- BIG STORY: S.C. braces for renewed offshore drilling fight
- MORE NEWS: New poll: S.C. residents believe they’ll pay more with tariffs
- LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: On weather forecasting
- BRACK: Since state won’t act on hate crimes, counties, cities must
- MYSTERY PHOTO: Stark building
- FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
S.C. braces for renewed offshore drilling fight
By Jack O’Toole, Capitol bureau | Palmetto State political and environmental leaders say it’s too soon to know how serious the renewed threat of offshore oil drilling is for the South Carolina coast.
The Trump administration has officially put the issue under review at the federal level, according to federal officials. But in 2020, Trump signed an executive order that banned drilling off the South Atlantic seaboard through 2032. Now just five years later, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has started a long review process that could change that order — and replace the state’s famous slogan, “Smiling faces, beautiful places,” with “Drill, baby, drill.”
With a $30 billion tourist industry and some of the nation’s most pristine beaches and ocean ecosystems at stake, state leaders aren’t taking a wait-and-see approach to the issue. Instead, they’re speaking out now — and they’re making their position as clear as the waterways they’re trying to protect.
“Governor McMaster has long opposed drilling off South Carolina’s coast,” said Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster. “And he continues to do so today.”
Lowcountry Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, whose First District stretches from Charleston to Beaufort, was equally definitive on social media.
“We’ve always opposed offshore drilling off South Carolina’s coast,” she said in a June 2 post on X. “President Trump banned it … to protect our tourism, our fisheries, and our way of life. We stand with the people of South Carolina who oppose it too.”
So why is offshore drilling back on the table, given the 2020 ban and ongoing state opposition?
First, a more recent Trump order that was signed on his first day in office in January, directed federal officials to “unleash American energy,” which led to the current BOEM review. And second, the move to expand offshore drilling enjoys strong support from powerful industry players.
“We applaud … the administration for taking action to unleash America’s vast offshore oil and natural gas resources and restore a pro-American energy approach to federal [offshore oil] leasing,” said the American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents oil and natural gas companies, in an April 18 statement lauding the BOEM review.
The API did not reply to a request for comment for this story.
Bipartisan pushback
Perhaps no two South Carolina political figures are better known for their opposition to offshore drilling than Mount Pleasant Republican Sen. Chip Campsen and former. Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham of Charleston.
For Campsen, an avid outdoorsman who helped lead the charge to secure the 2020 ban, the issue boils down to a tale of two coasts.
In South Carolina, he said, our clean beaches and waterways support sun-and-fun recreation, high-end real estate and a multibillion dollar tourist industry. But in Louisiana, which has a dirtier and more industrial coastline on the Gulf of Mexico, the massive refinery infrastructure and perpetually fuel-slicked waterways primarily serves one big business — the oil industry.
“Seventy years ago, we made our choice and they made theirs,” Campsen told Statehouse Report on June 4. “They hung their hat on oil. We hung our hat on a pristine coast. And we have a much more profitable coastal economy as a result.”
Any effort to reverse that choice now would make “absolutely no sense” environmentally or economically, Campsen added.
“With drilling, you’d see the massive industrialization of our coast,” he said. “We don’t want South Carolina to turn into that.”
Across the political aisle, Cunningham, who won an uphill congressional race in 2018 due largely to his opponent’s rare support for offshore drilling, said the reemergence of the issue shows the dangers of a political moment when all politics is national.
“Offshore drilling brings Republicans and Democrats in South Carolina together like no other issue,” Cunningham said. “To see it rearing its ugly head again is really frustrating, but it shows how vigilant you have to stay on these kinds of issues.”
Still, he sounded optimistic about the issue, particularly given Trump’s closeness to the state and many of its leading GOP officials.
“Sitting here objectively, South Carolina helped propel Trump into office in 2016,” Cunningham said. “I hope that he would understand that this is a core issue to the people of our state, and that he’d return their support by taking it off the table.”
Taking action
The first step in BOEM’s review process is a public comment period, which is currently underway.
And according to political and environmental leaders, it’s a critical opportunity for South Carolinians to make their voices heard before any decisions are made.
“We encourage everyone to reach out and comment,” said Taylor Allred, the Coastal Conservation League’s energy and climate program director. “You don’t have to have a lot of expertise or a lengthy comment for it to be impactful.”
