Across South Carolina, thousands of voters are going to the polls today for primary elections which have already seen so much turmoil that many wondered if they would even be held on time. After a pair of state Supreme Court decisions knocked hundreds of candidates of the ballot, many precincts were forced to close without anyone to vote for. With Justice Department officials watching some polling places and lawsuits looming on the horizon, it’s safe to say today’s primary will continue to make waves long after polls close this evening.
Now on to the headlines:
As Haley ethics investigation heats up, “transparency” takes another hit - Subpoenas are expected to be issued this week in the ongoing ethics investigation into whether Gov. Nikki Haley illegally lobbied for her employers during her time as a state representative, Palmetto Public Record reported yesterday. While it’s unknown whether Haley herself will be called to testify, judging by the record of a governor who campaigned on a platform of transparency, it’s likely any subpoena would be met with fierce obstruction by Gov. Haley’s legal team.
South Carolina’s own radical racialist GOP activist - From time to time the Southern Poverty Law Center profiles rising white nationalists in its “Intelligence Report,” and South Carolina has once again made the civil rights legal advocacy group’s list of prominent racists, Palmetto Public Record reported yesterday. This time, the group reports that the Palmetto State’s own wannabe Hitler Youth leader is active in state Republican Party politics.
Graham, Haley tout energy plan - U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham revealed his plan Monday to open South Carolina’s coast to offshore oil and natural gas drilling — and have the state share in any profits from strikes of fossil fuels, according to The State’s Sammy Fretwell. Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., endorsed his proposal, but the plan drew plenty of criticism Monday from environmentalists, a small business group and a coastal geologist.
Voting today expected to be light - Polls are open across South Carolina for today’s primaries, but a mixture of rain and a drought of candidates might be keeping turnout light, according to the Charleston Post & Courier’s Robert Behre. Some election officials expect one of the lightest turnouts in recent memory.
Teacher furloughs divide House, Senate - With S.C. House and Senate lawmakers planning to give school districts an extra $149.2 million in the state budget that begins July 1, should they allow districts to furlough teachers? According to The State’s Adam Beam, lawmakers in the House say no, and passed a budget proviso that would ban school districts from furloughing teachers unless the state cuts their budgets.
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