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New York Times
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Supreme Court Rules Planned Parenthood Cannot Sue Over S. Carolina Defunding Effort
The Supreme Court ruled that Planned Parenthood and one of its patients may not sue South Carolina over its effort to deny funding to Planned Parenthood, reasoning that the relevant federal statute does not authorize such suits. The vote was 6 to 3, with the court's three liberal members in dissent. In 2018, Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, a Republican, ordered state officials to deny Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, saying that 'payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life.' Medicaid gives federal money to states to provide medical care for poor people, but it sets some conditions. One is that eligible participants may receive assistance from any provider qualified to perform the required services. Abortions are banned in South Carolina after six weeks of pregnancy. Even then, federal law prohibits the use of Medicaid funding for abortion except in life-threatening circumstances or in cases of rape or incest. But Planned Parenthood clinics in Charleston and Columbia provide services unrelated to abortion, including counseling, physical exams, contraception and screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood and a patient who sought contraception sued under a federal civil rights law, and a federal trial judge blocked the South Carolina directive, saying that it ran afoul of Medicaid's requirement that patients may choose any qualified provider. The litigation that followed was convoluted and circuitous, focusing largely on whether Medicaid's provision created a right that individuals could enforce by filing lawsuits. The Supreme Court has said that federal laws like Medicaid, which give money to states but only if they accept certain conditions, must 'unambiguously confer individual federal rights' to give affected individuals the right to sue. That is a hard test to meet, and the court has only rarely ruled that it has been satisfied, most recently in 2023 in Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County v. Talevski, a case concerning nursing homes. The statute at issue in that case repeatedly referred to 'rights' as such, while the Medicaid provision in the new case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, No. 23-1275, uses different language. That law says that people seeking medical services 'may obtain such assistance from any institution' that is 'qualified to perform the service or services required.' Last year, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, Va., ruled that the suit could proceed. 'This case is, and always has been, about whether Congress conferred an individually enforceable right for Medicaid beneficiaries to freely choose their health care provider,' Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III wrote for the panel. 'Preserving access to Planned Parenthood and other providers means preserving an affordable choice and quality care for an untold number of mothers and infants in South Carolina.' He added that 'this decision is not about funding or providing abortions.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oral arguments start in South Carolina Supreme Court case over 2022 congressional map
Oral arguments in a legal dispute over the 2022 congressional map commenced in the South Carolina Supreme Court on June 24. Allen Chaney, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, stood before a five-judge panel in the Columbia courthouse on behalf of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina in a 2024 lawsuit. The League of Women Voters is accusing the state of reworking district lines to give Republican candidates an advantage with the congressional redistricting plan, which Gov. Henry McMaster signed on Jan. 26, 2022. More: New lawsuit claims SC lawmakers 'violated' state constitution after redrawing maps "Elections in the first congressional district are neither free nor open," Chaney said. There are three respondents: State Senate President Thomas Alexander, State House Speaker Murrell Smith and South Carolina Election Commission's Executive Director, Howard Knapp. Plaintiffs argue that lawmakers moved thousands of Democratic voters out of the competitive Congressional District 1 and into blue-leaning District 6 to give Republicans an advantage. "The congressional redistricting plan was extremely effective at entrenching Republican advantage in CD1," the lawsuit stated. According to election results from SC Votes, the Democratic candidate won CD1 by 1.38% in 2018. They lost by 13.92% in 2022. The Democratic majority in CD6 also dropped in the same period from a 41.9% to 24.19%. District/Party Affiliations 2018 Election Results 2020 Election Results 2022 Election Results CD1 Democratic Candidate 145,455 (50.60%) 210,627 (49.31%) 115,796 (42.47%) CD1 Republican Candidate 141,473 (49.22%) 216,042 (50.58%) 153,757 (56.39%) CD6 Democratic Candidate 144,765 (70.13%) 197,477 (68.18%) 130,923 (62.04%) CD6 Republican Candidate 58,282 (28.23%) 89,258 (30.82%) 79,879 (37.85%) Plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit the 2022 congressional map strongly impacted election results that year, as seen with the Republican candidate's more significant win margin after the new lines were established. "Today, we've asked the Court to restore the State Constitution's promise of free and fair elections where every South Carolinian's vote counts the same," Adriel L. Cepeda Derieux, the deputy director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project, said in a statement. "South Carolina's constitution protects voters from having their voices manipulated for partisan gain." League of Women Voters of South Carolina says the state's current congressional map violates several parts of South Carolina's constitution, including the Free and Open Elections Clause and the Equal Protections Clause. "There is direct evidence of intent and clear evidence of effect," Chaney said. In January 2023, a federal three-judge panel ruled in a separate lawsuit (South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP