Opinion ID: 1156159
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: public purpose: a legislative determination

Text: It is uniformly held by courts throughout the land that the determination of public purpose is one for the legislative branch. This has been made manifest in a long line of decisions of this Court. The question of whether an Act is for a public purpose is primarily one for the Legislature. Park v. Greenwood County , 174 S.C. 35, 41, 176 S.E. 870, 872 (1934), citing Poulnot, supra ; See also McNulty v. Owens , 188 S.C. 377, 199 S.E. 425 (1938); Caldwell, supra ; Park, supra ; State ex rel. McLeod v. Riley , 276 S.C. 323, 278 S.E. (2d) 612 (1981); Elliott v. McNair , 250 S.C. 75, 156 S.E. (2d) 421 (1967). Decisions of this Court in which public or corporate purpose has been held to pass constitutional muster involve a wide variety of subjects. See Haesloop, supra . (Hotel); Chapman v. Greenville Chamber of Commerce , 127 S.C. 173, 120 S.E. 584 (1923) (Office building site); Battle, supra , and Cathcart v. City of Columbia , 170 S.C. 362, 170 S.E. 435 (1933) (Stadium); Davis v. Saluda , 147 S.C. 498, 145 S.E. 412 (1928); Green v. Rock Hill , 149 S.C. 234, 147 S.E. 346 (1929), and Roach v. City of Columbia , 172 S.C. 478, 174 S.E. 461 (1934) (Waterworks and sewerage); South Carolina Farm Bureau Marketing Association v. South Carolina Ports Authority , 278 S.C. 198, 293 S.E. (2d) 854 (1982) (Grain elevators).