Lawmakers in South Carolina are currently going without their salaries due to a lawsuit filed by a fellow legislator over a proposed pay raise.
In a contentious turn of events, a lawsuit has halted the payment of increased compensation to South Carolina legislators, who have not received their monthly General Assembly compensation for several months. The lawsuit, filed by Republican state Sen. Wes Climer, argues that any increase in legislator pay should wait until the next election.
The dispute stems from the decision to raise the part-time legislators' compensation during the 2026 session. Starting from the session, legislators will receive a lump sum of $10,400 to account for their compensation, in addition to the $22,400 for salary and in-district expenses. This combination, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, places South Carolina's legislators among the lowest compensated in the country, and below other states with part-time legislatures like Alabama and Tennessee.
Democratic state Rep. Hamilton Grant is among those who support the raise, stating that low pay and weekday hours leave anyone working a regular job, such as a teacher or a factory worker, out of luck to serve as a legislator. Grant also believes that if compensation is raised, South Carolina will attract better candidates running for office because they can now afford to bring their everyday South Carolina experience and issues that they see and face.
However, opposition to the raise grew in the following weeks, with about 40 legislators, all Republicans, refusing to take the raise before the state Supreme Court stepped in. In response, lawyers who argued the raise is illegal wrote, "only action by this Court can vindicate our Constitution from the General Assembly's open contempt."
The budget line for the raise passed easily and no senator challenged it during the remaining hours of debate. Republican state Sen. Wes Climer, who is known for his opposition to the raise, stated that public service is a sacrifice you make for the betterment of your friends and neighbours, and those who seek these jobs for money shouldn't be in it.
The South Carolina Supreme Court has stopped the payment of both the increased compensation and the previous $1,000 monthly compensation. The case is scheduled for hearing on October 22. The name of the lawyer representing Senator Wes Climer in the planned salary increase case in the General Assembly is not publicly specified.
In the meantime, legislators won't receive any more money for their General Assembly duties until the case is decided or when the 2026 session starts in January. This situation has left some legislators, like Rep. Grant, unable to hold town halls or produce framed resolutions without using their own funds.
The in-district compensation raise was first suggested by Republican Sen. Shane Martin, arguing that the previous compensation was no longer adequate due to inflation and increased expenses. The future of this compensation remains uncertain as the legal battle unfolds.
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