Supreme Court: Haley Can’t Appoint DOT Secretary

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The leadership of South Carolina’s Department of Transportation is in question following a state Supreme Court ruling.

The state’s highest court on Wednesday threw out a clause in the state budget allowing Gov. Nikki Haley to continue appointing the DOT secretary.

The court ruled the clause was unrelated to the budget.

Under the 2007 law that put the DOT in the governor’s Cabinet, Haley’s ability to appoint the secretary should have expired last July. Legislators intended to address that as part of highway-funding legislation.

When they couldn’t agree on funding, legislators tacked a one-year extension onto the budget.

The order says appointment authority reverted last year to the DOT commission, which meets Thursday.

GOP Rep. Gary Simrill says the ruling shows the ramifications if legislators continue to delay.