SC lawmakers sued over rule change during redistricting debate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against some South Carolina lawmakers opposing a rule change that limited the number of amendments that can be presented during a debate over redistricting.

The suit was filed Tuesday in Richland County and lists the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and the American Civil Liberties Union as plaintiffs, who are seeking to block and void the rule change.

Defendants in the suit include the members of the South Carolina House Legislative Rules Committee, as well as state House Speaker Murrell Smith.

The rule change came after hundreds of amend to a proposed Congressional district map were considered on Monday. Passed late Monday, just before the House adjourned after nearly 10 hours of debate, the new rules limited each lawmaker to presenting only one amendment.

Those parties claim the rule change was presented to the House Rules Committee without first notifying the public, which would violate the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. The groups are seeking a preliminary injunction, which would prevent the new rules from being enforced.

Specifically, the suit states that a public notice for Monday night’s House Rules Committee meeting was posted less than ten minutes before it began. The lawsuit claims the meeting was not listed as an emergency, and that the agenda did not indicate whether the committee would vote or take any definitive action.

A hearing for the case will also be held in Richland County on Wednesday morning.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.