H 4478 Passes Without a Final Recorded Vote
As we mentioned yesterday, we have been closely following H 4478 (to learn more about the bill read here).
According to the House’s Friday journal, members gave final passage to H 4478. The bill was given a second reading Thursday with a roll call vote of 105 to 9. After the vote, Rep. Cooper asked unanimous consent to have the bill read for the final time Friday – a day when representatives are not even required to be physically present in the chamber. The result: the bill “passed” on third reading with no recorded vote. Now, the measure moves on to the Senate for consideration.
Such tactics are the reason we need recorded votes on the second and third reading of every bill. This is especially the case when it comes to economic incentives legislation, such as H 4478. In fact, a new bill in the Senate, The Economic Incentive Transparency Act, would require recorded votes on the second and third reading of economic incentives legislation.
The end story is this: until S.C. law requires recorded votes, the General Assembly will continue to use its own “rules” to circumvent accountability and transparency – and then call this democracy. But in a real democracy every vote counts.
