State House Week

Two controversial bills important to the Republican majority made it through the state legislature this week with a week to spare in this year’s session. Bills that could see the resumption of executions, and handguns allowed to be carried in public won final approval, and will soon be on the way to the Governor to be signed into law.

With just two weeks left in this year’s regular session of the state legislature, the fates of a number of high-profile, controversial bills that backers hope to see enacted into law this year remain unclear.

After almost four years of investigations, recriminations, hearings and debate following the V-C Summer nuclear debacle, both the South Carolina House and Senate have now passed bills to bring major reform to state owned utility Santee Cooper.

Since the unexpected closing of schools just over a year ago, students, parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials have grappled with how to keep the state’s 767,000 school children from falling too far behind.

- Pandemic Economy, Projected Tax Revenues, and Calls for Medicaid Expansion -

The budget may not be finalized until June.

The S.C House of Representatives is continuing its focus on controversial gun rights and social issues this legislative session.

The S.C. House of Representatives will soon begin debate on next year’s state spending plan. The proposed $9.8 Billion budget contains just $188 Million in projected new revenue down from an expected over $800 million. But it does include new funding for education, teacher salary bumps, and state prisons.

With Republicans increasing their majorities in the General Assembly this year, conservative members are pushing a number of bills that stand much better chances of being enacted into law than in past legislative sessions.

South Carolina’s ports are one of its’ major economic engines with over a $63 Billion impact on the state’s economy each year.

When state lawmakers return to Columbia next week the House of Representatives is expected to debate the Fetal Heartbeat Abortion bill. The measure, which has already been approved by the Senate, would forbid doctors from performing abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected usually around the sixth week of pregnancy.

The slow pace of COVID vaccinations across the state, and the need to vaccinate teachers in an effort to get more students in classrooms reached a boiling point at the Statehouse this week.

It took 16 attempts over 30 years, but this week the State Senate passed a bill that bans most abortions in the state. Using its new commanding Republican majority the Senate approved the so-called "fetal heartbeat" bill which prohibits doctors from performing an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That usually occurs six to eight weeks into a pregnancy. The vote was along party lines. Charleston’s Sandy Senn … one of three Republican women members was the only Republican to join with Democrats in opposing the measure. The bill now goes to the House where easier passage is expected.

Once again this legislative session, conservative members of the SC General Assembly are attempting to restrict abortion in the state. A bill that would ban almost all abortions is being fast tracked in the State Senate. In past years abortion bills have been derailed in the upper chamber. But this session, with a new, stronger Republican majority, supporters hope to finally be able to pass the bill and send it to the House where it has passed before.

This year’s session of the S.C. General Assembly got underway this week with one member describing it as "a session not like any other." Most lawmakers wore masks as the lingering COVID pandemic altered many time-honored legislative traditions. Adding to the unusual atmosphere at the Statehouse, were extra state police manning posts in and around the building following last week’s insurrection in Washington. Neither the House or Senate will meet next week during the Presidential inauguration.

Like the state as a whole, the Sc General Assembly is being impacted by the coronavirus. The House and Senate held separate, one day sessions this week to approve an emergency appropriation for DHEC to help the public health agency deal with the growing pandemic. A larger concern on the horizon for state lawmakers however is next year’s state operating budget, and how it might be impacted.

The state is on its way to having a record state budget. The House of Representatives this week approved next year’s state spending package, and for the first time it totals over $10 Billion . The state’s soaring population coupled with an exceptionally strong economy is leading to larger than expected tax revenues allowing state lawmakers to approve significant spending increases for programs such as education, public safety, and infrastructure. The House budget, now on its way to the Senate would also return some of the tax money to taxpayers, one of Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s budget priorities.

After two years of work and eight weeks of gridlock on the floor of the State Senate … Senators this week were finally able to pass the sweeping School Improvement Bill. Education Committee Chairman Gregg Hembree called it a long, and arduous journey. The bill aims to improve teacher working conditions, streamline required student testing, and give more authority to the state to deal with local school districts that are failing. The bill now goes to the House which passed a similar bill last year. The two versions will have to be reconciled this spring. A possible sale of Santee Cooper, the state owned utility now appears unlikely. Committees in both the House and Senate this week rejected the three recommendations from a panel of consultants regarding the utility’s future.

The S.C. State Senate this week voted to limit debate on the massive public school improvement bill. Senators have been considering the bill for seven weeks. Senate leaders hope to move to a final vote on the bill next week.

Next year’s state spending plan is now advancing through the legislature. This week House budget writers approved a $10 Billion budget package that includes major spending increases in education, roads, public safety, and corrections. The budget that’s now on the way to the full House of Representatives incorporates almost all of Governor McMaster’s proposals including for the second year in a row significant teacher pay raises. What to do about state-owned utility Santee Cooper continues to preoccupy the State Senate. Work on the School Improvement Bill was put on the back burner this week as the Senate’s Finance Committee heard from outside experts and utility executives on proposals concerning Santee Cooper’s future.