House Speaker’s Drug Company Dropped from Income-Disclosure Form

A Charleston-based  pharmaceutical company led by S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell filed official paperwork with the state in April to dissolve, then reversed that decision this month for unexplained reasons, according to records obtained Monday by The Nerve.

State Lawmaker Claims He Wouldn’t Benefit From Proposed Tax Break for Constables

A legislator who also is a volunteer state constable has co-sponsored a bill that would allow volunteer constables to claim a maximum state income-tax deduction of $3,000 a year.

Eco-Devo Groups with Legislative Ties Poised to Get Taxpayer Funding Again

The S.C. House and Senate Finance Committee versions of the fiscal 2014 state budget include $5 million for regional economic-development groups.

Senate Panel Rewrites Disputed House Ethics-Reform Bill

A Senate panel Tuesday scrapped major parts of a controversial House ethics-reform bill, putting investigations of lawmakers under a reconstituted State Ethics Commission and proposing tougher penalties for ethics violations.

Stepping Up to the Plate: More Lawmakers Respond to ‘Project Conflict Watch’

More S.C. lawmakers in the past week have responded to the recently launched “Project Conflict Watch” by The Nerve’s parent organization, the South Carolina Policy Council, bringing the total number of responses to date to 25.

All in the Family: Charleston Lawmaker's Ties to Relative’s Airport-Related Businesses

An investigation by The Nerve found that S.C. Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston and a member of the Charleston County Aviation Authority, has not publicly revealed airport-related businesses with ties to his uncle.

S.C. House Rushes Through Amended Ethics-Reform Bill

After delaying debate several times over the past week, the S.C. House took less than an hour late Tuesday afternoon to approve an amended ethics-reform bill, though two opposing lawmakers complained afterward they didn’t have time to review the changes.

FOIA Reforms Hung Up Again Over Legislative Exemption

Since last year, citizens and some lawmakers have pushed to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in South Carolina, ranked by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigation news organization in Washington, D.C., and several other groups as the worst state in the nation in terms of public access to information.

Grassroots Activist Shares His Experience with ‘Project Conflict Watch’

The South Carolina Policy Council – The Nerve’s parent organization – recently launched “Project Conflict Watch” in an effort to reverse the Palmetto State’s dubious distinction as being the only state that requires public officials to disclose just their sources of government income.

Foster's Fortune: Speaker's Spokesman Earns Big Bucks from Multiple Sources

A review by The Nerve found that Greg Foster, chief spokesman for S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, has received tens of thousands of dollars in recent years from side jobs connected with Harrell.

House Leaders Plan Changes to ‘Ethics-Reform’ Bill in Secret; Debate Delayed Again

A controversial S.C. House “ethics-reform” bill criticized for being shrouded in secrecy grew even more mysterious Thursday when House leaders delayed floor debate yet again after a secret meeting on a planned overhaul of the legislation.

Citizen Participation Would Be Stifled Under Controversial ‘Ethics-Reform’ Bill, Critics Say

Citizens would have to register as lobbyists to speak before committees of the General Assembly or state agencies under a controversial House bill that also would decriminalize many state ethics violations, representatives of citizen groups said this afternoon at a State House press conference.

Lawmakers Insist They Will Fix ‘Ethics-Reform’ Bill, Enact Tougher Penalties

It took a controversy last week over decriminalized ethics violations to underscore the point to S.C. House members that a rushed and secretive “ethics-reform” bill contained weak penalties for public officials who violate state ethics laws.

Pharmacist-Lawmaker Frequent Prescriber of Pharmacy Legislation

State Rep. Kit Spires, R-Lexington, denies he had any conflict-of-interest issues in sponsoring seven pharmacy-related bills since becoming a lawmaker in 2007.

Secretive House 'Ethics-Reform' Bill Would Decriminalize Ethics Violations

Public officials would no longer face criminal penalties for many state ethics violations under an S.C. House bill that wasn’t put in writing for the public to review until Thursday evening –a week after the legislation was first announced.

‘Shell Bill’ Would Require Disclosure of Private Sources of Income

An ethics-reform bill that had been a mystery until a House Judiciary subcommittee meeting Tuesday would, among other things, require lawmakers to disclose their private sources of income.

