Why does every Legislator want to be on the Joint Bond Review Committee?
The JBRC (I hate acronyms) was created in 2014 with the Chairmen of House Ways and Means and Senate Finance appointing the 10 members to the panel. The JBRC is empowered to “study and monitor policies and procedures relating to the approval of permanent improvement projects and to the issuance the state’s general obligation and institutional bonds; to evaluate the effect of current and past policies on the bond credit rating of the State; and provide advisory assistance in the establishment of future capital management policies.”
In other words, a lot of money for state projects is approved or disapproved by these 10 people.
To be assigned to the JBRC, a legislator has to be on Senate Finance or House Ways and Means. And everything is determined seniority, so a member usually has to have at least 10 years tenure to get to the Finance Committee. Of course, it’s critical not to be a pain in the ass to the Finance Chair. You really don’t want to be “dead to him” for many reasons, but certainly not if you want such a plum assignment as the JBRC!
Lexington County has been very, very fortunate over the past few years by having three Senators on the JBRC. I won’t say we didn’t look out for the entire state, because we DID, but, there may be occasions in whuch a committee member just might show a little favoritism towards her/his home county… or… alma mater.
For the past several years my district (23) was totally in Lexington County whereas those of Senators Nikki Setzler (just retireed after 48 years in the Senate) and (77 year old) Ronnie Cromer, both represent(ed) parts of the county, but not solely.
Starting in 2025, Lexington County will have only Senator Cromer, but redistricting cut a good portion of Lexington from his district. He now represents Newberry and a bit of Richland. His Lexington area is just a sliver in the northern part of the county. Lexington County will have no one even eligible for the JRBC for another 10 years.
The three of us are also University of South Carolina supporters and we leave a lot of orange on that committee.
No doubt this doesn’t seem proper or righteous, but all’s fair in love, war and politics (and rivalries). And if you think voters can correct such inequities because a candidate tells you he or she will “fix the mess” in Columbia or “end special interests,” then reality doesn’t live in your zip code. It’s been the way of government since the beginning and it’s not going away.
C’est la vie!
I promised to tell the good, the bad and the ugly – and the truth.
Your voice has been muted, Lexington County! This is what you wanted. You voted for it. Infrastructure? Grants? Public Works? Multi-million dollar bonds to get a major company to build a new plant in the area and create a couple of hundred jobs and exponentially boost the local economy? Not gonna happen. This isn’t sour grapes, it’s fact.
With my last JBRC meeting on October 8th, I only hope whoever follows Setzler and me will at least have to ride through Lexington – and likes Garnet!
Much more to come.
WHILE I BREATHE 