SC senator who resigned with Alzheimer’s diagnosis receives state’s highest honor

thCOLUMBIA — A state senator who resigned following an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis received the state’s highest civilian honor Tuesday.

In giving Sen. Roger Nutt the Order of the Palmetto, lawmakers celebrated his work during his five years in the Statehouse, especially his leadership in passing a law that guaranteed residents of nursing homes certain rights.

SC senator resigns seat following Alzheimer’s 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 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 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.