To say Jake Knotts enjoys being a state representative is an understatement. From an early morning meeting, to a late dinner, the days of the state legislative session are filled with political activities.

The Lexington County representative is passionate about representing the people in his district. One of his first questions about anything is how it will affect the people of Lexington County.

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can try to do what is best for the most people,’’ he said.

Throughout the day he talks with people about different pieces of legislation. There is a lot of wheeling and dealing and negotiating on different matters.

“You can’t do anything here by yourself, one person has only one vote,’’ he said.

He said lots of people make promises when they go to the legislature, but nothing much can be accomplished without the cooperation of other members of the house and senate.

Understanding how he system works is key, Knotts said, and he works within the system to try to bring about what he feels will be in the best interests of the people in his district.

“Some people are just up here to getreelected, but some are here to represent their people. It doesn’t take long to figure out who is doing what,’’ he said.

Knotts said the representatives discuss different pieces of legislation, and they support each other and make agreements.

This is the nature of politics. Knotts is in his third term and has learned to use the system.

Even so, Knotts said he would not sell out his Lexington County constituents.

“I do have to take what my people need into consideration. But I understand when others have to vote against me if they are looking out for their people. Something may not affect Lexington County people the same way it affects people in Greenville,’’ he explained.

He is one of the few full-time legislators, having retired from a career in law enforcement.

At a breakfast meeting at Cogburns in West Columbia, he is chided at about his run for governor.

It was something that almost happened when a groundswell of support sprang up a couple of months ago.

“There was just not enough time to get a campaign together. If it had come up five or six months ago I would have jumped on it,’’ he said.

Knotts and other Republicans in the House especially, are not fond of Governor David Beasley. They feel he has let them down and they dislike his heavy handed political dealings with them.

Knotts and other legislators are upset because the governor’s office has promised to get candidates to oppose them in the next election if they oppose any of his proposed legislation.

“All people want is honesty, for people to tell them the truth,’’ Knotts said. Instead of running for governor, Knotts is intent on seeking reelection to the House. Noon last Tuesday was the opening of filing, and before the first hour was over he had filed.

But his day started early.

Before breakfast a lady had called about a problem she was having with the Department of Health and Environmental Control. At breakfast he talked with a member of the S.C. Athletic Commission about a bill concerning boxing in the state.

From there he is off to an elementary school in Columbia to watch an opera for kids.

Knotts said he would like to see kids exposed to fine arts such as opera more. This particular organization is from Chapin, so there is a Lexington County connection.

Getting back to his office he asked an assistant to make Lexington County School aware of the opera program.

With a cell phone in his car he is able to keep in touch with people and return phone calls.

He had some calls from some funeral home directors who were upset about a bill coming up that would require a sold funeral home to display the name of the new owner in addition to the original name on the sign.

After checking around he decided he needed to get involved. He decided not to go to the weekly Republican Caucus where plans are made for the week.

Instead he went to a subcommittee meeting where the bill was being discussed.

“This bill is unfair. It singles out just one business. If they wanted to do this for all businesses that would be one thing. At McDonalds you don’t see the names of the owners of an individual store on the sign,’’ he explained.

The bill was in trouble to start with, but because he didn’t like the bill and because his constituents had asked, he had decided to make sure the bill was dead.

Any bill introduced this late in the session would have trouble, but a similar bill had been introduced in the state senate, which is the only way something could get done at this point.

He makes a call to a senator and is assured the bill will not make it out of their subcommittee either.

Knotts understands how he system works, and he tries to use it to his benefit when he can.

Later in the day he makes a call to a lobbyist to get them to talk with a senator to try to get him to support a piece of legislation.

“You can make lobbyists work for you,’’ he said.

Knotts said lobbyists have their place in the system, but it is a two-way street. He said he often tells lobbyists up front where he is on a position which saves them both time.

“I just tell them where I am at on something. That keeps them from knocking your door down all the time,’’ he said.

Knotts said there are certain lobbyists he listens to when he does not have time to research a bill and needs information in a hurry.

