South Carolina Public Interest Foundation v. South Carolina Department of Transportation

CHIEF JUSTICE BEATTY:

South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and Edward D. Sloan,1 individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated (“Petitioners”), filed this declaratory judgment action against the South Carolina Department of Transportation (“SCDOT”) and John V. Walsh, Deputy Secretary of Transportation for Engineering of SCDOT (“Respondents”). Petitioners sought a declaration that SCDOT’s inspection of three privately owned bridges violated sections 5 and 11 of article X of the South Carolina Constitution,2 which Petitioners assert prohibit the expenditure of public funds for…