Legislature passes SPA overhaul

After considerable and often heated debate, a bill that would overhaul the State Ports Authority passed the Senate and the House Thursday and landed in the governor's hands.

But facing a piece of legislation that strips his authority to remove port board members at will, Gov. Mark Sanford almost certainly will veto the bill, according to spokesman Joel Saywer.

"The bottom line is this is about putting the Senate in control of the Ports Authority," Sawyer said. "It's also only going to make the Ports Authority less responsive to the needs of South Carolina."

Sawyer said the legislation would hurt the state's competitiveness by leaving no recourse for the governor, save to let board members' terms expire.

The bill establishes new qualifications for port board members and tighter oversight of the agency's leadership.

If signed into law, it also would set deadlines for the SPA to sell land it owns on Daniel Island and in the town of Port Royal.

The legislation received many hours of attention over the past several months as the SPA's largest customer, Danish shipping giant Maersk Line, announced that it would depart Charleston, and the agency's chief executive, Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., abruptly resigned.

SPA spokesman Byron Miller said the agency monitored the bill's progress and will implement any new requirements thoroughly and aggressively.

"We've refocused to serve as an economic engine of the state to bring in more cargo to our docks and to generate good jobs," Miller said.

A provision of the bill that would transfer a rail line in North Charleston to S.C. Public Railways, and potentially violate an agreement between the city and the SPA not to run rail through the northern end of the former Navy base, proved a major stumbling block in the bill's movement.

Sanford vetoed a legislative attempt to transfer rail, and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey has threatened to sue.

The Senate and the House eventually agreed to an amended version that left the rail situation for a court to resolve.

It also required the state Budget and Control Board to sign off on any rail transfers.

If faced with a veto, the Legislature will take up the bill again when it returns next month for a brief session.

Summey likened the current situation to a "cease fire," a time where all the players can come together to address the port-rail issue before the Legislature returns full time in January.

City officials decided Thursday to spend two weeks figuring out how to pursue an in-depth study of the port-rail scenarios, one that would include all local points of view.

Summey called on the state to give North Charleston a spot at the table in the port-rail debate, particularly since "North Charleston is going to be sitting in the middle of that inconvenience."

Staff writer Yvonne Wenger contributed to this story. Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.