S.C. Politicians Don’t Reveal Who Pays Them, Nerve Investigation Finds

An investigation by The Nerve has found that South Carolina lawmakers typically don't reveal their private sources of income, including, for example, Sen. Hugh Leatherman, who has ties to a concrete company that has received more than $30 million in state funding since 1993.

Lawmakers Moving Slowly to Clean Up Their Ethical Act

Ethics-reform bills that would force S.C. lawmakers to change their behavior remain stuck in committees with an important deadline approaching.

Relatives of Lawmakers Could Have Greater Presence on MUSC Board

The makeup of the Medical University of South Carolina’s governing board might soon include the relatives of three sitting state lawmakers, along with a legislator who left office last year.

Politicians’ Federal Income-Disclosure Statements Reveal More Than State Forms

For politicians, the difference between state and federal income-disclosure forms is like comparing routine teeth cleaning to a root-canal operation.

The Ties That Blind

That O.L Thompson and Bobby Harrell are political allies is a no-brainer.

South Carolina’s Billion-Dollar-Plus Hidden Budget

What S.C. House members likely won’t be talking about today as they begin debate on the fiscal 2014 spending plan for South Carolina is the billion-dollar-plus hidden budget.

House Bill Emerges To Restructure State Government

A new government-restructuring bill in the S.C. House Representatives would move state-purchasing control to the new Department of Administration under the governor and abolish the longstanding Budget and Control Board and recently created Public Employee Benefit Authority.

New State Agency Not Under Governor’s Control

Despite all the talk in the Legislature about giving the governor more control over the executive branch, South Carolina’s newest state agency is largely unaccountable to the Palmetto State’s chief executive.

GOP House Members Tight-Lipped About Harrell Controversy

Embattled House Speaker Bobby Harrell faced his colleagues for the first time Tuesday since state Attorney General Alan Wilson referred an ethics complaint to the State Law Enforcement Division on Valentine’s Day.

BCB-Like Authority Would Keep Bonding, Procurement Powers

The Senate Finance subcommittee examining a massive government-restructuring bill would allow a Budget and Control Board-like authority to retain some of the same powers, under a bill version that goes before the full committee Tuesday.

S.C. Policy Council Files Ethics Complaint Against Harrell with Attorney General

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson’s acceptance today of an ethics complaint against state House Speaker Bobby Harrell highlights conflict-of-interest weaknesses in state law dealing with the House Ethics Committee. Ashley Landess, president of the South Carolina Policy Council, the parent organization of The Nerve, this afternoon filed a formal complaint against Harrell, R-Charleston, with the attorney general, whose office said it would be over to the State Law Enforcement Division.

Challenging Harrell ‘A Lot Like Playing with Fire’

High-ranking officials with two state pharmacy organizations in 2010 expressed concerns then that S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell was using his legislative position to help his pharmaceutical company, according to emails obtained this week by The Nerve.

Sounds of Silence on Possible Harrell Investigation

Ethics experts outside South Carolina weigh in on handling of ethics case involving S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

Commission Recommends Major Ethics Reforms, Though Gaps Remain

The S.C. Commission on Ethics Reform on Monday proposed sweeping reforms to state ethics laws, which include requiring state legislators and other public officials to report their private sources of income.

Nerve Story on House Ethics Committee Makeup Prompts Bill

The makeup of the S.C. House Ethics Committee isn’t illegal if you ask new committee Chairman Kenny Bingham, though he introduced a bill last week in response to a Nerve story that raised questions about the legality of the committee’s size.

Will Senate Bill to Abolish Infrastructure Bank Gain Traction?

Despite a Senate bill that would eliminate the controversial S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank as a separate state agency, that idea received no attention in a hearing Wednesday before a House budget-writing subcommittee.

S.C. Policy Council Mulls Ethics Complaint against Harrell

The South Carolina Policy Council – The Nerve’s parent organization – is considering filing a formal ethics complaint against state House Speaker Bobby Harrell, council President Ashley Landess revealed during a hearing this morning before the S.C. Commission on Ethics Reform.

Restructuring Bill Won't Kill Joint-Hearings Requirement

Section 11-11-90 of the state code is an inconvenient truth for the General Assembly, and thanks to a decision Thursday by a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, it will stay that way at least for now.

Makeup of New House Ethics Committee Violates State Law, Critics Say

The makeup of the newly reorganized state House Ethics Committee violates state law, critics say.

Will ‘Bobby Bucks’ Taint Possible Ethics Probe?

