Gov. McMaster: Freedom of Information Act should apply to state lawmakers

Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday that South Carolina legislators should be required to comply with the state's Freedom of Information Act.

"The correspondence of legislators should not be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act – no reason for it," McMaster told reporters at the Poinsett Club in Greenville. He fielded questions after speaking to the Greenville County Republican Women's Club.

McMaster's remarks came two days after one of his Republican challengers, Charleston attorney Catherine Templeton, also called for eliminating the legislative exemption to South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act. She said the change is needed to prevent legislators from cutting "back-room deals."

Templeton is one of three Republicans running against McMaster in next year's governor's race. The other GOP candidates in the race are Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant of Anderson and former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill. Two Democrats — state Rep. James Smith of Columbia and Charleston business and technology consultant Phil Noble — also are running for governor.

McMaster was the co-chairman of an ethics panel that proposed doing away with the legislative FOIA exemption in 2013, but the General Assembly has failed to adopt this suggestion.

A former state attorney general, McMaster was elected as lieutenant governor in 2014. He replaced former Gov. Nikki Haley earlier this year after she was chosen by President Donald Trump to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

McMaster also called Friday for expanding the state's lobbyist registration requirements. Under existing South Carolina law, lobbyists seeking to influence legislators and state agencies are required to register with the state.

"We need to have lobby registration for every lobbyist whether they are lobbying the Statehouse or whether they are lobbying county council, city council, school board or anything," he said. "People ought to know when someone gets up and is making a pitch or giving an opinion or trying persuade a city council or a school board. We need to know if they are a citizen speaking for themselves or they are paid to speak for a special interest."

Responding to a question during his appearance before the Republican women's club, McMaster said he would like to see a change in how state judges are selected.

Currently legislators elect judges after their qualifications are reviewed by a merit selection commission. McMaster said he would prefer a system in which the governor nominates and the state Senate confirms judges.

He said the system now in place "is not one people have confidence in."

McMaster also used the question on judicial appointments as an opportunity to strongly criticize the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.

“They are making some of the most ridiculous decisions in the history of the world and we are going to have to do something about that," McMaster said.

The Republican governor specifically cited two of the court's rulings, a 2004 decision that found a South Carolina town council improperly invoked names associated with the Christian faith during prayers at meetings and a May ruling blocking Trump's plan to ban citizens of six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States.

McMaster said he is offering advice to Trump on future appointments to the appeals court.

Contact Kirk Brown via email at kirk.brown@independentmail.com and follow him on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM