GOP LEADERSHIP BEGINS PLANNING FOR PROCEEDINGS

The 2010 regular session of the South Carolina General Assembly is still two months away, but beginning next week, lawmakers will have the ability to pre-file legislation.

And this year that means one thing: The impending impeachment proceedings against Gov. Mark Sanford are about to take shape, as Rep. Greg Delleney (R-Chester) will likely introduce a bill to oust the disgraced governor.

The House Judiciary Committee’s chairman plans to use a special committee to handle the work.

Rep. Jim Harrison of Columbia said Thursday it is up to House Speaker Bobby Harrell to decide which committee will get an impeachment resolution that will be the first legislation assigned to a committee Tuesday.

Harrison says he would set up and chair a special committee to handle the impeachment resolution. He expects the committee will wait until it gets a copy of the Ethics Commission’s investigation to begin work. [AP]

That ethics report has been at the center of quite a bit of controversy.

The Ethics Commission has been investigating Sanford over allegations that he misused state aircraft and other resources including campaign money.

Sanford had attempted to block lawmaker’s access to the forthcoming report, but the State Supreme Court denied the request.

If the preliminary report is read by the start of the session in January, legislators could be given a copy for use in impeachment proceedings.

Either way, things are about to get exciting…