Gov. Henry McMaster

South Carolina's governor has signed a bill into law that will eventually allow up to 15,000 students in the state to use public money for private schools. Thursday's bill signing capped a nearly 20-year effort that ran through three governors, four House speakers and five education superintendents. The new law is set to start in the fall of 2024. It establishes what are called education scholarship accounts. Parents and guardians can get up to $6,000 a year to pay for tuition, transportation, supplies or technology at either private schools or public schools outside their district. The program will eventually expand to about 15,000 students and to families that make $120,000 or less a year.

The South Carolina House has given key approval to an education voucher bill. Wednesday's vote likely clears the way for up to 15,000 students to be able to use public money for private school tuition. The bill passed on a 79-35 vote and will soon head to Gov. Henry McMaster who has promised to sign it. The bill establishes education scholarship accounts. Parents and guardians can get up to $6,000 a year to pay for tuition, transportation, supplies or technology at either private schools or public schools outside their district.

The legislative fallout over a $3.5 billion accounting blunder by South Carolina's comptroller general took a new turn Tuesday as lawmakers moved to make his job a gubernatorial appointment instead of an elected position.

South Carolina’s governor didn’t have to look far to find his nominee to run the state’s workforce and unemployment agency. On Thursday, the governor announced that he has tapped the current chief of staff at the Department of Employment and Workforce, William Floyd, to be the new director.

South Carolina's governor says he is going to ask lawmakers to approve nearly $1.3 billion to bring to the state a new electric vehicle plant. The company is a Volkswagen Group-backed group trying to revive the Scout brand of vehicles, which was a 1960s forerunner to today's SUVs. Scout Motors Inc. says it will spend$2 billion on the plant near Columbia and hopes to have 4,000 workers and begin rolling the electric SUVs off the assembly line in 2026.

Supporters of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster are setting up a nonprofit that organizers say will assist the Republican in promoting his legislative priorities over his final term. The McMaster Leadership Fund will "support the governor's legislative agenda through political and grassroots advocacy and engagement," according to information provided Thursday to The Associated Press. The nonprofit will focus on issues including economic development, education reform, tax cuts and "preserving the cultural and environmental heritage of South Carolina." McMaster in November defeated Democrat Joe Cunningham, winning reelection by the largest margin of victory a South Carolina gubernatorial election has seen in over three decades. The fund is chaired by Bill Stern, a longtime supporter.

January 28, 2023 — We look at the the latest movement on the state legislature's priorities this session, including legislation aimed at cracking down on fentanyl trafficking, a new SC House abortion bill, and new education policy concerning critical race theory. Plus, a recap of Gov. Henry McMaster's sixth State of the State address, new state unemployment numbers, and more.

The State Supreme Court’s overturning of the state’s six-week, heartbeat abortion law earlier this month is still reverberating through the State House.This week Gov. Henry McMaster again criticized the court’s decision as did some conservative legislators, and a proposed new abortion law has already advanced in the House of Representatives.

Read Gov. McMaster's State of the State remarks as prepared for Wednesday evening's address.

Former President Donald Trump will be joined by two of his highest-profile South Carolina supporters at the first public campaign event of his 2024 White House bid later this month in the early voting state. Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham will be with Trump on Jan. 28 at the Statehouse in Columbia, where he will unveil his South Carolina leadership team. That's according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.