But like Cunningham, Allred stressed the importance of staying vigilant.
“Just because it’s deeply unpopular in our state doesn’t mean that it’s not a real risk,” Allred said. “We need to do everything we can to push back against this possible destruction of our coastal way of life.”
- The BOEM public comment period runs through June 16. To comment online, click here.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
S.C. residents believe they’ll pay more with tariffs
Staff reports | Almost nine out of 10 South Carolinians surveyed in a new Winthrop Poll believe they’ll pay more for foreign products because of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. And more than half believe those tariffs will end up costing the United States more than they bring in.
But 62% of state residents also believe higher tariffs will result in more U.S. manufacturing jobs being created in the U.S.
“Nearly all Democrats and a solid majority of Republicans think that tariffs will result in higher prices,” Winthrop pollster and political scientist Scott Huffmon said in a release. “But combined with other results here, it seems clear that Republicans see it as a matter of short-term pain bringing a long-term benefit, while Democrats see it as a baked-in aspect of tariffs.”
The poll, releasedJune 5, also highlighted thoughts of Palmetto State residents on how the administration is handling immigration. About half approved of the way Trump is dealing with immigration, but 53% also thought that deporting a legal immigrant was worse than letting an illegal immigrant stay in the country.
“Sharp divides exist between Republicans and Democrats within the state on the topic of immigration,” Huffmon noted.
Other results from the May 23-31 survey of 1,211 state residents with a 2.8% margin of error:
- Diversity. Two in three respondents said they think that because the nation is made up of people of many different races and ethnicities, American society is stronger. But 9% thought it weakened society.
- English. Just over three in five believe an immigrant’s ability to speak English shows a willingness to assimilate into American culture and way of life.
- Direction. Some 46% of South Carolinians think things in the nation are on the wrong track; 45% think things are headed in the right direction.
- Economy. Some 45% disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy; 43% approve.
In other recent news
McMaster vetoes $10,000 in spending from state budget. Touting his success in working with state lawmakers on shared priorities, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster on Wednesday vetoed only 11 line items from the legislature’s $14.7 billion 2025-26 budget. A $10,000 efficiency study was the only veto with any cash value.
- McMaster touts ‘communication, collaboration and cooperation’ with lawmakers
- S.C. may have to come up with $100M or more for food assistance
S.C. awards contract for $825M project along I-95. The S.C. Department of Transportation awarded the project to widen and enhance 10 miles of Interstate 95. SCDOT expects to host a groundbreaking this summer, with the project expected to be complete in 2030.
- S.C. leaders announce ‘Zero Tolerance for Litter’ campaign
- McMaster, S.C. leaders conduct ‘tabletop exercise’ as hurricane season begins
S.C. House Democrats question Rutherford’s leadership. A growing group of Democrats in the S.C. House is publicly questioning whether longtime minority leader Rep. Todd Rutherford of Columbia is the right person to lead the party going forward. Among those with concerns is Orangeburg Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, who told The Post and Courier that it “was never an intent for us to elect a leader for life.”
State senator calls Buc-ee’s a ‘bully’ after chain sues for copyright infringement. Dorchester County Republican Sen. Tom Fernandez is calling the Buc-ee’s a ‘bully’ after the travel center chain sued a local company, Born United, over a t-shirt featuring a beaver that they say looks too much like the one on their logo. According to Fernandez, he’s a 49% owner of Born United’s Myrtle Beach store.
Johnson launches exploratory committee for gubernatorial run. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland, announced that he is exploring a run for South Carolina governor in 2026.
S.C. Supreme Court hears challenge to state law banning online eye exams. A nearly decade-old state law that prevents people in South Carolina from taking an eye exam online to receive a prescription for contact lenses or glasses is being challenged by a company that administers these online exams.
S.C. tomatoes recalled as ‘potentially deadly’ by FDA. A warning from the federal Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for tomatoes grown in South Carolina and two other states, cited as potentially deadly if consumed.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
On weather forecasting
Award-winning cartoonist Robert Ariail has a special knack for poking a little fun in just the right way. This week, he takes on seemingly-mindless cuts related to weather forecasting.
- Love this week’s cartoon or hate it? Did he go too far, or not far enough? Send your thoughts to feedback@statehousereport.com.
