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One of the most powerful members of the South Carolina General Assembly will be sidelined for several weeks as he undergoes cancer surgery, multiple sources familiar with the situation have confirmed to this media outlet.
House ways and means chairman Bruce Bannister of Greenville, S.C. will undergo surgery within the next few days, our sources said. Bannister is expected to miss anywhere from two to three weeks as he recuperates.
An announcement from Bannister regarding his procedure is said to be scheduled for later today (January 9, 2024) at the first meeting of the House GOP caucus.
Sources declined to elaborate on Bannister’s cancer – or the prognosis for his recovery – however they issued a stern warning to anyone seeking to take advantage of a potential power vacuum.
“The vultures need to stay home,” a source close to the majority leader told this outlet. “This isn’t going to be an extended absence.”
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Bannister has led the ways and means committee for the past two years. Prior to that, he served as House majority leader from 2008-2019. He has represented Greenville County in the legislature since 2005.
As chairman of ways and means, he oversees the first draft of the state’s budget – which clocked in at a record-setting $39 billion last year. It is unclear how Bannister’s absence will impact the budget process at the S.C. State House, which kicked off its 2024 session on Tuesday.
While this media outlet has had occasion to spar with Bannister in the past, we wish him nothing but the best as he undergoes this procedure and recovers from it. We would encourage our audience to do the same.
This is a developing story … please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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