SC Daily Gazette

A Circuit Court judge denied a request from the South Carolina League of Women Voters and American Civil Liberties Union to wind back the clock on South Carolina’s congressional redistricting debate, saying House leaders were within their powers to follow their own rules as they pushed to redraw voting lines.

SC Daily Gazette

To end the potential of debate dragging on indefinitely, the House Rules Committee adopted new rules Monday night limiting every legislator to one amendment and debate on each to three minutes. The full House then voted 73-33 on a resolution that put the changes in place for the duration of the debate.A judge, however, could require all discarded amendments to be heard. “The League wants to see public transparency in the process because it’s just so important,” league lobbyist Lynn Teague said of the lawsuit’s goal.The lawsuit alleges the hastily called meeting violated the state Freedom of Information Act, which requires public notice of meetings at least 24 hours in advance. Notice of the meeting was posted just eight minutes before the committee convened, and the meeting ended before reporters could make it to the room.