Allison Helms

The South Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the state of South Carolina. The Senate and the House of Representatives together form the South Carolina General Assembly. Before taking its present name of “Senate,” in the 1778 Constitution, the upper chamber in various forms was known by other names including “His Majesty’s Council” and the “Legislative Council.” Under the current Constitution of 1895, the composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article III. Although the Constitution designates that each of the forty-six counties of South Carolina is represented by one senator, the senate districts do not correspond with the county boundaries. Rather the districts are apportioned based on population because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1964 ruling in Reynolds v. Sims, which declared that state legislative districts be roughly equal in population. The forty-six members of the Senate are elected simultaneously every four years. The Senate conducts most of its work within its fifteen standing committees. The Committees on Finance, Judiciary, and Transportation have historically been recognized as the most powerful and prestigious. The chamber of the South Carolina Senate is in the east side of the State House, in Columbia, the state capital. The chamber of the House of Representatives is in the west side of the same building. The Senate has exclusive powers not granted to the House, including the confirmation of most gubernatorial appointments to boards and commissions, cabinet secretaries, and magistrates. The Senate also has the constitutional duty to try officials impeached by the House. The South Carolina Senate is widely recognized to be both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the House of Representatives, due to its longer terms, smaller size, and larger constituencies. These factors have historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere.