S.C. Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, is suing his fellow lawmakers in the South Carolina General Assembly, saying they are illegally giving themselves what is effectively an $18,000-a-year raise.
The pay raise — technically, a $1,500 a month increase in members’ “in-district” expense allotment — was passed as a budget proviso that’s set to go into effect along with the rest of the state budget in July.
But according to the lawsuit, that violates the state Constitution, which states that “no General Assembly shall have the power to increase the per diem of its own members.”
Climer says that’s why he’s suing to stop payment.
“It’s so important to the quality of our government and the way [lawmakers] think about their jobs that we had no recourse but to stop this increase in its tracks,” he said on June 9. “A lawsuit was the way to do that.”
According to Climer’s legal team, the S.C. Supreme Court has fast tracked the case, and a hearing is expected soon.
In other recent news
S.C. lawmaker arrested for on sex material charges. Republican Rep. R.J. May, R-Lexington, a high-profile co-founder of the hard-right S.C. Freedom Caucus, is being held without bond in the Lexington County jail after being arrested June 11 on 10 federal counts of distributing child sexual abuse material. May, who was suspended from the House by Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty at a June 12 hearing.
S.C. lawmakers look at modernizing, improving state roads. A new committee at the State House will take a closer look at the South Carolina Department of Transportation in an effort to quell the complaints about poor road conditions across the state from constituents.
Company pauses EV battery plant construction in Pee Dee. The AESC’s electric vehicle plant has been placed on a temporary pause. Meanwhile, Florence moves forward with millions of dollars worth of infrastructure work.
Students stand to lose thousands in Limestone closure. Despite promises that online classes would continue, students who pre-paid for now-shuttered Limestone University summer classes say they’re out thousands of dollars. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see my money again,” one student said. “Everyone is passing the buck. It’s just really shameful.”
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