Palmetto State Watch

BUDGET PASSES HOUSE: SC House just voted 100-17 to adopt the state budget as well. Now we wait to see what happens with all those earmarks 👀

PASSED: SC Senate just voted 37-2 to adopt the conference committee report (state budget sitting at roughly $44.4 billion) The only no votes were Senators Lee Bright and Tom Corbin. Now we wait to see what happens on the House floor. Watch live: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/video/chamber.php?chamber=H&audio=0

❕ Big day at the ballot box and under the dome. South Carolinians pick a U.S. Senator in today’s special election while lawmakers move the FY 2026-27 budget at 12pm. Find your polling place (voting is open from 7am-7pm): https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/Voter/Login?PageMode=PollingPlace PSW’s Budget Analysis: https://palmettostatewatch.com/south-carolina-budget-earmarks-vote/ 👉 Make sure to follow us to keep up with today’s (August 11) updates.

Instead of cutting the pork, legislators are planning to hide it. Every one of the roughly 100 local earmarks in South Carolina's new budget is listed right now at exactly $1. Lawmakers took more than $300 million in pet projects, stripped each one down to a single dollar, and set the real spending aside for a separate bill they will pass later, through a committee that has not been named or has not been scheduled. However, the money for these pet projects are still sitting in the budget. The Summary Control Document leaves $378 million unappropriated and nearly all of it is non-recurring. The current budget total hits a record $44.4 billion. This Tuesday, August 11, the SC House and Senate are set to vote on a budget that is not finished. Some legislators have voiced their concern and will be voting no. The rest are set to approve hundreds of millions in spending without knowing where it goes. Call your senator and your representative and then watch how they vote. Should any lawmaker vote on a budget that isn't finished, especially if it entails record-breaking spending? Tell us below and share with your circle. Full breakdown: https://palmettostatewatch.com/south-carolina-budget-earmarks-vote/

If propaganda works by handing you ready-made opinions, how many of yours did you actually reason your way to?

Would a paycheck change the way you vote?💰 Ask Richland County Councilman Derrek Pugh. He voted yes on Scout Motors 8 times across 2023 and 2024. Now he works there, and he never left his seat on council. In this deep dive, we take a close look at the councilman who helped pave the way for Scout Motors and has a tendency to give county government money to him and his wife’s personal pet projects. According to records, this will be Pugh’s fourth job in addition to the income he receives as county councilman. Read/listen to the exclusive: https://palmettostatewatchfoundation.com/2026/08/04/richland-co-councilman-derrek-pugh-secures-scout-motors/

BREAKING: Two days after our post questioning if Scout Motors is receiving federal money and how Richland County Council Vice Chair Derrek Pugh was tied in, Pugh announces (today) that he is taking a job with Scout Motors. Deep dive coming soon, stay tuned.

Need help finding out what that company is!

Scout Motors may be indirectly receiving more government benefits, now from the federal government. City of Columbia is seeking $11.4 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for the “Scout Water Storage Tank and Transmission Main Project.” Richland County Council voted 10-0 on July 14 to send a letter of support to Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick, with Vice Chair Derrek Pugh abstaining from the vote because his “parent company may receive benefits from the support letter.” Not sure what company he’s talking about… This was voted on with no discussion at full council meeting. The proposal came from the county’s Economic Development Committee meeting July 7, 2026, with Derrek Pugh serving as one of three committee members. These meetings are conveniently not recorded and posted on the county’s YouTube channel. Economic Dev agenda: https://www.richlandcountysc.gov/files/assets/county/v/2/county-council/2026/economic-development-committee-july-7-2026.pdf

A state agency told a Darlington County Council candidate it would cost $2.4 million to see public records about forever chemical pollution at an elementary school. The state agency said they would need $605,000 just to begin. Then reporters started asking questions and the price tag disappeared. We hear about these stories all the time and have experienced unusually high quotes for FOIAs ourselves, but this one takes the cake: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article316651841.html

“The Divine Rights of the Common Man.” A powerful way President Dwight D. Eisenhower described the promise at the heart of the American founding. Do you think that ideal still defines America today? 🇺🇸

South Congaree Town Council is tired of listening to their constituents and proposed an ordinance on July 14 to limit public participation at town council meetings. This comes a month after constituents packed the room for the final vote on the town’s budget. The proposed ordinance states a person wishing to speak before council must “notify the Town Clerk of the topic to be discussed no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the Tuesday meeting.” However, Town Council is only required to post their agenda 24 hours before the meeting. So town officials get to post an agenda only a day before the meeting, and somehow constituents are supposed to be prepared five days in advance? This Town Council is a joke. Link to proposed ordinance: https://www.townofsouthcongaree.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/132?fileID=17906

💸 To summarize SC house reps’ requests for local earmarks: SC State House Reps requested tens of millions in earmarks, i.e. pet projects, for their favored districts for the 2026-2027 state budget: Largest totals: Smith, Murrell — $22,898,492 Bannister — $20,600,000 Herbkersman — $20,375,000 Guest — $14,000,000 Crawford — $12,000,000 Most distinct earmarks: Herbkersman — 16 Gagnon — 13 Hayes — 11 McDaniel — 10 (tie) Mitchell, Cody — 10 (tie) Holman — 10 (tie) Link: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/CommitteeInfo/Ways&MeansBudgetDocuments/FY2026-27/Member%20Request%20Floor%20Sheet%20List.pdf

We’re trained to fear the individual criminal. So why does the one with a badge, a budget, and a title get a pass?

Four people now face criminal charges in the Pawleys Island Community Church case. Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver announced conspiracy and obstruction charges Monday against a former pastor, his wife, and the academy director, along with convicted sex offender Warren Perry. Investigators say church leaders knew Perry's record and put him around children anyway. https://www.counton2.com/news/local-news/georgetown-county-news/watch-georgetown-county-authorities-announce-charges-in-pawleys-island-church-school-investigation/

"No record"? Darline Graham ran a state agency for seven years. Budgets nearly doubled. Her salary climbed. And her own agency report credits her with promoting a "culture of diversity and inclusion." Check out this exclusive deep dive into Darline Graham’s political career: https://palmettostatewatch.com/darline-graham-record/

The State Election Commission just announced voter eligibility for the August 11 Special Republican Primary.

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Flock cameras are being used to stalk specific people? Woah I totally didn’t see this one coming… Two Greer police officers were fired for abusing flock cameras. Meanwhile, Rep. Nathan Ballentine requested an $375,000 budget earmark for the Town of Irmo Police Station to buy a “Flock Drone Responder” (see our latest pork report for details) https://www.fitsnews.com/2026/07/14/two-greer-police-officers-terminated-for-abusing-flock-cameras-sled-reviewing-allegations/ https://palmettostatewatch.com/south-carolina-budget-earmarks/

THAT WAS QUICK: The budget committee members all expressed the mutual wish and need to pass a budget. They have now recessed so they can privately discuss the details and plan to be back with an update tomorrow, July 15th at 2pm.