Teenager files lawsuit in Sanford standoff

A South Carolina high school student has filed a lawsuit aimed at ending the standoff between Gov. Mark Sanford (R) and the legislature over accepting federal stimulus dollars.

Sanford, who won’t accept $700 million of the stimulus package unless he can use it to pay down the state’s debt, is at odds with the legislature, who says the money is needed to fund social services.

Enter Casey Edwards, an 18-year old student at Chapin High School in Chapin, S.C. Edwards is asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to decide who has final authority over the funds–the governor or the legislature. The AP reports that the court has ordered the state attorney general to respond by Monday, indicating the case is being taken seriously.

Edwards says South Carolina schools need the money:

“I’ve had a great experience in my Chapin schools,” said Edwards, who said she sold Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches to raise money for a Dillon County school last year after seeing a documentary on the poor conditions at schools along the Interstate 95 corridor. “Every student should have that same quality of education.”