FrankGoortani/open-us-law huggingface dataset:
Sc. Const. art. II, § 3 — Article II / Section 3
SC Const., Article II, Section 3
Status: in_force

Electors. Every citizen possessing the qualifications required by this Constitution and not laboring under the disabilities named in or authorized by it shall be an elector.
Sc. Const. art. VI, § 4 — Article VI / Section 4
SC Const., Article VI, Section 4
Status: in_force

Officers to take and subscribe oath. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and all other officers of the State and its political subdivisions, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take and subscribe the oath of office as prescribed in Section 5 of this article.
Sc. Const. art. III, § 18 — Article III / Section 18
SC Const., Article III, Section 18
Status: in_force

Formalities of act. No Bill or Joint Resolution shall have the force of law until it shall have been read three times and on three several days in each house, has had the Great Seal of the State affixed to it, and has been signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Provided, That either branch of the General Assembly may provide by rule for a first and third reading of any Bill or Joint Resolution by its title only.
Sc. Const. art. VI, § 2 — Article VI / Section 2
SC Const., Article VI, Section 2
Status: in_force

Person denying existence of Supreme Being not to hold office. No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.
Sc. Const. art. VIII, § 2 — Article VIII / Section 2
SC Const., Article VIII, Section 2
Status: in_force

Boundaries of counties. Until changed by the General Assembly, as allowed by this Constitution, the boundaries of the several counties shall remain as now established.
Sc. Const. art. IV, § 5 — Article IV / Section 5
SC Const., Article IV, Section 5
Status: in_force

Person having highest number of votes to be Governor; tie vote. In the general election for Governor, the person having the highest number of votes shall be Governor. In the event of a tie vote, as the first order of business after its organization, the General Assembly in joint session shall elect the Governor from the candidates having received the tie vote by the affirmative vote of a majority of the combined membership of both houses.
Sc. Const. art. V, § 12 — Article V / Section 12
SC Const., Article V, Section 12
Status: in_force

Jurisdiction in matters testamentary and of administration, minors and persons mentally incompetent. Jurisdiction in matters testamentary and of administration, in matters appertaining to minors and to persons mentally incompetent, shall be vested as the General Assembly may provide, consistent with the provisions of Section 1 of this article.
Sc. Const. art. XVII, § 3 — Article XVII / Section 3
SC Const., Article XVII, Section 3
Status: in_force

Divorces. Divorces from the bonds of matrimony shall be allowed on the grounds of adultery, desertion, physical cruelty, continuous separation for a period of at least one year or habitual drunkenness.
Sc. Const. art. VIII, § 7 — Article VIII / Section 7
SC Const., Article VIII, Section 7
Status: in_force

Organization, powers, and duties of counties; special laws prohibited. The General Assembly shall provide by general law for the structure, organization, powers, duties, functions, and the responsibilities of counties, including the power to tax different areas at different rates of taxation related to the nature and level of governmental services provided. Alternate forms of government, not to exceed five, shall be established. No laws for a specific county shall be enacted and no county shall be exempted from the general laws or laws applicable to the selected alternative form of government.
Sc. Const. art. IV, § 21 — Article IV / Section 21
SC Const., Article IV, Section 21
Status: in_force

Bill or joint resolution must be signed or vetoed by Governor. Every bill or joint resolution which shall have passed the General Assembly, except on a question of adjournment, shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Governor, and if he approves he shall sign it; if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which shall enter the objections at large on its Journal and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass it, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that house it shall have the same effect as if it had been signed by the Governor; but in all such cases the vote of both houses shall be taken by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill or joint resolution shall be entered on the Journals of both houses respectively. Bills appropriating money out of the Treasury shall specify the objects and purposes for which the same are made, and appropriate to them respectively their several amounts in distinct items and sections. If the Governor shall not approve any one or more of the items or sections contained in any bill appropriating money, but shall approve of the residue thereof, it shall become a law as to the residue in like manner as if he had signed it. The Governor shall then return the bill with his objections to the items or sections of the same not approved by him to the house in which the bill originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its Journal and proceed to reconsider so much of the bill as is not approved by the Governor. The same proceedings shall be had in both houses in reconsidering the same as is provided in case of an entire bill returned by the Governor with his objections; and if any item or section of the bill not approved by the Governor shall be passed by two-thirds of each house of the General Assembly, it shall become a part of the law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor. If a bill or joint resolution shall not be returned by the Governor within five days after it shall have been presented to him, Sundays excepted, it shall have the same force and effect as if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by adjournment, prevents return, in which case it shall have such force and effect unless returned within two days after the next meeting.
Sc. Const. art. XII, § 3 — Article XII / Section 3
SC Const., Article XII, Section 3
Status: in_force

