COLUMBIA — At this year’s King Day at the Dome, Democrats seeking statewide office this year pitched themselves to voters, urging them not to lose hope that Democrats could triumph in Republican-dominated South Carolina. And U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, told the crowd gathered for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to […]

COLUMBIA — Gail Nicholls dreamed of growing and selling plants out of a greenhouse when she her husband opened Red Bug Barn, a pet supply and feed store in Richburg, some 12 years ago. But when she found out she’d need three separate permits — one to grow, one to ship plants in or out, […]

COLUMBIA — With two months to go before candidates must file to be on this year’s ballots, the state Democratic Party made a plea. “RUN FOR OFFICE in 2026,” reads the top of an email sent Jan. 7 from state Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain. Democrats have announced bids for just two of the seven […]

COLUMBIA — The House chamber, usually quiet on a Friday, filled with cries of “huzzah!” as 250 fourth graders wished a happy 250th birthday to their country. With tricorn hats on their heads, the elementary school students attended South Carolina’s inaugural Liberty Day, a hands-on learning experience about the Revolutionary War. Historical reenactors in more […]

COLUMBIA — More than 550 people have been sickened with measles in three Upstate counties, the state health department said Friday. The number of cases exploded in the beginning of the new year, with 148 reported in the past week. Since Jan. 7, the case count has more than doubled, according to the health department. […]

As the South Carolina General Assembly reconvened this week, lawmakers did so in the wake of a major joint state and federal law enforcement operation that exposed the scale of illicit activity taking place in smoke shops across the state. “Operation Ganjapreneur” resulted in the seizure of large quantities of illegal THC products and the […]

COLUMBIA — A GOP congressman in a five-way race for governor is demanding that legislators close South Carolina’s primaries so that only registered Republicans can decide the party’s winner. A hearing on two House proposals on primary voting is re-scheduled for next week, after initially being set for Thursday. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who had […]

COLUMBIA — Charges for gun possession crimes pending when state law changed to allow permit-less carry two years ago will vanish after this week’s House vote. The House voted unanimously Wednesday to override Gov. Henry McMaster’s veto of a bill dismissing charges for unlawful possession of a gun that were pending when the law changed. […]

In South Carolina, the hemp industry is at a crossroads. Without sensible regulation for the sale of hemp and hemp-derived products, we risk undercutting public safety, damaging industry credibility, and putting South Carolina small businesses in jeopardy. Current South Carolina law does not regulate products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, aside from limiting delta-9 THC to 0.3% […]

COLUMBIA — The University of South Carolina selected Prisma Health to help run the school’s new $30 million brain health clinic in downtown Columbia. Only Prisma entered a bid for the five-year operating contract for a portion of the center, scheduled to open in April. No other companies applied, according to documents from the state’s […]

COLUMBIA — Republican legislators’ latest attempt to further limit abortions in South Carolina would put drugs used for medication abortions in the same category as Valium and Xanax. A 3-2 vote Wednesday along party lines advanced the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee, where it’s certain to win approval: Its chairman, Rep. Weston Newton, […]

COLUMBIA — South Carolina GOP leaders want to add colleges to 2-year-old rules requiring K-12 public school students to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their biological sex at birth. A House panel began hearing Wednesday on the legislation sponsored by 60 Republicans, which largely mirrors a law that’s been part of the state […]

COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s inspector general will examine the relationship between Clemson University and a proposal for a massive new subdivision in Oconee County following potential conflict of interest concerns. Clemson became entangled in the controversy surrounding the 600-acre development as President Jim Clements and former Gov. Nikki Haley, a Clemson board member, also sat […]

COLUMBIA — Former Rep. RJ May will spend 17 1/2 years in prison for distributing videos of children being sexually abused, a federal judge decided Wednesday. After hearing from a tearful May, members of his family and a statement from one of the children shown in the videos May shared, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan […]

COLUMBIA — A bill making it easier to convict drunken drivers advanced unanimously to the Senate floor on the opening day of the 2026 session, signifying legislators are serious about making changes after years of failed efforts.  The bipartisan legislation would remove loopholes that can allow driving under the influence charges to get tossed over […]

COLUMBIA — A state Senate panel advanced a proposal expanding a law originally passed to keep Confederate monuments in place. The bill introduced by Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, and co-sponsored by 29 other Republicans would extend the protections under a portion of state law commonly called the Heritage Act to all memorials on public property […]

COLUMBIA — Raising teachers’ salaries by $2,000, ensuring all students can eat breakfast for free, and expanding 4-year-olds’ access to full-day kindergarten are among Gov. Henry McMaster’s recommendations for the 2026-27 budget. The roughly $16 billion proposal he released Monday marks the last of his 10-year tenure. The 2026 session that kicks off Tuesday marks […]