Impeachment question looms as lawmakers return to special session

COLUMBIA — South Carolina lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse this week to debate tweaking state law to grant employment benefits to tens of thousands of people, but at least one legislator wants to use Tuesday's special session to throw embattled Gov. Mark Sanford out of office.

The Legislature adjourned for the year in June, days before the GOP governor skipped the state to rendezvous with a woman in Argentina he called his "soul mate." Since then, a litany of state Republicans have called for his ouster, and the State Ethics Commission has launched an inquiry into Sanford's travel, including his use of state planes for personal and political purposes.

Several Associated Press investigations questioning the governor's travel prompted the probe, which should be completed next month.

State Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, says lawmakers would have explored impeachment immediately, had they been around. He says the results of that investigation aren't needed for the House to begin work on impeachment and he plans to introduce a resolution Tuesday that accuses Sanford of dereliction of duty for abandoning his post without telling anyone in the chain of command where he was going.

"This is just getting the ball rolling," Delleney said last week.

Lawmakers are returning to debate a bill that would extend emergency unemployment benefits to thousands. Statehouse leaders summoned lawmakers to return for the one-day session after extended benefits ran out for nearly 7,000 unemployed South Carolinians.

Officials have criticized Employment Security Commission executive director Ted Halley for not letting legislators know they needed to pass a law temporarily changing how emergency benefits are triggered to keep them flowing.

South Carolina's unemployment was 11.6 percent in September, the fifth-highest in the country.