by WILL FOLKS

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South Carolina’s “Republican” supermajority is plotting a massive – and massively expensive – expansion of government offices on the grounds of the S.C. State House.

The so-called capital complex expansion project – which is expected to take at least a decade to complete and consume potentially billions of dollars in public funds – is set to kick off via a $5 million appropriation in the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.

According to a budget amendment introduced last Thursday (April 23, 2026) by S.C. Senate president Thomas Alexander, this initial expense would go toward a “feasibility study” related to the construction of “up to two commercial buildings and associated facilities” on the grounds of the State House.

These two buildings “may include as tenants constitutional officers and state agencies,” per the text of Alexander’s amendment, although no specific offices or agencies were mentioned.

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The project – a collaborative effort of the S.C. Department of Administration (SCDOA) and the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC) – would be “considered an exercise of SCRSIC’s exclusive authority to invest and manage the retirement system’s assets,” per Alexander’s amendment.

In other words… lawmakers are borrowing against the state’s retirement fund to pay for this project.

“Any interest in any structure utilized to develop, construct and hold the asset would be treated as an asset of the retirement system group trust,” the amendment added, referring to the state’s $53.9 billion pension fund.

What could possibly go wrong, right?

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Guess we know now why “Republican” lawmakers approved one of the largest tax hikes in South Carolina history a decade ago… forcing Palmetto State taxpayers to subsidize a disproportionate share of this historically mismanaged fund.

“Republicans” also approved Alexander’s budget amendment – on a non-recorded voice vote.

According to our sources, the initial office building project is designed to address serious structural deficiencies at the Rembert C. Dennis building – a Brutalist structure which was built in 1952 for the state’s highway department and renovated in 1978 to match the aesthetic of several other new office buildings erected on the State House grounds.

Brutalism refers to a drab, post-World War II architectural style popularized in the former Soviet Union. It relied upon minimalist conceptualization, modernist design, monochrome structural facades, raw concrete slopes and sharp geometrical angles – all employed with the objective of expressing coldly efficient, egalitarian themes.

Fitting for the most left-of-center “Republican” government in America, right?

Brutalism has fallen out of favor in recent decades, however – mostly due to its links to socialist utopian ideology and its frequent depiction in depressing, dystopian films and television programs.

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Next to the Dennis building is the Marion Gressette building – another Brutalist structure which currently houses the offices of South Carolina’s forty-six state senators and their staff. Constructed in 1978, the building is undergoing a “multi-year renovation” that began last summer.

Two other Brutalist buildings constructed in the mid-1970s – the Solomon Blatt building and the Edgar Brown building – occupy the southern facade of the State House complex, which is comprised of four city blocks at the heart of downtown Columbia, S.C. The complex is framed by Gervais and Pendleton streets (to the north and south, respectively) and Sumter and Assembly streets (to the east and west, respectively).

The Blatt building currently houses the offices of the 124-member S.C. House of Representatives and their staff members, while the Brown building houses numerous state agencies including the S.C. Administrative Law Court (SCALC) and the office of S.C. secretary of state Mark Hammond.

According to our sources, lawmakers want to demolish the Dennis, Blatt, Brown and Gressette buildings – and replace them with “two new mega-structures” which would house select legislative and executive branch offices.

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In addition to these two “mega-structures,” office buildings for other state agencies would be included as part of the master plan – along with upgrades to the complex’s underground parking facility.

“No word on why these existing buildings, all constructed in the early 1970s (thus making them the newest buildings on the State House complex) are suddenly obsolete,” one source observed.

“But naming rights are up for grabs,” they added, hinting at one possible motivation for the project.

Given the reckless spending proclivities and rampant self-aggrandizement of South Carolina’s legislative branch of government, count on FITSNews to closely monitor this capitol complex expansion project as it begins taking shape – including this initial $5 million “feasibility” appropriation.

According to Alexander’s amendment, the study is being subsidized out of “excess debt service appropriations,” money which is typically routed toward paying down the state’s highest interest general obligation bonds. As the amendment was not part of the $42.6 billion spending plan passed by the S.C. House, it must be approved by that chamber prior to being sent to the desk of governor Henry McMaster for his review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will remain one of the few states without a hate crime law after a proposal to study such legislation failed in the state Senate, despite renewed attention to rising hate crime reports and years of repeated attempts in the General Assembly.

The House has passed hate crime legislation multiple times over the past decade, but each effort has stalled in the Senate. This year, Democratic Sen. Deon Tedder of Charleston pursued a narrower approach, proposing the creation of a study committee to examine what a hate crime law could look like in South Carolina rather than advancing a bill outright.

Tedder said the absence of a state law sends a troubling message.

“When there is no state law that says hate-motivated crimes matter, that message of institutional indifference is heard loud and clear,” Tedder said.

Tedder cited recent FBI crime data showing a sharp increase in reported hate crimes across the state.

“In 2023, hate crimes in South Carolina rose nearly 100%. From a national FBI crime data report, it rose from 66 reported offenses in 2022 to 115 reported in 2023,” Tedder said.

The proposal failed to advance. Still, five Republican senators voted in favor of the study committee, a notable shift in a chamber that has consistently blocked hate crime legislation.

As a result, South Carolina will continue to stand among a small number of states without a hate crime law. And with the 2026 gubernatorial race underway, significant change appears unlikely.

At a recent Republican gubernatorial debate, most candidates publicly opposed passing a hate crime law.

Republican Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg said such legislation could infringe on religious liberty.

“I will never pass a bill that’s going to restrict religious liberty,” Kimbrell said.

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., was more direct.

“Should we pass a hate crimes law? Absolutely not,” Norman said.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said she also opposes such legislation, noting she and Gov. Henry McMaster have discussed the issue for years.

“I would not support a hate crime bill,” Evette said.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., questioned the concept itself.

“There is no such thing as a hate crime, because every crime is a hate crime,” Mace said.

Attorney General Alan Wilson echoed similar concerns, saying he would oppose any bill he believes limits constitutional rights.

“As governor, I will never support a bill that criminalizes your free speech,” Wilson said.

Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy criticized political leaders broadly, arguing the issue is fueled by division.

“All this division and hate is created by the political class because that’s what gives them all the power they have,” Reddy said.

With the legislative session nearing its end and the Senate showing little appetite for revisiting the issue, South Carolina is unlikely to adopt a hate crime law this year.

As the summer approaches, recruiting picks up across the country for college football teams. The South Carolina Gamecocks are no stranger to summer recruiting success under head coach Shane Beamer. Beamer and his staff are in on many prospects, including Brayden Tyson who has listed the Gamecocks among his top five for next season.

Tyson is a four-star tailback in the 2027 class, rated 353 overall and a top 40 player in the state of Georgia per 247Sports. The 6-foot and 230+ pounder from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia, brings a nice balance of speed and physicality to the position.

Running back is a room in desperate need of added talent for the Gamecocks in 2027 and beyond. Don’t be surprised if the team adds multiple players at that spot after not landing a running back out of the high school ranks in each of the last two recruiting cycles. Matthew Fuller was the last tailback signed out of high school back in 2024.

Tyson’s top five includes South Carolina along with Florida State, Miami, Purdue, and Rutgers

Recruiting Update

David “Tre” Segarra is another 2027 running back who listed the Gamecocks among his top five schools back on Apr 13. He is a 5-foot-10 and 205 pounder from Byrnes High School in Duncan, South Carolina.

QB Jerry Meyer III and S Jernard Albright lead the class so far, but June and July is where classes really begin to take shape for Shane Beamer during his tenure.