Separate confinement of juvenile offenders. The General Assembly shall provide for the separate confinement of juvenile offenders under the age of seventeen from older confined persons.
Sc. Const. art. VIII, § 4 — Article VIII / Section 4
SC Const., Article VIII, Section 4
Status: in_force

Merger of counties. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the merger of adjoining counties. Such mergers shall be permitted by the General Assembly only upon the request of the governing bodies of the counties or upon petition by ten percent of the registered voters in each of the counties involved. No merger shall take place unless a majority of the electors voting on the question shall vote therefor in each of the counties.
Sc. Const. art. IV, § 4 — Article IV / Section 4
SC Const., Article IV, Section 4
Status: in_force

Term of Governor. The term of office of the Governor shall be four years, beginning at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January next after his election and ending at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January four years later.
Sc. Const. art. III, § 1 — Article III / Section 1
SC Const., Article III, Section 1
Status: in_force

A Meeting of General Assembly. The General Assembly ought frequently to assemble for the redress of grievances and for making new laws, as the common good may require.
Sc. Const. art. X, § 6 — Article X / Section 6
SC Const., Article X, Section 6
Status: in_force

Establishment of method of valuation for assessment of real property within State. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the General Assembly may vest the power of assessing and collecting taxes in all of the political subdivisions of the State, including counties, municipalities, special purpose districts, public service districts, and school districts. Property tax levies shall be uniform in respect to persons and property within the jurisdiction of the body imposing such taxes; provided, that on properties located in an area receiving special benefits from the taxes collected, special levies may be permitted by general law applicable to the same type of political subdivision throughout the State, and the General Assembly shall specify the precise condition under which such special levies shall be assessed. For the tax year beginning 2007, each parcel of real property in this State shall have a maximum value for ad valorem taxes that does not exceed its fair market value. The General Assembly is authorized, by general law, to define "fair market value" and to define when property has been improved or when losses have occurred to change the value of the real property. The General Assembly shall establish, through the enactment of general law, and not through the enactment of local legislation pertaining to a single county or other political subdivision, the method of assessment of real property within the State that shall apply to each political subdivision within the State. Each political subdivision shall value real property by a method in which the value of each parcel of real property, adjusted for improvements and losses, does not increase more than fifteen percent every five years unless, as defined by the General Assembly, an assessable transfer of interest occurs. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the purposes of calculating the limit on bonded indebtedness of political subdivisions and school districts, pursuant to Sections 14 and 15 of Article X, respectively of the Constitution of this State, the assessed values of all taxable property within a political subdivision or school district shall not be lower than the assessed values of tax year 2006. Whenever there is a merger of governments authorized under Section 12 of Article VIII, tax districts may be created, based upon the services rendered in each district, but tax levies must be uniform in respect to persons and property within each such district. (1976 (59) 2217; 1977 (60) 90; 2007 Act No. 12.)
Sc. Const. art. III, § 2 — Article III / Section 2
SC Const., Article III, Section 2
Status: in_force

The restrictions and limitations of Article VIII, Section 7 and Article X, Section 5 of the South Carolina Constitution relating to the incurring of bonded debt shall not apply to the government created by the home rule charter pursuant to the powers granted to the electors of Charleston County by virtue of the proposed Article III to the Articles of Amendments nor to the territory from time to time under its jurisdiction.
Sc. Const. art. III, § 4 — Article III / Section 4
SC Const., Article III, Section 4
Status: in_force

The restrictions and limitations of Article X, Section 5 and Article X, Section 6 of the South Carolina Constitution relating to the purposes for which taxes may be levied and bonds issued shall not apply to the government created by the home rule charter pursuant to the powers granted to the electors of Charleston County by virtue of the proposed Article III to the Articles of Amendments nor to the territory from time to time under its jurisdiction.
Sc. Const. art. II, § 5 — Article II / Section 5
SC Const., Article II, Section 5
Status: in_force

Qualifications of municipal electors. Municipal electors shall possess the qualifications prescribed in this Constitution, but each such elector must have resided in the municipality in which he offers to vote for thirty days next preceding the election.
Sc. Const. art. I, § 6 — Article I / Section 6
SC Const., Article I, Section 6
Status: in_force

Residence. Temporary absence from the State shall not forfeit a residence once obtained.
Sc. Const. art. X, § 11 — Article X / Section 11
SC Const., Article X, Section 11
Status: in_force

