Overview
- The Republican-controlled House approved the new congressional map on Wednesday, aiming to eliminate Rep. Jim Clyburn’s district and produce a 7-0 Republican delegation.
- The measure has cleared a Senate judiciary committee and now faces a full vote in the Republican-led state Senate during a governor-called special session.
- A Richland County judge dismissed a lawsuit by the ACLU and the League of Women Voters that challenged the House’s rule changes used to speed debate and limit amendments.
- The bill would remove U.S. House races from the June primary, set special primaries in August, and could invalidate some absentee and overseas military ballots already cast, creating confusion for voters and election officials.
- The push follows an April U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed race-based protections under the Voting Rights Act and has prompted similar mid-decade redraws in other Southern states, making further legal challenges likely.