South Carolina Public Interest Foundation v. Lucas

We agreed to hear this constitutional challenge to the 2015-16 Appropriations Act in our original jurisdiction. 1 Petitioners contend, and we agree, that the inclusion of Proviso 84.18 2 in that act violates the “one subject” requirement found in S.C. Const. art. Ill, § 17. As explained below, we hold that where the general appropriations act contains a section that is not germane to the purpose of that act, i.e., one that does not “reasonably and inherently relate to the raising and spending of tax monies,” that section may be excised by a court. In so doing, we modify our holding in Am.…