South-Carolina
Voting group asks S. Carolina court to order redraw of US House districts that lean too Republican
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A group that works to protect and expand voting rights is asking South Carolina’s highest court to order lawmakers to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts because they lean too far Republican.
South Carolina’s congressional map was upheld two months ago in a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said the state General Assembly did not use race to draw districts based on the 2020 Census.
Those new maps cemented Republicans 6-1 U.S. House advantage after Democrats surprisingly flipped a seat two years earlier.
The lawsuit by the League of Women Voters is using testimony and evidence from that case to argue that the U.S. House districts violate the South Carolina constitution’s requirement for free and open elections and that all people are protected equally under the law.
Gerrymandering districts so one party can get much more political power than it should based on voting patterns is cheating, said Allen Chaney, legal director for the South Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union which is handling the lawsuit.
“South Carolina voters deserve to vote with their neighbors, and to have their votes carry the same weight. This case is about restoring representative democracy in South Carolina, and I’m hopeful that the South Carolina Supreme Court will do just that,” Chaney said Monday in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
The suit was filed against the leadership in both the Republican-dominated state Senate and state House which approved the new maps in January 2022.
“This new lawsuit is another attempt by special interests to accomplish through the courts what they cannot achieve at the ballot box — disregarding representative government. I firmly believe these claims will be found to as baseless as other challenges to these lines have been,” Republican House Speaker Murrell Smith said in a statement.
The suit said South Carolina lawmakers split counties, cities and communities to assure that Republican voters were put into the Charleston to Beaufort area 1st District, which was flipped by a Democrat in 2018 before Republican Nancy Mace flipped it back in 2020.
Democrat leaning voters were then moved into the 6th District, drawn to have a majority of minority voters. The district includes both downtown Charleston and Columbia, which are more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) apart and have little in common.
The ACLU’s suit said in a state where former Republican President Donald Trump won 55% of the vote in 2020, none of the seven congressional districts are even that competitive with Democrats excessively crammed into the 6th District.
Five districts had the two major parties face off in 2022 under the new maps. Republicans won four of the seats by anywhere from 56% to 65% of the vote. Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn won his district with 62%.
“There are no competitive districts in the current congressional map (i.e., districts where Democrats make up between 45 percent and 55 percent of seats). This is despite the fact that … simulations show that following traditional redistricting principles would have led mapmakers to draw a map with two competitive congressional districts,” the ACLU wrote in its lawsuit.
The civil rights organization is asking the state Supreme Court to take up the lawsuit directly instead of having hearings and trials in a lower court.
Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New Mexico have similar language in their state constitutions and courts there have ruled drawing congressional districts to secure power for one political party violates the right to equal protection and free and fair elections, the ACLU said in a statement.
South-Carolina
With 77 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026 season, a look back at No. 77 George Schecterly
South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in 2026 on September 5 against Kent State. Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Gamecocks and Golden Flashes at 12:45 p.m., just 77 days from today.
The No. 77 is often worn by offensive linemen. One of two tough-nosed offensive tackles in a fun Gamecock era wore the number, as George Schechterly played for the Gamecocks from 1978 to 1980.
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Schechterly actually began his career at Penn State, playing for legendary coach Joe Paterno. However, as a redshirt, he didn’t meet the conditioning requirements to stay with the Nittany Lions. South Carolina gave him a second chance, and the offensive lineman dedicated himself to getting better. It paid off in a big way.
Despite being a little undersized, Schechterly earned a starting job at right tackle for the Gamecocks. He played opposite left tackle Chuck Slaughter, and the duo excelled at sealing off defensive ends with reach blocks.
That proved to be a big deal for South Carolina, as a running back named George Rogers made defenses pay on toss sweep plays. Of course, Rogers wound up winning the 1980 Heisman Trophy, and Schechterly and Slaughter provided a lot of assistance. The toss sweep play worked so well that the fanbase often joked that the best ideas in the team’s playbook were “George Sweep Right” and “George Sweep Left.”
See other jersey countdown stories like this on GamecockCentral.com.
That same 1980 season, Schechterly was an All-Independent selection at tackle and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top overall blocker among Independent School blockers. He was USC’s only tackle ever to earn the honor, though several interior blockers did.
Following his graduation, Schechterly played briefly in the NFL, CFL, and USFL.
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M baseball added left-handed pitcher, Logan Prisco, out of South Carolina through the transfer portal on Friday night.
Prisco worked as a relief pitcher for the Gamecocks this past season, appearing in 20 games. He posted a 3.45 ERA while tallying 34 strikeouts.
Prisco is the fifth pitcher the Aggies have picked up in the offseason along with Caleb Kimble (Houston), Johnny Nuanez (Wichita State), Jase Evangelista (UNLV) and Wade Cooper (Texas State). Prisco is the eighth overall player added to the Aggies roster this offseason.
Prisco will have two seasons of eligibility once he is in College Station.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Advocates, caregivers, patients, and community leaders gathered at the South Carolina State House on Friday for the inaugural South Carolina Sickle Cell Day.
Organizers said the event focused on raising awareness of sickle cell disease.
The South Carolina CBO Collective Caucus hosted the event at 10 a.m., coinciding with World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth.
Organizers said the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, legislators, advocates, and supporters from across the state to discuss education, support, and action related to sickle cell disease.
The program is designed to amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by the disease and encourage conversations about healthcare access, advocacy, research, and community support, organizers said.
Attendees heard personal stories and learned about challenges faced by those living with sickle cell disease.
“World Sickle Cell Day is a powerful call to action for all of us,” said founder and CEO of The B Strong Group Brenda Green. She said the collaboration expands support, strengthens community response, and stands with affected families.
The B Strong Group, founded in 2017 and based in Columbia, is a nonprofit organization focused on sickle cell awareness, advocacy, and caregiver support.
The group organizes blood drives, caregiver workshops, and awareness campaigns under the motto “Educate, Advocate, Empower.”
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