This event occurred after a commission worked to overhaul the state's constitution, which was as antiquated as Alabama's present document. New voting laws made this transition to home rule even more necessary. Legislative districts began to cross county lines to ensure fair representation. That districting change meant a legislator might not know enough or care enough about a county's affairs to make wise decisions. All the more reason, then, to give local people the right to govern themselves.
Home rule restricts legislators to passing laws that affect the entire state.
They can no longer single out a community or county for special action. Naturally, South Carolina's legislators resisted giving up their local power, and they still find ways to meddle, especially on taxes. But because reformers persisted, county and municipal governments now can manage their communities' growth and provide services their people need. Indeed, home rule came just in time. As in Alabama, most of the growth occurs in urban counties, such as Spartanburg along Interstate 85.