SC Legislature

South Carolina legislative special interest caucuses can formally campaign, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in a victory for a hardline conservative group of state representatives that want to push the Republican-controlled Legislature further to the right.

June 10, 2023 — A look at the compromise reached by state House and Senate negotiators reached this week over the $13.8 billion state budget; the latest on bond reform legislation heading to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk; updates from the 2024 campaign trail; and more.

May 20, 2023 — An extensive recap of the nearly 24 hours of debate this week in the South Carolina House of Representatives over a six-week abortion ban bill. The House approved the legislative, which now heads to the state Senate.

Abortions would be almost entirely banned after about six weeks of pregnancy under a bill debated early into Wednesday morning by the South Carolina House in a development that follows months of Republicans in the chamber insisting instead on a near-total ban that the state Senate recently rejected.

May 16, 2023 — A look at this week's abortion legislation debate as state lawmakers enter special session; comments from Gov. Henry McMaster about why he has called legislators back to the statehouse; Charleston Democratic Sen. Marlon Kimpson's retires from the state Senate; and more.

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether South Carolina's congressional districts need to be redrawn because they discriminate against Black voters. The justices said Monday they would review a lower-court ruling that found a coastal district running from Charleston to Hilton Head was intentionally redrawn to reduce the number of Black Democratic-leaning voters to make it more likely Republican candidates would win.

May 13, 2023 — A look at the bills that made it over the sine die finish line for this year's regular state legislative session as well as those moving into special session as Gov. Henry McMaster calls lawmakers back to the statehouse.

This year’s regular session of the General Assembly ended late Thursday, May 11, 2023. It ended where it began with Republicans attempting to enact a new, restrictive abortion bill. A House committee this week approved and sent to the full House a six-week, heartbeat bill similar to a law the state Supreme Court overturned in January. Gov. McMaster plans to call lawmakers back to Columbia next week, and House Speaker Murrell Smith vowed the House will pass the bill which has already been approved by the Senate.

South Carolina's economy keeps doing better than predicted, leading the House to vote to increase the raises it wants to give to nearly every state employee. The new $13 billion budget passed 105-12 by the House matches the raises proposed last month by the Senate. If the spending plan for fiscal year 2023-24 is approved by the governor, state workers who make less than $50,000 would get a $2,500 bump in pay, while employees would get a 5% raise if they make more than $50,000. Also on Tuesday officials said the state's economy continues to do better than predicted and the General Assembly would have an extra $800 million to spend.

May 9, 2023 — On this episode, recorded in front of a live audience at South Carolina Public Radio's 50th Anniversary Open House event in Columbia, SC, host Gavin Jackson is joined by The AP's Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard to discuss this year's state legislative session and the 2024 presidential race.