v. Alexander) that South Carolina's legislature racially gerrymandered CD1 by transitioning 30,000 Black Charleston County residents out of CD1 and into CD6. The state appealed that decision, moving the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided in May 2024 that the redistricting was with partisan intent, not on the basis of race. The case was thrown out based on a previous ruling that stated federal courts should not consider partisan gerrymandering cases, and the 2022 congressional map stayed in place. Lynn Teague, the League of Women Voters of South Carolina vice president for issues and action, said this lawsuit is different from the previous one, which alleged racial gerrymandering. "The U.S. Supreme Court had decided they would not consider any gerrymandering other than racial," Teague said. "The state constitutional provides a broader range of very shallow reasons why it could be justiciable." Three lawyers representing each state official spoke after Chaney's initial remarks. One of those lawyers was John Gore, who is representing Senate President Alexander. His legal defense points to the state constitution and how it makes no mention of partisan gerrymandering and whether it is unlawful. "The constitution does not use the words 'partisan gerrymandering' and does not address partisan gerrymandering in any of the provisions," Gore said. "Instead, the constitution empowers the general assembly to arrange counties into congressional districts as it deems wise and proper." Chief Justice John Kittredge questioned Gore on whether the state's constitution creates room for a valid legal claim on politician gerrymandering in the state. He asked Gore to respond to arguments in a New Hampshire gerrymandering case — that stated voters should select their representatives. Representatives should not select their voters. Gore said he does not believe there is room for a valid legal claim in this case since the state's constitution does not make mention of political gerrymandering. "There's no debate that politics was a factor in drawing District 1," Gore said. "But it wasn't the only factor or the predominant factor." Several justices questioned Chaney about the implications of his client's claims and what a decision could mean for next steps. "What I hear you saying is that you're asking us to take it upon ourselves to decree who gets political power," Justice George James Jr. asked Chaney. "Where are the management standards?" Kittredge said part of the burden in this case is figuring out how the courts can create a legal framework on this topic that's objective and measurable. "Let's just say that you're correct. Where do we go from here?" Kittredge asked. "Does it go back to the legislature?" "I think the only thing the court would need to tell the General Assembly is that you cannot intentionally dilute the electoral influence of a group of voters," Chaney responded. The court adjourned after about an hour and a half. It is now up to the justices to decide what happens next with the case. Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@ This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Oral arguments start in South Carolina Supreme Court congressional map case
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Billion-dollar battery plant pauses construction amid electric vehicle and tariff uncertainty
A Japanese company has halted construction on a $1.6 billion factory in South Carolina to help make batteries for electric BMWs, citing 'policy and market uncertainty.' While AESC didn't specify what those problems are, South Carolina's Republican governor said the company is dealing with the potential loss of federal tax breaks for electric vehicle buyers and incentives for EV businesses as well as tariff uncertainties from President Donald Trump 's administration. 'What we're doing is urging caution — let things play out because all of the these changes are taking place,' Gov. Henry McMaster said. AESC announced the suspension in construction of its plant in Florence on Thursday, 'Due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time," the company's statement said. AESC promised to restart construction, although it didn't say when, and vowed to meet its commitment to hire 1,600 workers and invest $1.6 billion. The company said it has already invested $1 billion in the Florence plant. The battery maker based in Japan also has facilities in China, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany. In the U.S., AESC has a plant in Tennessee and is building one in Kentucky. The statement didn't mention any changes with other plants. The South Carolina plant is supposed to sell battery cells to BMW, which is building its own battery assembly site near its giant auto plant in Greer. BMW said the construction pause by AESC doesn't change its plans to open its plant in 2026. AESC has already rolled back its South Carolina plans. They announced a second factory on the Florence site, but then said earlier this year that their first plant should be able to handle BMW's demand. That prompted South Carolina officials to withdraw $111 million in help they planned to provide. The company is still getting $135 million in grants from the South Carolina Department of Commerce and $121 million in bonds and the agency said a construction pause won't prompt them to claw back that offer. South Carolina is investing heavily in electric vehicles. Volkswagen-owned Scout Motors plans to invest more than $4 billion and hire 10,000 people for a plant to build its new electric SUVs scheduled to open in 2027. The state has for decades made big bets on foreign manufacturers like BMW, Michelin and Samsung that have paid off with an economic boom this century, but there is uneasiness that Trump's flirtation with high tariffs might stagger or even ruin those important partnerships. McMaster told people to relax as state and business leaders are talking to Trump's administration and things will work out. 'I think the goal of the president and the administration is to have robust economic growth and prosperity and there is no doubt there has to be changes made in our international trade posture and President Trump is addressing that,' McMaster told reporters Thursday.
