COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – South Carolina is one of just two states where lawmakers elect judges – and some critics have said that could give lawyers who are also lawmakers an unfair advantage in the courtroom.

Now a bill to revamp that process will soon be on the governor’s desk.

But it’s by no means the overhaul some wanted to see.

The bill was approved in the final minutes of what could likely be the General Assembly’s last day in session until after the November election.

It follows months of disagreements about how much reform is needed – if any at all.

“Some have argued that it isn’t broken, and some have argued that it needs to be thrown out,” said Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Horry, Senate Judiciary Committee chair.

The bill would expand the membership of the committee that screens judicial candidates. It now has 10 members, and two more would be added.

Four of them would be appointed by the governor, who currently has no role in the judicial selection process.

It would impose term limits on members for the first time, while still allowing lawyers who are also legislators to serve on the committee – a ban some critics wanted to see.

The proposal would prohibit most current members of the judicial screening panel from serving on the revamped version.

“We want to have fresh ideas and different people in there, vetting these judicial candidates,” said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield.

Under the current system, the screening panel can advance the name of up to three finalists for each seat to the full legislature for its consideration.

This bill would raise that cap to six finalists – while giving lawmakers more time to review them before they hold elections and before candidates can try to earn their votes.

To reach this compromise, some ideas were dropped – including a House of Representatives proposal to screen magistrate candidates – a selection that senators entirely control.

“Our Senate colleagues were not interested in magistrate reform. … We did not want to miss the opportunity to have meaningful reform in the way we elect and select judges in the state over that issue,” said Rep. Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, House Judiciary Committee chairman.

Massey said: “I think that is something that is likely going to be talked about into the future, especially if we continue to have problems in that area, there’s going to be more conversation.”

Gov. Henry McMaster has previously said he wants to sign a judicial reform bill into law, but that it would depend on the details.

His spokesman says the governor will review and make a decision on this bill when it reaches his desk.

Some advocacy groups that have also been calling for judicial reform in South Carolina laud the passage of this bill – and say it’s a good start, but shouldn’t be the end of this work.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA — ESPN revealed Thursday that South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will receive one of the highest honors at the 2024 ESPY Awards on July 11 (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).

Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and she is the first woman to receive the award alone since the inaugural award in 2007, when Kay Yow was honored.

Yow was a basketball coach at NC State who led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament after breast cancer chemotherapy before she died in 2009.

Staley’s sister, Tracey Underwood, and her friend and former assistant coach, Nikki McCray-Penson, were both diagnosed with cancer in the last several years.

“The award not only recognizes her resilience on the court and ongoing support for women’s sports and equality in the sports world, but also for her leadership in the fight against cancer,” ESPN wrote in a press release.

Underwood was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020 and needed a bone-marrow transplant. July 7 marks the one-year anniversary of McCray-Penson’s death after battling breast cancer.

“Their battles motivated Staley to take action and become a prominent advocate for cancer research. She partnered with an organization to mobilize potential donors – especially those in the Black community – to sign up on a bone-marrow registry, Be The Match; she advocated for patient care, research and resources; and she visited and supported those undergoing treatment. In her 24-year coaching career, Staley has tirelessly stood up for women in sports, speaking out regularly to ensure gender equality and diversity in sports, particularly basketball.”

Winners include Dick Vitale, Jim Kelly, Craig Sager and Stuart Scott. The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, former NC State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. 

On Wednesday, ESPN revealed the 2024 nominees and South Carolina women’s basketball is nominated for the “Best Team” award, following the Gamecocks 38-0 season and national championship. Staley’s former player A’ja Wilson is a two-time nominee as well.

Staley became the first Black coach in Division I basketball to go undefeated and win a championship, the first coach to have a solo cover on SLAM Magazine and was selected for Nike’s Athlete Think Tank 3.0.

SC IN THE WNBA: Former South Carolina standouts A’ja Wilson, Kamilla Cardoso set to battle Thursday in WNBA

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

South Carolina has a serious problem.

