Senator holding up confirmation vote on DHEC head

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A senator is filibustering to hold up a vote that would put the leader of South Carolina’s labor agency in charge of the state’s public health and environmental control agency.

Sen. Phil Leventis occupied the podium Wednesday for roughly four hours before the Senate managed enough votes to adjourn. The Sumter Democrat expects to return to the podium Thursday.

Leventis argues Catherine Templeton is not properly qualified to run the Department of Health and Environment Control, one of the state’s largest agencies. He also argues she needs to move to Columbia.

Templeton says she won’t uproot her small children from Mount Pleasant but will always be available. The labor lawyer says DHEC needs a good director, not a health expert.

The filibuster follows senators’ hours-long meeting Tuesday behind closed doors.