“There are some that I know will tell me the truth,’’ he said.

Later in the morning a man speaking on behalf of the cosmetology industry comes by to ask for his support in trying to keep state colleges from competing with private cosmetology schools. The man says he is a former lobbyist, but says he is not now.

Knotts listens patiently and makes suggestions about where the man might get some help.

On this issue there are no phone calls to make something happen, but he does ask others what they think and files it away in his head for future reference.

He returns a few more phone calls and reads more pieces of legislation.

“You have to read a lot to keep up with what is going on. Sometimes they try to sneak things past us,’’ he said.

He talks briefly with another representative about government control. He said he is not in favor of deregulating utilities at this point until he finds out how it will affect people in his district.

At about noon he makes as his way to the house chambers, wading through a maze of lobbyists who line the corridor hoping to get a word with various representatives. He exchanges pleasantries with a few and makes his way to his desk inside.

Many organizations have lobbyists, and even different agencies of state government have their lobbyists. They are not allowed on the floor in the general session, but the governor’s lobbyists are, which is an irritant to the representatives.

The session itself is confusing to the uninitiated, with representatives talking back and forth and few listening to debate being held on the floor.

There are various issues to be voted on, but most of those have already been decided in negotiations. The general session is essentially to make official what has already been decided.

This is an opportunity to read mail and catch up on what is going on.

From there he and some other representatives go to lunch, which is a time relax and casually discuss issues.

They are still upset about where one of the representatives took them to lunch last week.

“He’s not going to be on the food committee anymore,’’ Knotts said, which was greeted by approval from the others.

Again the governor came up, and again there was disenchantment with the head of state.

“Here we are all Republicans,’’ Knotts said, “and were all upset with the governor.’’

Knotts then makes his way to the Judiciary committee, where bills will either get a blessing or be buried.

He has had a pretty good day to this point, but in this committee he would face a battle.

The committee was discussing a bill that requires college degrees of magistrates, which are appointed by the Senate.

Under the bill current magistrates would be allowed to stay in office, but new appointees would have to have at least a two-year degree by the year 2002 and at least a four-year degree by 2006.

Knotts first enters an amendment that would make law enforcement experience equivalent to a degree.

Supporters of the bill point to the problem of having magistrates who are not doing a good job in the state.

“Well get the Senate to appoint better magistrates and they won’t have this problem. This is just creating a graveyard for lawyers who can’t make a good living any other way,’’ he said.

Other members of the committee conceded that they do eventually want all magistrates to be attorneys.

First he tried to add an amendment that would require the state to give magistrates time off so they could go to school.

“They won’t have time to try any cases because they will all be in school. They have to have time to get that required education,’’ he told the committee.

That motion failed. He also entered a motion to adjourn, which explained later was a ploy to get a few extra minutes to work an another amendment.

The motion to adjourn was failing badly, so Knotts voted against it himself.

“I was just messing with them on that,’’ he said later.

The majority prevailed the measure went on to the full house.

“You win some and you lose some,’’ he said after the judiciary meeting.

After the meeting he had some time to go back to the office and check messages and return some more phone calls.

After the committee meeting he hits a few after-hours functions. One put on by the state horsemen’s association and another sponsored by the manufactured housing organization.

Knotts uses this time to talk with people, and it is in this setting that many deals are negotiated and made.

“If you tell someone you are going to support their bill you had better do it. You have to work with people,’’ he said.

His wife Betty joins him at the second one, and from there he goes to a dinner sponsored by the S.C. National Guard.

Knotts explained that these groups put on receptions and dinners so they can be known to the legislators and get their positions heard.

This is where Knotts can ask questions, and get information about pending legislation. To some he promises cooperation, and to some he says he can’t support their legislation.

Dinner is over about 10 p.m., and from there some go on to other functions, but on this night Knotts and his wife are headed home.

The representative’s life is busy but it is on he enjoys. Throughout the day there will be many issues coming to his attention, and he tries to keep up with them as well as possible.

The main thing is to look out for the best interest of the people he represents.