Associated Press
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Billion-dollar battery plant pauses construction amid electric vehicle and tariff uncertainty
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A Japanese company has halted construction on a $1.6 billion factory in South Carolina to help make batteries for electric BMWs, citing 'policy and market uncertainty.' While AESC didn't specify what those problems are, South Carolina's Republican governor said the company is dealing with the potential loss of federal tax breaks for electric vehicle buyers and incentives for EV businesses as well as tariff uncertainties from President Donald Trump's administration. 'What we're doing is urging caution — let things play out because all of the these changes are taking place,' Gov. Henry McMaster said. AESC announced the suspension in construction of its plant in Florence on Thursday, 'Due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time,' the company's statement said. AESC promised to restart construction, although it didn't say when, and vowed to meet its commitment to hire 1,600 workers and invest $1.6 billion. The company said it has already invested $1 billion in the Florence plant. The battery maker based in Japan also has facilities in China, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany. In the U.S., AESC has a plant in Tennessee and is building one in Kentucky. The statement didn't mention any changes with other plants. The South Carolina plant is supposed to sell battery cells to BMW, which is building its own battery assembly site near its giant auto plant in Greer. BMW said the construction pause by AESC doesn't change its plans to open its plant in 2026. AESC has already rolled back its South Carolina plans. They announced a second factory on the Florence site, but then said earlier this year that their first plant should be able to handle BMW's demand. That prompted South Carolina officials to withdraw $111 million in help they planned to provide. The company is still getting $135 million in grants from the South Carolina Department of Commerce and $121 million in bonds and the agency said a construction pause won't prompt them to claw back that offer. South Carolina is investing heavily in electric vehicles. Volkswagen-owned Scout Motors plans to invest more than $4 billion and hire 10,000 people for a plant to build its new electric SUVs scheduled to open in 2027. The state has for decades made big bets on foreign manufacturers like BMW, Michelin and Samsung that have paid off with an economic boom this century, but there is uneasiness that Trump's flirtation with high tariffs might stagger or even ruin those important partnerships. McMaster told people to relax as state and business leaders are talking to Trump's administration and things will work out. 'I think the goal of the president and the administration is to have robust economic growth and prosperity and there is no doubt there has to be changes made in our international trade posture and President Trump is addressing that,' McMaster told reporters Thursday.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Police escort through Lake City for Florence County deputy killed in wreck
LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW) — A procession of nearly 30 law enforcement vehicles and a helicopter moved through Lake City Saturday in tribute to Nathaniel Ansay, a 24-year-old Florence County deputy who died in a wreck last week. Ansay joined the force in October 2023, graduating from the state Criminal Justice Academy as a Class 1 officer in March. According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Ansay was driving a 2023 Ford SUV north on Olanta Highway and a 2008 GMC SUV was driving south when the two cars collided. The other driver was transported to an area hospital with undisclosed injuries, and authorities said the incident remains under investigation. Ansay's line-of-duty death prompted tributes to pour in, including from Gov. Henry McMaster and Sheriff TJ Joye. 'Peggy and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Florence County Sheriff's Deputy Nate Ansay,' McMaster said in a statement. 'We join countless others in praying for his family, the FCSO, and the entire Florence community during this difficult time.' Local law enforcement agencies also reacted. 'We stand in solemn solidarity with our brothers and sisters at the Florence County Sheriff's Office as they mourn the heartbreaking loss of one of their deputies, who was tragically killed in the line of duty this afternoon in a vehicle collision,' the Florence Police Department said. 'Our hearts go out to the deputy's family, loved ones, and the entire FCSO team. You are in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.' Arrangements to honor Deputy Ansay have been announced as follows: Visitation and Funeral ServicesDate: May 27Time: 1 Florence Baptist Temple2308 South Irby St., Florence Interment with HonorsImmediately following the funeralFlorence Memorial Gardens3320 South Cashua DriveFlorence * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