A review by The Nerve found that all five Republican members of the S.C House Ethics Committee, which might be called on to investigate possible campaign-violation allegations involving House Speaker Bobby Harrell, each has accepted campaign contributions from a political action committee associated with Harrell.

Senator Proposes Scrapping Judicial Election System

A state senator is proposing a major overhaul of the way judges are selected in the Palmetto State, though he acknowledges his legislation faces an uphill battle in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Senator Amenable to Keeping Joint Budget Hearings Law

Language that would strike an obscure state law currently being ignored by the General Assembly could be removed from a massive government restructuring bill, a state senator told The Nerve Thursday following a Senate panel hearing on the legislation.

Government Watchdog Group Wants A.G., Not House Panel, to Investigate Harrell

The head of a government watchdog organization says he plans to ask the S.C. House Ethics Committee to give the state’s top prosecutor first crack at investigating House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s campaign reimbursements over the past several years.

Midlands Senators Receive Hotel, Meal Payments Totaling Tens of Thousands

From January through November this year, 11 Midlands senators received a total of nearly $98,000 in "subsistence" payments meant to cover hotel and food costs while the Legislature is in session, a review by The Nerve found.

S.C. Senate Runs Away From Recording Votes

Once again, the S.C. Senate has rebuffed the chance to elevate South Carolina from its status as one of the least transparent states in the nation.

Senators Propose Eliminating Joint Budget Hearings; Legal Opinion Sought

Three state senators have proposed repealing a longstanding law requiring that the Legislature's budget-writing committees hold joint public hearings on the governor's proposed budget.

FOIA-Reform Bill Reintroduced in S.C. House

An S.C. House member on Tuesday reintroduced a bill proposing major reforms in the state’s open-records law, and added more enforcement teeth in his latest version.

The S.C. Senate: Where Many Bills Go To Die

Nerve Citizen Reporter Larry Barnett of Fort Mill shows no signs of slowing down his campaign to reform Senate rules with a new legislative session right around the corner.

House Chamber’s Fiscal 2014 Spending Plan Still Secret

In keeping with tradition, the S.C. House has not released its proposed spending plan for fiscal 2014, which starts July 1.

Incumbent Midlands Lawmakers Won’t Give Up ‘Subsistence’ Payments

Incumbent Richland and Lexington County House members surveyed by The Nerve won't commit to give up "subsistence" payments meant to cover hotel and food costs during legislative sessions, despite pledges by two incoming lawmakers to do so.

Judicial Candidates Nominated Despite Complaints

The S.C. Judicial Merit Selection Commission nominated eight of 10 judicial candidates who had formal complaints filed against them during the screening process.

Embattled Richland County Elections Director Quietly Hired by Legislative Delegation

Less than a month after Gov. Nikki Haley signed a 2011 law allowing Richland County’s legislative delegation to hire a county elections director, the delegation quietly selected Lillian McBride to oversee the newly combined elections and voter registration offices at a starting salary of $85,000, records show.

No Movement On Harrell Investigation; Ethics Panel Gets Earful

The state’s top prosecutor isn’t budging from his position that the S.C. House Ethics Committee should first investigate House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s campaign reimbursements over the past several years, the longtime leader of a state government watchdog group said Thursday.

House Speaker Reimbursed for Flying and Driving During Legislative Sessions

A review by The Nerve of flight logs and other records found that S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell of Charleston was reimbursed for flying and driving during legislative session weeks since 2008.

Tens of Thousands of Tax Dollars Spent on State Plane Flights with No Oversight

Over the past year, Gov. Nikki Haley, state lawmakers, Clemson University officials and others collectively took at least 118 mostly round trips on two state-owned planes at a total taxpayer cost of more than $215,000, state flight records show.A joint investigation by The Nerve and WLTX-TV in Columbia found that no one at the state level is checking to make sure that travelers are using the planes for legitimate purposes.

S.C. Attorney General Not Rushing to Investigate House Speaker

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson might be willing to investigate the use of campaign funds by state House Speaker Bobby Harrell, though he apparently is in no rush to do so.

S.C. Attorney General’s Office Backing Off Harrell Case?

The Nerve examines the role of the state grand jury in connection with a campaign-finance case involving S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

Public Often Left in Dark About Sanctions Against S.C. Lawmakers

Fines and other sanctions against S.C. lawmakers are not published online and usually are not released publicly unless there is a specific request.

