SC Attorney General Alan Wilson Hosts Judicial Reform Meeting:
On Monday, July 10th, AG Wilson hosted a meeting in downtown Charleston inviting members of the General Assembly. The attendance was high due to a Southern Legislative Conference being held in Charleston at the time. We gathered to hear more about why he believes strongly that we need serious reform of our current judicial appointment methodology. South Carolina is one of only two states in the country whose legislature appoints most of our judges, including Family Court, Circuit Court, Appellate Court and Supreme Court. We have a Judicial Merit Selection Commission that determines which candidates we have to choose from in order to make these appointments. Both aspects of this system, the JMSC and the legislative "election" or appointment are rife with problems, including conflicts of interest due to the high percentage of lawyer-legislators who bring cases before these judges at some point. Both AG Wilson and Charleston County Solicitor Scarlett Wilson shared stories of obvious conflict of interest situations in the past. I am a co-sponsor on every proposed bill in the House related to judicial reform, and believe strongly this should have been a priority long before now. Hopefully with all the information shared by AG Wilson at this meeting and others, we will get the Judiciary Committee moving on this extremely important issue for the second half of the 125th Session. It is simply unacceptable that the number of lawyers who might not like to see changes could hold up reforms that are clearly needed. One need only look at the release last December of a convicted murderer long before he had finished his sentence as a local example of the problems with this system. This case involved a retiring judge who signed the release, along with the legislator who was the convicted murderer's attorney and happens to also sit on the JMSC. The judgement was overturned and a nationwide search began to find the murderer. Just recently, he was rearrested in New York City and brought back to serve out his term. There are so many other cases with obvious conflicts, and our system badly needs to be changed.
Opening of the International African American Museum:
This historic museum tells the stories of the struggles, pain and tragedy, as well as the triumphs of Americans who initially came here against their will and in terrible circumstances. I joined many members of the General Assembly, as well as US Congress in attending the Grand Opening Ceremony on Saturday, June 24th. It was a great day at Gadsden Wharf, and very meaningful that this site that was the focal point of so much pain and suffering has now been turned into a lasting monument of the triumph of hope both now and for the future.
Around the District and Mount Pleasant:
Thank you to everyone who emailed the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding Highway 41 during the 30 day public comment period that ended July 10th. They received well over 3100 comments against the current plan. I sent an email as well as letters to the Corps, Governor Henry McMaster, Speaker of the SC House Murrell Smith, SC Senator Larry Grooms who is Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, and US Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott. I also spoke at the Charleston County Council meeting on July 11th. You can watch my remarks here. For far too long, this highway that among other things serves as the primary emergency evacuation route for tens of thousands of residents has been made into a political football pitting neighbors against neighbors; yet, this argument is invalid if you challenge the aggressive numbers projected by the Charleston County engineers. By their own admission multiple times in the correspondence sent to me and to the neighborhood POA leadership, they were required by the Council to come up with an "alternative plan." What many residents and the Council itself did not realize was that Park West Boulevard's widening, which was completed after the vote, was a huge improvement to traffic flow. This means we already now have two bypasses of Highway 41 both for regular daily commuting as well as in the event of a tie-up on 41. We are now waiting for the USACE to hopefully announce a public hearing on this matter. Wasting $30,000,000+ of taxpayer money, destroying 20 acres of trees, and filling in a dozen or more acres of natural wetlands right behind people's homes would be an irreversible, terrible mistake.
As always, please let me know any issues or concerns you have. I've handled lots of very local matters such as replacing broken signs, and having drainage ditches cleared, as well as those issues that face the whole state. Have a great week ahead!
Warmest Regards,
Kathy
Representative Kathy Landing
SC State House District 80