Gov. Henry McMaster

A potential swing vote on the newly all-male South Carolina Supreme Court grilled lawyers over whether patients have enough time to get an abortion after learning of their pregnancy as the justices weighed whether a new ban is similarly unconstitutional to one that got shot down earlier this year. The right to an abortion in South Carolina was back before the state's highest court Tuesday as Republicans try to restore the ban. A 3-2 majority in January tossed a similar law that banned abortion once cardiac activity is detected. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster recently signed into law a similar ban that starts once cardiac activity is detected. That restriction has been placed on hold as the case involving the new ban moves through the courts.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has vetoed just $1.5 million out of the state's $13 billion budget for next fiscal year. He announced the vetoes Tuesday. The decision demonstrates an unparalleled level of cooperation between the state's General Assembly and its chief executive. Leaders in the General Assembly say they will end the 2023 session and wait until 2024 to take up the 11 vetoes. The $1.5 million is barely over 0.01% of the 2023-24 fiscal year budget or less than two months of Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney's salary. The new budget starts July 1.

The governors of Virginia, West Virginia and South Carolina are joining the growing list of Republican-led states sending soldiers or other state law enforcement officers to the U.S. border with Mexico.

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.