S.C. Judicial Nominating Panel Unlike Most in U.S.

South Carolina is only one of two states in which its legislative leaders control the makeup of a panel that nominates judicial candidates, The Nerve found in a review of judicial screening committees nationwide.

General Assembly Has Too Much Power, Says Legislative Delegation Watchdog Don Rogers

Nerve Citizen Reporter Don Rogers discusses his views on the Delegation Watchdog Project.

$2.5 Million for S.C. House Sound System Repairs – Really?

Nearly two months after state lawmakers quietly slipped in an additional $2.5 million for the S.C. House chamber’s budget for this fiscal year, House leaders continue to be tight-lipped about specifics on how the tax dollars will be used.

Becoming an S.C. Lawmaker Ticket to Money Train for Lawyers?

Nearly 30 S.C. attorney-lawmakers or law firms they worked for collectively earned more than $5.3 million in legal fees from state and local government agencies in 2011, according to The Nerve’s review of the legislators’ most recently filed income-disclosure forms.

Two Lawmakers Often Control Pay Hikes for High-Paid Legislative Staff

Two lawmakers typically control pay raises for legislative staffers earning at least $50,000 annually.

S.C. House Clerk, Other High-Paid Chamber Staff Get Big Raises

As of March, 32 S.C. House staffers earning at least $50,000 annually had received raises ranging from 5 percent to 55 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, according to a review by The Nerve of a state salary database and House records.

Absent S.C. Lawmaker Continued to Receive State Pay

An S.C. House member was paid more than $12,500 in legislative salary and expense reimbursements from January through June, despite racking up unexcused absences for virtually all of the legislative session this year, a review by The Nerve found.

Silver Haired Legislature Gets Tax Dollars to Powwow at State House

Since 2007, a total of $85,500 in state tax dollars has been appropriated for a private, nonprofit group to hold annual meetings at the State House in Columbia to craft its legislative agenda for the upcoming year.

Governor’s Budget Vetoes Omit Legislature Flouting Law

Perhaps more importantly, this section of state law mandates public hearings on the budget that the Legislature has not been conducting – thereby denying taxpayers their due input in the setting of the state’s spending priorities.

Lawmakers Quietly Approve $2.5 Million Budget Hike for S.C. House

The S.C. House of Representatives is poised to receive $2.5 million more than the chamber originally requested for the fiscal year that started Sunday – a last-minute appropriation quietly approved by a state budget conference committee and signed off by the Legislature.

S.C. Legislature Maintains Its Vise Grip on Judiciary

The selection of judges in South Carolina is controlled largely  by state lawmakers, which critics contend needs to be reformed.

Watchdog: Stiffer House Ethics Penalties Would Not Apply to Haley

If the S.C. House Ethics Committee finds Gov. Nikki Haley guilty of allegations that she illegally lobbied while a member of the House, Haley would not be subject to stricter ethics penalties the House adopted in May, a government watchdog says.

Legislative Ethics Chairmen Want to Consider More Income Disclosure

The chairmen of the S.C. House and Senate Ethics committees said Wednesday they are open to discussions in their respective chambers about requiring lawmakers to declare legislative pensions on state income-disclosure forms.

Hilton Head Citizen Reporter: Ballot Denial Unfair

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It is a simple matter of a fair legal interpretation.

Bid to Bolster State FOIA Law Falls Short

Efforts to strength South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act were scuttled in the state Senate this week.

State Funds Slated for Economic Groups with Legislative Ties, Big Paychecks

Lawmakers are once again seeking to funnel nearly $5 million in taxpayer funds to seven private regional economic development organizations, two of which have at least one state senator on their governing board.

Bill Putting Budget-Writing Committee Chairmen on SCRA Board Advances

A bill allowing the chairmen of the two powerful budget-writing committees in the General Assembly to serve on the S.C. Research Authority’s governing board is one step closer to becoming law.

County Delegations to Retain Control Over Veterans’ Offices

The long-held control of county legislative delegations over county veterans' affairs officers will remain intact for at least another year.

Outside Groups Spent $130,000 on Lawmakers' Travel in 2011

Outside groups collectively spent more than $130,000 on lawmakers' travel in 2011, The Nerve's review of state ethics records found.