Since S.C. won’t act on hate, counties, cities must
By Andy Brack | Richland County has the courage. So do 19 different municipalities across the state, from Cayce in Lexington County to Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston. All have passed ordinances against hate crimes and intimidation.
But the state of South Carolina’s General Assembly? No courage.
In the 10 years since a White racist slaughtered a state senator in a church massacre that killed nine and truly shocked the world, state legislators haven’t had the guts to pass a law against hate crimes. For 10 legislative sessions, the Republican-led House and Senate have kicked the can down the road, again and again.
Only two states – South Carolina and Wyoming – do not have a state law against hate crimes and intimidation. Interestingly, Wyoming was the flash point of the eventually successful national demand for a federal hate crimes law after the 1998 torture and murder of student Matthew Shepard over his sexuality.
So far, the state of South Carolina has been incapable of taking the right, just and moral path to combat hate in a state with a long history of violence based on what a person looks like or seems. These days in South Carolina, data show race and religion are key drivers in the increasing number of reported hate crimes – up 77% from 66 reports in 2022 to 115 in 2023, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
In the Palmetto State, top hate reports were related to race, ethnicity or ancestry. But about one in four of reported incidents of hate linked to a specific religion, according to a September 2024 report by WPDE. Other reports involved sexual orientation, gender identity, disabilities and gender biases.
“The FBI data shows assaults, intimidation and vandalism to be the most common offenses, but the list contains many disturbing crimes like arson, criminal sexual contact and kidnapping.”
So with reported incidents of hate on the rise, here’s a blunt challenge: Each county and municipality that hasn’t got a local ordinance against hate crimes and intimidation should pass one immediately. Follow the example of Richland County, which this week became the first county in the state to join at least 19 municipalities.
It looks like Richland County’s leadership has gotten some quick attention. Charleston County Council Chairman Kylon Middleton, one the the best friends of slain Emanuel Nine state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, said he’s on the case. “I’m on top of it,” he told us this week.
In Richland County, council members Tyra Little and Allison Terracio sponsored the new ordinance, according to The State newspaper, in part because some cities had a similar measure and some didn’t.
“Full justice should not be decided upon where you live,” Little said in a story. “Full justice should be afforded to everyone.”
Some may think a misdemeanor ordinance on hate crimes and intimidation is not a big deal, especially since there’s a federal law against hate.
But local measures like the one in Richland County add a level of legal protection against crimes motivated by bias against someone’s race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality or disability. Perhaps even more notable, Richland County’s ordinance covers dissemination of “hate material,” with violations having potential fines of up to $500 per offense, The State reported.
All of these measures send clear messages of what will – and won’t – be tolerated in a civil society.
The 10th anniversary of the racist attack at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston is June 17. Let’s honor the nine people who died with renewed vigor in making South Carolina safer from hate and prejudice through intentional actions by local governments.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Stark building
Here’s a somewhat austere but grand building. Where is it? And for bonus points, what is it? Make sure to add your name and hometown to your guess and send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Our most recent mystery, “Historic storefronts,” shows a line of old buildings along West Main Street in Spartanburg near South Church Street.
“Most of the buildings listed on the National Register nomination form date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the textile industry was growing in that part of the state,” writes David Lupo of Mount Pleasant. “While the photo is more than a decade old, Delaney’s Irish Pub (the green building with shamrocks on the second-floor windows) is still in business today.”
Congrats to these sleuths who identified the buildings: Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Curtis Joyner of Charleston; Gil Bulman of Spartanburg; Jay Altman of Columbia; Frank Bouknight of Summerville; Penny Forrester of Tallahassee, Fla; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; and Bill Segars of Hartsville.
- Send us a mystery picture. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Send us your thoughts
Please send us your thoughts about politics and policy in South Carolina, but make sure to leave phone numbers and hometowns to help us verify them for publication. We publish non-defamatory comments, but unless you provide your contact information – name and hometown, plus a phone number used only by us for verification – we can’t publish your views.
- Have a comment? Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Make sure to provide your contact details (name, hometown and phone number for verification. Letters are limited to 150 words.
Statehouse Report, founded in 2001 as a weekly legislative forecast that informs readers about what is going to happen in South Carolina politics and policy, is provided by email to you at no charge every Friday.
- Editor and publisher: Andy Brack, 843.670.3996
- Statehouse bureau chief: Jack O’Toole
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