Credit of State and political subdivisions. The credit of neither the State nor of any of its political subdivisions shall be pledged or loaned for the benefit of any individual, company, association, corporation, or any religious or other private education institution except as permitted by Section 3, Article XI of this Constitution. Neither the State nor any of its political subdivisions shall become a joint owner of or stockholder in any company, association, or corporation. The General Assembly may, however, authorize the South Carolina Public Service Authority to become a joint owner with privately owned electric utilities, including electric cooperatives, of electric generation or transmission facilities, or both, and to enter into and carry out agreements with respect to such jointly owned facilities. Provided, however, the General Assembly may obligate or appropriate state funds in order to participate in federal or federally aided disaster related grant or loan programs for individuals or families, but only to the extent that such state participation is a prerequisite to federal financial assistance. Provided, however, that endowment funds donated specifically to state-supported institutions of higher learning and held by the State Treasurer may be invested and reinvested in equity securities of a corporation within the United States that is registered on a national securities exchange, as provided in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or a successor act, or quoted through the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotations System or similar service. The General Assembly shall implement this paragraph by enacting legislation in which these endowment funds held and invested by the State Treasurer must be invested pursuant to a plan recommended by the State Retirement Systems Investment Panel which must be submitted to and approved by the boards of trustees of the respective colleges and universities. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a municipality, county, special purpose district, or public service district of this State which provides firefighting service and which administers a separate pension plan for its employees performing this service may invest and reinvest the funds in this pension plan in equity securities traded on a national securities exchange as provided in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of a successor act, or in equity securities quoted through the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotations System or similar service. (1976 (59) 2217; 1977 (60) 90; 1979 Act No. 1; 1985 Act No. 7; 1999 Act No. 11; 2003 Act No. 93.)
Sc. Const. art. VII, § 12 — Article VII / Section 12
SC Const., Article VII, Section 12
Status: in_force

Boundaries of counties; boundaries of Saluda and Edgefield. Until changed by the General Assembly, as allowed by this Constitution, the boundaries of the several counties shall remain as now established, except that the boundaries of the County of Edgefield shall undergo such changes as are made necessary by the formation of a new County from a portion of Edgefield, to be known as Saluda, the boundaries of which are set forth in a Constitutional Ordinance. The election ordered in said ordinance for the location of its County seat shall be held under the Constitution and laws now of force. And the General Assembly shall provide for the assessment of property in the County of Saluda for the fiscal year beginning January first, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, and for the collection of said taxes when assessed.
Sc. Const. art. VIII, § 14 — Article VIII / Section 14
SC Const., Article VIII, Section 14
Status: in_force

General law provisions not to be set aside. In enacting provisions required or authorized by this article, general law provisions applicable to the following matters shall not be set aside: The freedoms guaranteed every person; election and suffrage qualifications; bonded indebtedness of governmental units; the structure for and the administration of the State's judicial system; criminal laws and the penalties and sanctions for the transgression thereof; and the structure and the administration of any governmental service or function, responsibility for which rests with the State government or which requires statewide uniformity.
Sc. Const. art. VI, § 7 — Article VI / Section 7
SC Const., Article VI, Section 7
Status: in_force

Elective offices; terms; duties; compensation. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State a Secretary of State, an Attorney General, a Treasurer, a Superintendent of Education, Comptroller General, Commissioner of Agriculture, and an Adjutant General who shall hold their respective offices for a term of four years, coterminous with that of the Governor. The duties and compensation of such offices shall be prescribed by law and their compensation shall be neither increased nor diminished during the period for which they shall have been elected.
Sc. Const. art. XVII, § 10 — Article XVII / Section 10
SC Const., Article XVII, Section 10
Status: in_force

Laws now in force. All laws now in force in this State and not repugnant to this Constitution shall remain and be enforced until altered or repealed by the General Assembly, or shall expire by their own limitations.
Sc. Const. art. XVII, § 15 — Article XVII / Section 15
SC Const., Article XVII, Section 15
Status: in_force

Lawful domestic unions recognizable in State; domestic unions created in another jurisdiction. A marriage between one man and one woman is the only lawful domestic union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This State and its political subdivisions shall not create a legal status, right, or claim respecting any other domestic union, however denominated. This State and its political subdivisions shall not recognize or give effect to a legal status, right, or claim created by another jurisdiction respecting any other domestic union, however denominated. Nothing in this section shall impair any right or benefit extended by the State or its political subdivisions other than a right or benefit arising from a domestic union that is not valid or recognized in this State. This section shall not prohibit or limit parties, other than the State or its political subdivisions, from entering into contracts or other legal instruments. Amendments to the Constitution [ edit ]
Sc. Const. art. II, § 9 — Article II / Section 9
SC Const., Article II, Section 9
Status: in_force