Governor’s Ethics Case Could Lead to More Reforms

An ethics case involving Gov. Nikki Haley already has been the apparent source of a change toward more openness in the S.C. House, and it could lead to additional reforms in the chamber.

S.C. Legislators Say 'No Agenda' on Trip to Turkey

Although South Carolina has a relatively small Turkish population and no major trade with Turkey,  eight S.C. senators apparently thought  it was important enough to go on a 10-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Middle Eastern country last year.

House Panel Drops Ethics Case against Governor after House Changes Its Rules

The S.C. House last week danced a conspicuous ethics two-step, in what one State House watchdog describes as exactly the kind of bull pucky that makes taxpayers cynical about politicians and government.

Greenville Citizen Reporter: Committee Chairmen Agree to Record Votes

Fourteen of 20 of the chairmen of key S.C. legislative committees have agreed to record votes taken at the committee and subcommittee levels, according to an Upstate transparency advocate.

Senator Proposes Putting Himself on SCRA Board

One of the state’s most powerful lawmakers has authored a bill that would put himself on the board of trustees and executive committee of a little-understood, state-controlled technology and real estate company.

Senators Keep Magistrates on Short Leash in 'Holdover' Status

Dozens of S.C. magistrates are still on their bench even though their four-year terms have expired - some years ago.

Padding the Legislative Session?

If S.C. Rep. Seth Whipper has his way, the 124-member House would start meeting every Monday when the General Assembly is in session.

House Pension Bill Protects Current Lawmakers

A House bill would allow current lawmakers to continue receiving their state pensions while remaining in office.

Governor, Former Lt. Governor Cases Highlight House Ethics Secrecy

A judge’s recent dismissal of an ethics lawsuit against Gov. Nikki Haley serves as yet another example of secrecy surrounding ethics matters in the S.C. House. So does the case of former Lt. Gov. Ken Ard, who pleaded guilty to seven campaign finance violations and resigned earlier this month.

Senate Clerk Still Mum on Budget Details

S.C. Senate Clerk Jeffrey Gossett apparently is in no mood to publicly discuss his chamber’s proposed $12 million-plus budget for next fiscal year.

Power Trip: The Legislature’s Double Standards on FOIA, Ethics and Spending

In South Carolina, there is one set of rules for state legislators, and another set of rules for everybody else – even state and local elected officials.

S.C. Legislature Uses Secrecy Law to Thwart Records Requests by Grassroots Groups

Grassroots groups pushing for more accountability and transparency in state government are running into a wall of secrecy in the S.C. General Assembly in trying to obtain legislative communications involving a controversial bill.

Still No Sunshine on S.C. House, Senate Spending

The S.C. House and Senate continue to bypass the normal budgetary process when it comes to adopting annual budgets for the two chambers.

Hundreds of Thousands Spent Annually Wining and Dining S.C. Lawmakers

An investigation by The Nerve found that several hundred thousand dollars likely will be spent before June wining and dining state lawmakers. A plethora of private organizations and public agencies host the events in an effort to get legislators’ ears – and ultimately, their votes – for the groups’ pet issues.

Secret Budget Process Continues in S.C. General Assembly

The S.C. House and Senate typically release their respective chamber budgets months after most other state agencies do so, allowing lawmakers to quietly increase their own budgets with little public scrutiny.

Senator Proposes Pension Changes for Lawmakers

S.C. Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston pre-filed a bill (S. 1038) that would close the defined-benefit retirement program for the 170-member General Assembly after this year and move lawmakers into a defined-contribution plan mirroring the state Optional Retirement Program, which is like a 401k plan.

Legislators Exempt Themselves from Sunshine Law They Created

The state's open-records law for more than 30 years has shielded the S.C. General Assembly from releasing documents showing what it does behind the scenes.

State’s Top Court Asked to Remove Legislators from Aviation Authority

The S.C. Supreme Court has been asked to determine whether a 2007 law that appointed two state legislators to the Charleston County Aviation Authority, which owns Charleston International Airport, violates the state constitution.

Lawmaker State Plane Travel: Frequent Frivolous Miles

The Nerve’s review of Aeronautics Commission flight logs and manifests, or passenger lists, shows that from Jan. 1, 2010, through the end of last month, legislators collectively have approved at least 29 state plane trips for themselves, staff members or others to destinations in and outside South Carolina.

