South Carolina legislation · 126th General Assembly
South Carolina H5790: Sheriff Pope memorial highway
Status: In committee, August 11, 2026
What the bill says
A concurrent RESOLUTION To request the Department of Transportation name the portion of United States Highway 21 from its intersection with Interstate Highway 77 to its intersection with South Carolina Highway 5 in York County "Sheriff J. Elbert Pope Memorial Highway" and erect appropriate signs or markers along this portion of highway containing these words. W hereas, a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, James Elbert Pope was born August 6, 1918, to Mose Laster and Beuford Pope and spent his entire life here. He married Harriett Elizabeth Thomas and together they were the proud parents of t.
From the introduced text, August 11, 2026:
A concurrent RESOLUTION To request the Department of Transportation name the portion of United States Highway 21 from its intersection with Interstate Highway 77 to its intersection with South Carolina Highway 5 in York County "Sheriff J. Elbert Pope Memorial Highway" and erect appropriate signs or markers along this portion of highway containing these words. W hereas, a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, James Elbert Pope was born August 6, 1918, to Mose Laster and Beuford Pope and spent his entire life here. He married Harriett Elizabeth Thomas and together they were the proud parents of two sons, Jim Pope and Thomas E. Pope, the current Speaker Pro Tempore of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and one daughter, Terri Pope Hottle; and W hereas, Mr. Pope spent his entire forty-three-year working career in the field of law enforcement as a member of the York County Sheriffs Department. He was elected sheriff in 1980, a position he held for eight years, before he retired in 1988. During his tenure, the sheriff's office created its own Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit; and W hereas, Sheriff Pope was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the South Carolina Sheriff's Association, and the American Legion. A member of the Greatest Generation, he bravely served his country during World War II …
Sponsors
- Thomas Ligon (R, 43) · primary sponsor