Appeal by person denied registration. Any person denied registration shall have the right to appeal to the court of common pleas, or any judge thereof, and thence to the Supreme Court, to determine his right to vote under the limitations imposed in or authorized by this article, and on such appeal the hearing shall be de novo, and the General Assembly shall provide for such appeal.
Sc. Const. art. X, § 5 — Article X / Section 5
SC Const., Article X, Section 5
Status: in_force

No tax without consent; taxes to be levied in pursuance of law. No tax, subsidy or charge shall be established, fixed, laid or levied, under any pretext whatsoever, without the consent of the people or their representatives lawfully assembled. Any tax which shall be levied shall distinctly state the public purpose to which the proceeds of the tax shall be applied. (1976 (59) 2217; 1977 (60) 90.)
Sc. Const. art. V, § 16 — Article V / Section 16
SC Const., Article V, Section 16
Status: in_force

Compensation of Justices and judges; practice of law and dual office holding. The Justices of the Supreme Court and the judges of the Court of Appeals and Circuit Court shall each receive compensation for their services to be fixed by law, which shall not be diminished during the term. They shall not, while in office, engage in the practice of law, hold office in a political party, or hold any other office or position of profit under the United States, the State, or its political subdivisions except in the militia, nor shall they be allowed any fees or perquisites of office. Any such Justice or judge who shall become a candidate for a popularly elected office shall thereby forfeit his judicial office.
Sc. Const. art. XIII, § 5 — Article XIII / Section 5
SC Const., Article XIII, Section 5
Status: in_force

Confederate pensions. The General Assembly is hereby empowered and required, at its first session after the adoption of this Constitution, to provide such proper and liberal legislation as will guarantee and secure an annual pension to every indigent or disabled Confederate soldier and sailor of this State and of the late Confederate States who are citizens of this State, and also to the indigent widows of Confederate soldiers and sailors.
Sc. Const. art. XIV, § 3 — Article XIV / Section 3
SC Const., Article XIV, Section 3
Status: in_force

Ultimate property in lands. The people of the State are declared to possess the ultimate property in and to all lands within the jurisdiction of the State; and all lands the title to which shall fail from defect of heirs shall revert or escheat to the people.
Sc. Const. art. I, § 16 — Article I / Section 16
SC Const., Article I, Section 16
Status: in_force

Libel. In all indictments or prosecutions for libel, the truth of the alleged libel may be given in evidence, and the jury shall be the judges of the law and facts.
Sc. Const. art. XVI, § 2 — Article XVI / Section 2
SC Const., Article XVI, Section 2
Status: in_force

Two or more amendments. If two or more amendments shall be submitted at the same time, they shall be submitted in such manner that the electors shall vote for or against each of such amendments separately.
Sc. Const. art. XVII, § 2 — Article XVII / Section 2
SC Const., Article XVII, Section 2
Status: in_force

Claims against State. The General Assembly may direct, by law, in what manner claims against the State may be established and adjusted.
Sc. Const. art. VII, § 8 — Article VII / Section 8
SC Const., Article VII, Section 8
Status: in_force

Removal of county seat. No County Seat shall be removed except by a vote of two-thirds of the qualified electors of said County voting in an election held for that purpose, but such election shall not be held in any County oftener than once in five years.
Sc. Const. art. III, § 5 — Article III / Section 5
SC Const., Article III, Section 5
Status: in_force

The restrictions and limitations of Article II, Section 13 of the South Carolina Constitution relating to special election for bonding municipalities shall not apply to the government created by the home rule charter pursuant to the powers granted to the electors of Charleston County by virtue of the proposed Article III to the Articles of Amendments nor to the territory from time to time under its jurisdiction.
Sc. Const. art. V, § 15 — Article V / Section 15
SC Const., Article V, Section 15
Status: in_force

Qualifications of justices and judges. No person shall be eligible to the office of Chief Justice, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, judge of the court of appeals, or judge of the circuit court who is not at the time of his election a citizen of the United States and of this State, and has not attained the age of at least thirty-two years, has not been a licensed attorney at law for at least eight years, and has not been a resident of this State for five years next preceding his election. Any justice or judge serving in office on the effective date of the provisions of this section requiring a justice or judge to be at least thirty-two years of age and to have at least eight years of service as a licensed attorney at law who is not of that age or who has not been licensed for this required period of time may continue to serve for the remainder of his current term and is considered to have the requisite age and years of service as a licensed attorney for purposes of future re-elections to that judicial office.