These Senators demonstrated conservation leadership on a particular bill or on a number of issues.
Senator Paul Campbell guided the negotiations between industry and the conservation community on water permitting.
Senator Hugh Leatherman helped secure the funding to keep the Conservation Bank alive.
Senator Harvey Peeler forced hearings on DHEC reform while Senator David Thomas promoted amendments to increase the oversight of DHEC’s Board. The bill died in the Senate.
Senator Ronnie Cromer sponsored legislation to protect landowners who use prescribed fire as a land management tool. The bill died in the Senate.
During the contentious fight over a mega-mall in Jasper County, Senator Tom Davis worked to protect the impaired Okatie River from the mall’s stormwater runoff. The bill eventually failed.
Senators John Matthews, Ralph Anderson and Joel Lourie stood ready to defend the rights of local communities to pass ordinances to protect their clean air and water and special character.
Senators Kevin Bryant, Wes Hayes, Joel Lourie, Shane Martin, Floyd Nicholson and Danny Verdin voted unanimously in subcommittee to kill S.1325, which would have opened the floodgates for incinerating out-of-state garbage.
Senators who voted to keep nuclear fuel reprocessing out of the definition of renewable energy sources in S.232 were: Ralph Anderson, Chip Campsen, Ray Cleary, Creighton Coleman, John Courson, Ronnie Cromer, Tom Davis, Robert Ford, Wes Hayes, Jake Knotts, John Land, Phil Leventis, Joel Lourie, Gerald Malloy, John Matthews, Yancey McGill, Floyd Nicholson, Billy O’Dell, Clementa Pinckney, Glenn Reese, John Scott, Dave Thomas, and Kent Williams. The amendment failed 23-20.
