Latest South Carolina state government News
South Carolina to build first monument to an African American. Meet Robert Smalls
BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina is preparing to put up its first individual statue for an African American on its Statehouse lawn, honoring a man who put on Confederate clothes in order to steal a slaveholder's ship and sail his family and a dozen others to freedom during the Civil War. ...
Condemned inmate Richard Moore wants someone other than South Carolina's governor to decide clemency
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina inmate scheduled to be executed in just over three weeks is asking a federal judge to take away the power of granting clemency from the governor who is a former state attorney general and place it with a parole board. The South Carolina...
South Carolina sets Nov. 1 execution as state ramps up use of death chamber
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's high court on Friday set a date of Nov. 1 to put to death a man who killed a store clerk a quarter-century ago, the second of an expected six executions in about six months as the state ramps up its use of capital punishment after a 13-year pause. ...
South Carolina inmate dies by lethal injection in state’s first execution in 13 years
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina put inmate Freddie Owens to death Friday as the state restarted executions after an unintended 13-year pause because prison officials couldn’t get the drugs needed for lethal injections. Owens was convicted of the 1997 killing of a Greenville...
Court won't allow public money to be spent on private schools in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's law allowing parents to spend taxpayer money on private schools violates the constitution, the state's highest court ruled Wednesday. The 3-2 ruling prohibits paying tuition or fees with “Education Scholarship Trust Funds," but it does...
Inmate asks to delay execution, says co-defendant who blamed him for killing had secret deal
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — An inmate set to be executed in South Carolina in three weeks wants the state Supreme Court to delay the execution so his lawyers can argue his co-defendant who testified against him lied about having no plea deal in exchange for his testimony. Attorneys for...
South Carolina sets date for first execution in more than 13 years
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina has set a Sept. 20 date to put inmate Freddie Eugene Owens to death in what would be the state's first execution in more than 13 years. South Carolina was once one of the busiest states for executions, but for years had had trouble obtaining...
