SC millionaire trying to move the needle on judicial reform

COLUMBIA — It took years for South Carolina legislators to broker a compromise to reform how the General Assembly picks state judges.

Now, many of the same lawmakers who helped strike the deal last session are looking to undo the changes before they’ve had a single hearing.

For years, legislative leadership had proven reluctant to give up its power on the Judicial Merit Selection Commission — the panel of lawmakers who get to vet judgeship candidates before sending them to a deciding floor vote by all 170 members of the Legislature.

In a major shift last year, lawmakers agreed to share some of the influence on the panel by giving the governor’s office four appointments on the 12-member screening committee while keeping six spots for legislators and two for private citizens.

But just mo