South Carolina’s Legislative Tyranny Rolls On

In just perusing the constitutional sections the article discusses (removal or impeachment), two things immediately stand out. First, whatever the court decides about the treasurer is also going to apply to state judges. So, if they rule he can be “removed on address,” so can the judges. The second thing is the removal standard is really vague – I can see how it could be twisted and manipulated to be almost anything. If the Court rules that statewide elected officials and state judges can be removed on address, it will turn an already very powerful legislature into an absolute tyrant, eviscerating the already weaker judicial and executive branches. Honestly, regardless of how anyone feels about Loftis – this issue goes far beyond him – this is about the balance of power for years to come unless the constitution is amended again. We should not want a Legislature that can have this level of power over the executive and judicial branches and essentially nullify the power of the voters. I’m betting the Governor and the other constitutional officers are secretly hoping the court rules in Loftis’ favor.