Senate confirms Thomas S. Mulligan as director of S.C. Department of Natural Resources; other statewide appointees cleared

The South Carolina Senate, meeting after the joint assembly on Feb. 19, confirmed Thomas S. Mulligan as director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources by roll-call vote.

The reading clerk called the roll for the confirmation; the clerk later announced that Mulligan was confirmed by a recorded vote of 43 to 0. Senators also used unanimous consent to apply that roll-call outcome to two additional statewide appointments in the executive session, and those nominees were recorded as confirmed by the same tally. The reading clerk named the other appointees as J. Baron Irvin (Jobs-Economic Development Authority, Seventh Congressional District) and Michael C. Strange (South Carolina real estate appraisers board, representing mortgage lenders); the desk reported the confirmations as recorded.

Why this matters: The Department of Natural Resources oversees wildlife, fisheries, parks’ resources and related permitting and enforcement in South Carolina. A confirmed director sets departmental priorities and is the public face for natural-resource policy in the state.

Details: The confirmation roll call was requested after the Senate recessed from the joint assembly and proceeded into executive session. The clerk publicly read the roll-call tally; the chair announced the confirmation result. Afterward the Senate returned to open session and completed other calendar business before adjourning.