In a recent study conducted by Simrin Law Group, the state was named the worst in the country for drunken driving. Drunken drivers in the state were accountable for 43% of all traffic fatalities. This percentage significantly exceeded the national average of 32%. The study used the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data to determine the finding.

S.C. is not the only state in the South with the problem. In Texas, drunken driving made up 42% of traffic fatalities, while in New Mexico, it was 33%. Other Southern states also landed in the study’s worst 10 states for drunken driving, indicating a dangerous pattern in the region.

What states were in the top 10 for drunken driving? And what states had the least incidents? Here’s what to know.

Top 10 states for drunken driving problems in 2024

∎ No. 1: South Carolina, 100.00 rating

∎ No. 2: Texas, 83.65

∎ No. 3: New Mexico, 80.77

∎ No. 4: Wyoming, 74.39

∎ No. 5: Montana, 71.72

∎ No. 6: Arizona, 70.31

∎ No. 7: Oregon, 70.25

∎ No. 8: Louisiana, 65.11

∎ No. 9: Mississippi, 63.55

∎ No. 10: Alabama, 60.96

Nearly half of SC’s fatal crashes involve alcohol

In the study, S.C. was determined the worst state for drunken driving in 2024, scoring 100 out of 100. Nearly half of the state’s fatal crashes involved alcohol, with 43% of traffic deaths due to drunken drivers. It also had 8.82 drunken driving deaths per 100,000 residents and 11.55 drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, two categories where it scored significantly higher than the national averages.

Greenville, Spartanburg lead SC in 2024 highway traffic deaths

The SC Department of Public Safety reported that Greenville County led the state in the most highway traffic deaths so far in 2024. Spartanburg was second. In Greenville, a total of 35 deaths were recorded between January and June 2. During that same time frame, Spartanburg recorded 25. Anderson County was fifth in the state with 16 fatalities. Larger population areas like Richland and Charleston counties, in comparison, had 18 and 23 traffic deaths respectively, according to a previous Greenville News story.

In 2022, Greenville led the state with 48 traffic deaths and 36 in 2021. Last year, Spartanburg County was in the lead with 31 fatalities.

S.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Mitch Ridgeway believes fast population growth and unsafe driving habits such as distracted driving, driving under the influence, and speeding are contributors to the rising numbers of fatalities.

“Things like impaired driving are very preventable typically in 2024 because there’s more information out now than ever on the dangers of impaired driving,” Ridgeway said in a previous Greenville News story. “There’s a lot of services out there now. … You can be responsible and have a designated driver planned if you decide to drink.”  

Key findings in the study

∎ In 2022, 13,500 lives were lost due to drunken driving, while 32% of traffic fatalities nationwide were alcohol related.

∎ Southern states lead the nation when it comes to drunken driving problems. S.C., Texas, and New Mexico all had drunken driving fatality rates exceeding the national average, while other Southern states like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama followed closely behind.

∎ Northeastern states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut consistently rank among states with the lowest drunken driving rates. Greater access to public transportation and stricter DUI laws are factors that may be contributing to this.

Utah has the least drunken driving incidents nationwide

In comparison to S.C., Utah traffic fatalities involving alcohol were 22% of all the state’s traffic deaths, lower than the national average of 32%. Residents who died in drunken driving accidents were 2.08 out of every 100,000, and 2.99 out of every 100,000 licensed drivers were involved in fatal drunken-driving crashes.

Top 10 states with the least drunken driving problems in 2024

∎ No. 1: Utah, 31.39 rating

∎ No. 2: New Jersey, 31.79

∎ No. 3: Massachusetts, 31.80

∎ No. 4: Minnesota, 36.22

∎ No. 5: New York, 36.68

∎ No. 6: Alaska, 36.78

∎ No. 7: Pennsylvania, 39.31

∎ No. 8: Michigan, 40.64

∎ No. 9: Wisconsin, 41.03

∎ No. 10: Hawaii, 41.47

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com