Voters could be asked again to give up electing SC school superintendent in 2022

South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman speaks as Governor Henry McMaster listens during a press conference at the South Carolina Emergency Operations Center to announce the cancelling of the rest of the state’s school year due to the Coronavirus.

Nearly three years ago, South Carolina voters rejected the Legislature’s attempt to make the state’s schools superintendent an appointed position by the governor, rather than leave it up to the voters every four years.

Now state lawmakers want a do-over. They’re hoping to place a similar question on the ballot in 2022.

A House panel Thursday approved in a 3-2 vote a measure sponsored by Republican House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, to make the superintendent part of the governor’s Cabinet with the state Senate’s approval.

Democratic state Reps. Justin Bamberg, of Bamberg County, and Will Wheeler, of Lee County, voted against the question. All three Republicans on the panel — House Judiciary Committee chairman Chris Murphy of Dorchester County, Russell Fry of Horry County, and subcommittee chairman Weston Newton of Beaufort County, supported the constitutional change.

The joint resolution — H. 3445 — would simply, Newton said, “put the question back on the ballot at the next general election for the citizens of South Carolina to determine whether or not the state superintendent of education should continue to be an elected officer or appointed by the governor based on the qualifications and other components of the law that was passed again in 2018.”

The state’s education superintendents have been elected in South Carolina since 1895.

Yet, in 2018, lawmakers tried to change that decades-long practice, with support from current Superintendent Molly Spearman.

Spearman’s term ends in January 2023.

On one end, many believe the governor should have the authority to pick whom he or she wants as superintendent, an appointment that would put both on the same policy level and perhaps politically over the statewide position. Others believe voters should keep their say, arguing that a superintendent should do what is best for education, students and teachers, and not be swayed by a political position.

Spearman, a Republican, and former state schools superintendent Inez Tenenbaum, a Democrat, partnered in 2018 in a state Chamber of Commerce video and asked lawmakers to vote “yes” on the ballot referendum. Former Gov. Nikki Haley weighed in.

But voters despite the push said no — by 945,902 to 672,992 votes, or roughly 60%.

“After putting her own money into the ballot measure and campaigning in favor of it across the state, ... Spearman respects the will of the voters who overwhelmingly ... rejected the appointment of her position,” said Spearman’s spokesman, Ryan Brown.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.