COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senators on Tuesday rejected a measure that would have given lawmakers the option to return to the State House after the close of the legislative session to take up Congressional redistricting.
At issue was the sine die resolution, which sets the formal end of the legislative session on May 14. House members had inserted language into the resolution permitting the General Assembly to reconvene in Columbia after adjournment to address redistricting. The resolution fell short of threshold needed for passage in the Senate.
With that vote, a special session beyond Thursday can now only be triggered by an executive order from Gov. Henry McMaster. Earlier this month, the governor said the General Assembly should ensure South Carolina’s Congressional map meets all federal legal and Constitutional requirements.
The GOP “no” votes included:
- Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield
- Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort
- Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Little River
- Sen. Sean Bennett, R-Summerville
- Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Isle of Palms
Local Impact
The proposal currently under discussion would redraw boundaries across the state, with several changes affecting York County. Most of the county would remain in the Fifth Congressional District, including Rock Hill and Tega Cay. However, Fort Mill, along with the eastern portion of unincorporated York County, would shift into the Sixth Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
Statewide, the map is designed to break up voters in the Sixth District and produce seven Republican leaning seats. South Carolina’s delegation currently consists of six Republicans and one Democrat.
Action in the House
While the Senate vote narrows the timeline, the South Carolina House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee advanced a measure Tuesday that bundles a proposed map together with revisions to the election calendar. Under those revisions, the Congressional primaries would move from June 9 to Aug. 18, with a runoff scheduled for Sept. 1.
An earlier draft of the proposal had set the primaries for Aug. 11 before the dates were adjusted to satisfy federal law. The legislation now moves to the full House Judiciary Committee, which returned from recess Tuesday evening.
Primaries for all other offices, including state and local races as well as the United States Senate contest, are still scheduled for June 9.
During the House session earlier in the day, roughly a dozen spectators were removed from the chamber’s balcony after chanting and yelling.
Background
Momentum for mid decade redistricting in South Carolina has built following a referendum in Virginia that added Democratic seats in that state, along with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down portions of the Voting Rights Act addressing racial discrimination in voting and representation. The Virginia referendum was later invalidated by that state’s supreme court.
President Donald Trump has reached out directly to multiple state lawmakers, urging them to adopt new maps. If South Carolina moves forward, it would join Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, California, and Missouri among states that have redrawn Congressional boundaries in efforts that could shape the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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