newsfromthestates.com · September 8, 2026
SC senator who resigned with Alzheimer’s diagnosis receives state’s highest honor | News From The States [ Skip to main content ](#main-content) [   Part of States Newsroom ](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/) search Sort by Latest Relevant Search Search  Stories From The States Colorado ranchers join fight against fossil fuel companies 28:57 https://play.prx.org/e?ge=prx\_14251\_3c1657e2-db5d-478b-98db-eb90ca023a81&uf=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicfeeds.net%2Ff%2F14251%2Fstoriesfromthestates.xml [   Part of States Newsroom ](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/) Brief ###### SC senator who resigned with Alzheimer’s diagnosis receives state’s highest honor ## Share [Bluesky](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#bluesky)[X](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#x)[Facebook](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#facebook)[Email](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#email)[Copy Link](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#copy_link)  [South Carolina](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/south-carolina) [Brief](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/briefs) # SC senator who resigned with Alzheimer’s diagnosis receives state’s highest honor [Gov & Politics](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/category/gov-politics) Sep 08, 2026 | 5:57 pm ET By [Skylar Laird](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/author/skylar-laird) Share [Bluesky](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#bluesky)[X](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#x)[Facebook](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#facebook)[Email](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#email)[Copy Link](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#copy_link)  Description State Sen. Roger Nutt, a Spartanburg County Republican, pictured at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C., resigned his seat following an Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2025. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) thCOLUMBIA — A state senator [who resigned](https://scdailygazette.com/2025/08/11/sc-senator-resigns-seat-following-alzheimers-diagnosis/) following an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis received the state’s highest civilian honor Tuesday. In giving Sen. Roger Nutt the [Order of the Palmetto](https://scdah.sc.gov/research-and-genealogy/resources/order-palmetto), lawmakers celebrated his work during his five years in the Statehouse, especially his leadership in [passing a law](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/146.htm) that guaranteed residents of nursing homes certain rights. [> SC senator resigns seat following Alzheimer’s diagnosis ](https://scdailygazette.com/2025/08/11/sc-senator-resigns-seat-following-alzheimers-diagnosis/) After 10 years on Spartanburg County Council, Nutt first won election to the House in 2020. Voters elected him to the Senate in 2024 after a contentious [four-way GOP primary](https://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/122026/web.317647/#/summary) for an open seat. Nutt spent just one session in the Senate before doctors diagnosed him with the neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer’s disease. The 60-year-old resigned to spend more time with family, including his three children, he said at the time. Although Nutt’s stint in the Senate was brief, it was impactful, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said Tuesday. The list of legal rights for nursing home residents was the first bill Nutt introduced, which is a rare feat, Massey said. “Not only did it become law, but it is very meaningful,” the Edgefield Republican said. Among other protections, the law requires that nursing homes allow residents up to three designated family members who can visit during an emergency. The proposal, which passed both chambers unanimously, was in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing rules kept loved ones [locked out of nursing homes](https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/all-sc-long-term-care-facilities-must-allow-indoor-visits-and-hugs-with-few-exceptions/article_9c7b3164-88c3-11eb-a119-2f93c41d08c2.html) for over a year. Under the law, nursing home residents can also choose their own doctors, have privacy during medical screenings, share a room with their spouse and attend religious gatherings as long as their health allows. The law took effect in April, but Gov. Henry McMaster ceremonially signed it Tuesday. Nutt’s work to get the bill through showed initiative on an important issue, McMaster said. “This man did something good, and he did it in a hurry, and it was well needed,” McMaster said. That’s the sort of work the Order of the Palmetto is meant to celebrate, McMaster added. Recipients are nominated and then screened by a committee to determine whether their work had a statewide impact. “You fall squarely within that, with your service to our people, making our state better,” McMaster said. [ ](https://scdailygazette.com/subscribe)  Published on ### [South Carolina Daily Gazette](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/south-carolina) Columbia [To republish this story, visit the South Carolina website](https://scdailygazette.com/2026/09/08/sc-senator-who-resigned-with-alzheimers-diagnosis-receives-states-highest-honor/) ## More News  [Oklahoma](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/oklahoma) ### [House panel takes no action on Oklahoma lawmaker’s alleged misconduct, sets another meeting](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-panel-takes-no-action-oklahoma-lawmakers-alleged-misconduct-sets-another-meeting) 7:33pm ET [Maryland](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/maryland) ### [Chesapeake Bay grasses notch best numbers since 2018](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/chesapeake-bay-grasses-notch-best-numbers-2018) 7:26pm ET ### Get our newsletters [Learn more about our newsletters](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/subscribe) ### Support News you Trust [Donate](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/donate) ## Related News  [Montana](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/montana) ### [Auditor revokes bail bondsman’s license permanently ](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/auditor-revokes-bail-bondsmans-license-permanently%C2%A0) 6:00pm ET Keila Szpaller ![Former Arkansas lawmaker pleads not guilty to felony domestic violence charges](https://cdn.newsfromthestates.com/styles/d03_traditional/s3/articles/feeds-state-47649/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mccollum-austin-michael-in26-006160-1024x7681788894775.jpg?VersionId=11lNNo_TAh91oDekH3bOFHbE.s65jk3X&h=ddb1