SC gov refuses legislators’ port hearing request

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has told senators she will not appear at a hearing to answer questions about the handling of an environmental permit for a Georgia port expansion.

Haley’s office on Tuesday released a copy of a letter from the Republican governor to the chairman of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee. The panel is run by Republican Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler of Gaffney.

Legislators were irked that the Haley-appointed board of the Department of Health and Environmental Control overrode a staff decision and approved a water quality permit required to expand Savannah’s port operations. Some said Haley betrayed South Carolina ports.

Haley told Peeler in the letter that she won’t testify because of “separation-of-powers reasons” and because no other governor has participated in similar legislative inquiries.