The South Carolina Supreme Court temporarily blocked the planned state executions by electric chair of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens on Wednesday. Sigmon was scheduled to die at the hands of state of South Carolina corrections officials on Friday. Owens was scheduled to die June 25.
Those execution dates were originally set by the high court after the legislators passed a law making death by electrocution the default method of capital punishment when lethal injection drugs are unavailable — something that has been unavailable to the state for a decade. But that same law allowed inmates to choose death by firing squad. The high court has halted executions until the state can assemble a firing squad. More: AP News, The Post and Courier
In other headlines:
Emanuel massacre marks sixth anniversary. Six years ago, a white gunman opened fire on Black parishioners in a historic church in Charleston. Six years later, most commemorative events will be held virtually. More: WCBD, The Post and Courier
With Hitt retiring, former telecom exec tapped for Commerce. Longtime Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt is retiring and Harry Lightsey III will be named to lead the department, according to reporting by The Post and Courier. More: The Post and Courier
Putin appears to refer to Walter Scott shooting. Russia’s Valdimir Putin appeared to reference the police slaying of a North Charleston man in 2015 during this week’s Geneva conference of nations. More: The Post and Courier
How to spend $2.5B? Gov committee offers ideas. Gov. Henry McMaster’s coronavirus recovery committee Accelerate SC met Wednesday to offer ideas on how the state can best spend $2.5 billion in federal pandemic aid allocated this year. McMaster directed the committee that he wanted spending to have “a lasting impact” with “transformative investments.” More: AP News
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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