Suit Filed over Insurance Hikes for Public Workers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A University of South Carolina professor has filed a class-action lawsuit against a state panel for raising public workers’ health care premiums. The lawsuit by USC chemistry professor Thomas Bryson alleges the Budget and Control Board did not have the authority to raise employees’ premiums. Legislators agreed in the state budget to cover premium hikes for employees. But Gov. Nikki Haley convinced a majority of the board to disregard the budget and raise rates on workers anyway. The State newspaper of Columbia first reported that Bryson filed the lawsuit in Richland County. The lawsuit asks the court to declare that the board could not legally increase premiums when legislators fully funded the hike. It asks the court to block the increases from taking effect Jan. 1.