Your SC politics briefing

Welcome to your weekly South Carolina politics briefing, a newsletter curated by The State’s politics and government team.

Mark it on your calendar. Write it on your hand. Early voting in South Carolina starts Monday.

Have no idea who is on your ballot? You can find a sample on scvotes.gov.

ICYMI: Have you ever heard of the state’s general fund? What about the capital reserve account? When you vote this year, you’ll be asked about both and whether more money should be put in those two pots. Read more here.

SC Supreme Court picks apart abortion law

The SC Supreme Court heard arguments this week from abortion providers and the state regarding their legal dispute over South Carolina’s six-week abortion ban, which has been blocked since mid-August pending the state high court’s decision in the case.

At issue, primarily, is whether the ban, known as the “fetal heartbeat” law, violates the SC Constitution.

The state defendants argued the right to privacy has nothing to do with protecting abortion rights, but rather was enshrined in the state Constitution in 1971 to constrain government surveillance.

The hearing comes one day after the SC Senate voted to uphold its own version of a slightly narrower version of the existing six-week ban rather than agree to a near-total abortion ban passed by the House.

The decision triggers a negotiation phase with the House, although it’s unclear if the two sides will meet, much less come to an agreement.

(Photo by The State’s Joshua Boucher)

Weaver earns credentials, BJU says

South Carolina’s Republican superintendent candidate Ellen Weaver has completed the necessary coursework to receive a master’s degree in educational leadership, a spokesman for Bob Jones University said.

Weaver, an ardent school choice proponent whose lack of academic credentials has opened her up to criticism throughout the campaign, needs a master’s to meet the minimum qualifications of the position she seeks.

By law, the state’s top schools official must, at minimum, possess a master’s degree and “substantive and broad-based experience” in public education or financial management.

Weaver enrolled in a self-paced online master’s program at Bob Jones University in Greenville this past spring with the intention of completing it before Election Day.

(Photo by Sun News’ Jason Lee)

Buzz Bites

▪ US Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury investigating whether Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia, a federal appeals court ruled, the AP reported.

▪ Months after choosing not to invest in a power plant estimated to cost $1 billion, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives are proposing to cobble together an array of energy resources to provide power in the future.

▪ Toxic “forever chemicals’’ that are suspected of increasing cancer risks, causing liver damage and triggering kidney problems for those exposed to them are showing up in rivers and creeks that residents of South Carolina and other states rely on for drinking water.

▪ Richland County Council members will be in for a substantial pay raise — to the tune of more than $11,000 apiece — after taking an initial vote to raise their own salaries Tuesday.

▪ The State Media Co.’s lawsuit against a local school district has been dismissed.

▪ State Rep. William Cogswell, who did not seek reelection this year, has announced he is running for mayor of Charleston — 6-plus months after his House colleague let it slip in a public meeting that he was considering a bid.

▪ Columbia leaders likely will move forward with some iteration of a program meant to reduce gun violence in the city. But what form that program takes has stirred conflict on the City Council.

▪ Richland County Council has approved a tax incentive agreement with Augusta-based developer Southeastern for an aggressive mixed-use redevelopment of the Richland Mall property in Forest Acres.

▪ Republican Rep. Nancy Mace faced off against Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in their only debate before November, Post and Courier reports.

▪ Gov. Henry McMaster has suspended Mayesville Councilman Terrence Reginald Wilson from office after he was arrested for threatening the life of town Mayor Jarleen Holliman-Miller.

▪ A federal judge dismissed Republican US Rep. Ralph Norman as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed after Norman’s Facebook comments related to a controversial 2021 arrest in Rock Hill.

▪ Richland County is more prepared for the Nov. 8 general election than it has been for any election cycle in recent memory, said Terry Graham, interim elections director in the county.

(AP photo by Meg Kinnard)

Mark your calendar

Oct. 24

Early voting for SC’s general election starts

SC-2 Debate between Joe Wilson and Judd Larkins

Oct. 26

SC governor’s race televised debate, 7 p.m.

Nov. 2

SC superintendent candidate televised debate, 7 p.m.

Nov. 8

SC’s general election

Dec. 6-7

SC House organizational session

(Photo courtesy of Travis Bell)

Before we adjourn

Gov. Henry McMaster teased to The State recently that there’s interest from electric vehicle-related companies to do more business in South Carolina.

His remarks were made a few days after he announced an order aimed at expanding the EV pipeline.

This week, it all became a bit more of a reality.

BMW rolled out a $1.7 billion investment at its Upstate operations which will include producing six electric vehicles in Spartanburg by 2030 and opening a battery assembly facility in Woodruff. BMW also is partnering with electric car battery maker Envision Automotive Energy Supply Co., which will build a battery cell factory to supply the BMW plant. Further details of Envision’s project will be released at a later date, but a report from the Post and Courier reported sources as saying the facility would be located in Florence County.

BMW’s investment is the largest capital investment in the history of the state, officials said.

And it’s likely more projects are coming down the road — no pun intended.

David Britt, a longtime Spartanburg County councilman, noted this week the news might be a “slam dunk” for the governor as he seeks a second term.

Democrat Joe Cunningham, McMaster’s November challenger, has in the past been critical of giving incentives to corporations and large employers to encourage them to do business. He repeated the same to reporters Thursday.

“What about growing the business right here in South Carolina,” Cunningham said. “The small- to medium-sized businesses, the business owners who are doing payroll from their kitchen table, like what kind of relief has he provided for them at all? I welcome any type of economic investment in our state. It’s got to be done in a smart manner.”

(AP photo by Sean Rayford)

Pulling the newsletter together this week was Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter), senior editor of the The State’s politics and state government team.

You can keep up with her on Twitter and send her tips on Twitter at @MaayanSchechter or by email mschechter@thestate.com. To stay on top of South Carolina politics and election news, you can chat with us on Facebook, email us tips and follow our stories at scpolitics.com.