Midlands Lawmakers Still Milking Subsistence Cow

A review by The Nerve of state House and Senate expense records, obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, found that from the start of last year through August of this year, 23 Richland or Lexington County legislators living within 25 miles of the State House have received subsistence payments equal to or greater than payments to lawmakers who live farther away.

Dozens of S.C. Pensioners Earning Six Figures

As S.C. lawmakers grapple with how to close a recently projected $17 billion gap in the state pension system, 169 state retirees or their beneficiaries earn more than $100,000 annually in retirement benefits, while more than 3,500 individuals in the system receive at least $50,000 yearly, a review by The Nerve has found.

High Court Rejects ‘Power-of-One’ Practice

In a 4-1 vote, the state’s top court said the General Assembly violated the S.C. Constitution last year when it overrode former Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of a bill (H. 4431) involving the Fairfield County School Board.

House Proposes to Boost its Budget by $2.3 Million

A year after the Senate received a $5 million overall budget increase for its 46-member chamber – as first reported last year by The Nerve – the 124-member House is seeking a nearly $2.3 million hike for itself, which was quietly slipped in a state budget amendment on the last day for regular business this legislative session.

Tens of Thousands Spent on Sign Namings

Since 2006, South Carolina has spent at least $60,000 on highway and other structure signs named after state lawmakers or other individuals, The Nerve found in a review of state transportation records.

Budget Secrecy Is Tradition at S.C. Legislature

As the S.C. General Assembly begins its 119th legislative session this week, the two chambers are maintaining a tradition of secrecy about their own operating budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Nerve on Dec. 6 submitted requests under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act to House Clerk Charles Reid and Senate Clerk Jeffrey Gossett for their proposed chamber budgets for next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Millions Flow to Senators’ Businesses

For some S.C. senators, it pays to have connections with state government.

From 2007 through 2009, S.C. Sen. Kevin Bryant’s pharmacy earned $5 million in payments through the state health plan and Medicaid programs, according to his statements of economic interests filed with the S.C. Ethics Commission.

Court Case Tests ‘Power of One’

The Legislature's single-vote practice of overturning vetoes on local legislation is being challenged in the S.C. Supreme Court.

Amid Recession, S.C. Senate Staff Gets Pay Raise

A nearly $5 million budget increase this year for the S.C. Senate is helping to cover pay raises for Senate staffers, despite assertions by leaders of the chamber that the money was needed for other, pressing concerns.

Lt. Gov Bauer Paid From Two Taxpayer Pots

Besides his salary as lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer has been paid thousands more is his role as the Senate president.

Midlands Lawmakers Feasting on Subsistence

Republican S.C. Sen. Jake Knotts of West Columbia lives less than 10 miles from the State House in downtown Columbia.

Democratic state Rep. Joe Neal’s home in Hopkins is only about 16 miles from the state Capitol.

Yet an analysis by The Nerve of legislative records found that the two veteran Midlands lawmakers were among 26 current or former Richland or Lexington County legislators who received a total of at least $500,000 over a 2.5-year period in “subsistence” payments.

Legislators Get an Average 32K Per Year

Taxpaying South Carolinians, if your state lawmaker looks you in the face and says his or her legislative salary is a lowly $10,400, he or she is not telling you the whole story.

At the very least.

At worst, a member of the General Assembly poor mouthing to that effect without mentioning several other forms of compensation legislators pocket would be downright disingenuous.

Exclusive: Lawmakers Cost Taxpayers Millions

The S.C. Legislature is no cheap date for taxpayers.

From Jan. 1, 2008, through this past July 31, state taxpayers shelled out at least $14.8 million to cover salaries and expenses for 202 current or former House and Senate members, The Nerve found in a review of records from each chamber, obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.

Golden Parachutes for State Lawmakers?

In South Carolina, retired legislators earn an annual average of $19,605 in gross retirement benefits, based on July figures from the state retirement system.

S.C. Senate: Charity Starts at Home

Assuming the budget passed Thursday by the full Senate mirrors an earlier version approved by the Senate Finance Committee, it would be the 46-member chamber’s largest-ratified budget in at least the past 12 years, according to a review by The Nerve of ratified state budgets since fiscal year 1998, the most recent data available

High-Priced Help at the State House

South Carolina taxpayers will shell out nearly $6.5 million this fiscal year for top-paid state House and Senate staffers.