
                                Keegan
                                Kempe
                                Kennedy
                                Keyserling
                                Kinon
                                Kirsh
                                Klapman
                                Koon
                                Lanford
                                Littlejohn
                                Manly
                                Marchbanks
                                D.
                                Martin
                                M. Martin
                                Mattos
                                McAbee
                                McCraw
                                McElveen
                                McGinnis
                                McKay
                                McLeod
                                McTeer
                                Meacham
                                Nettles
                                Phillips
                                Quinn
                                Rama
                                Rhoad
                                Riser
                                Rogers
                                Ross
                                Rudnick
                                Scott
                                Sharpe
                                Shirley
                                Shissias
                                Snow
                                Stoddard
                                Stone
                                Sturkie
                                Taylor
                                Townsend
                                Tucker
                                Vaughn
                                Waites
                                Waldrop
                                Wells
                                Whipper
                                White
                                Wilder
                                Wilkes
                                Wilkins
                                D. Williams
                                J. Williams
                                Wofford
                                Wright
                                A. Young
                                R.
                                Young
Type of Legislation:            House Resolution



History


 Bill  Body    Date          Action Description              CMN
 ----  ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---
 4893  House   May 28, 1992  Introduced, adopted

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

COMMENDING SPEAKER ROBERT J. SHEHEEN, COUNSEL TO THE SPEAKER, STEPHEN P. BATES, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SPEAKER'S STAFF WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DURING THE REAPPORTIONMENT PROCESS, SPECIFICALLY IN REGARD TO PREPARING AND PRESENTING THE REAPPORTIONMENT PLANS ADVOCATED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DURING THE LAWSUIT OF BURTON, ET AL. V. SHEHEEN, ET AL. BEFORE THE FEDERAL COURT.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives, following the release of the 1990 decennial census, undertook the task of legislatively redistricting the South Carolina House, Senate, and Congressional districts during the 1991-92 legislative session, but while plans for the House and Senate were legislatively adopted, no plans were enacted into law; and

Whereas, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina in October of 1991, captioned Burton, et al. v. Sheheen, et al., in which Speaker of the House Robert J. Sheheen was named as a defendant in his representative capacity as the presiding officer of the South Carolina House of Representatives; and

Whereas, numerous hearings were held in conjunction with the lawsuit, including a three and a half week trial involving three federal court judges and twenty-six attorneys; and

Whereas, Speaker Robert J. Sheheen submitted to the court on the House's behalf reapportionment plans based on those passed by the House and presented testimony and other evidence to support the adoption of those plans; and

Whereas, the litigation required extensive research, correspondence, preparation of pleadings, analyses of maps and statistics, and zealous advocacy at trial; and

Whereas, the final order of the three-judge panel in the Burton, et al. v. Sheheen, et al. case ordered the implementation of new redistricting plans which are very similar in appearance and effect to those plans submitted to the court by Speaker Sheheen on behalf of the House; and

Whereas, Speaker Sheheen was assisted primarily by Staff Counsel Stephen P. Bates, Senior Assistant Attorney General Treva Ashworth, and Technical Consultant Robert Main, as well as other members of the Speaker's staff during preparation for the litigation, and was represented at trial by Stephen P. Bates; and

Whereas, Speaker Sheheen and the above-named staff members worked tirelessly, providing outstanding service to and representation of the House of Representatives without receiving any compensation beyond their normal salaries; and

Whereas, Speaker Sheheen was the only party to the lawsuit not to retain outside legal counsel, expert witnesses, or support staff and the only public defendant in the case not to incur legal costs at public expense; and

Whereas, the House of Representatives wishes to recognize and thank those who performed those services above and beyond their normal duties in representing the interests of the House during the entire reapportionment process, and during the litigation phase in particular. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the House hereby commends Speaker Robert J. Sheheen, Counsel to the Speaker, Stephen P. Bates, and the other members of the Speaker's staff which were instrumental in representing the interests of the South Carolina House of Representatives during the reapportionment process, specifically in regard to preparing and presenting the reapportionment plans advocated by the House of Representatives during the lawsuit of Burton, et al. v. Sheheen, et al. before the federal court.

Be it further resolved that the House of Representatives commends Speaker Robert J. Sheheen and his staff for performing that extraordinary task in a dedicated, professional, and fiscally responsible manner, without expending additional funds at the expense of the taxpayers of the State of South Carolina, and congratulates the Speaker, his counsel, and staff on the role they played in the formulation of the reapportionment plans incorporated by court order.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to The Honorable Robert J. Sheheen, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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