When we have to rely on legislative committees to solve important problems, the result is usually quite disappointing. But when it comes to education in South Carolina, the only place we can go is up. So I’m hopeful that House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s newly-announced Education Finance Act Study Committee will be able to bring about some much needed ideas in tackling the current education crisis.

The purpose of the EFA Study Committee is to review state education expenditures and report back by Nov. 1, 2008. Here’s a list — courtesy of “that guy” — of the committee assignments:

Rep. Jeff Duncan – Chairman (Laurens & Newberry) Rep. Nathan Ballentine (Lexington & Richland) Rep. Jim Battle (Marion) Rep. Richard Chalk (Beaufort) Rep. Alan Clemmons (Horry) Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (Orangeburg) Rep. Creighton Coleman (Chester & Fairfield) Rep. Bill Cotty (Kershaw & Richland) Rep. Ken Kennedy (Williamsburg) Rep. Jimmy Merrill (Berkeley & Charleston) Rep. Denny Neilson (Chesterfield & Darlington) Rep. Fletcher Smith (Greenville) Rep. Roland Smith (Aiken) Rep. Bill Whitmire (Oconee) Rep. Annette Young (Charleston & Dorchester)