Friday Reports
The Friday Report, is prepared and distributed every Friday of the legislative session. The most recent Friday Report will always appear on the home page.
Legislators met in a Joint Assembly this week and elected Hon. John W. Kittredge as the new Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. The Senate spent most of the week debating a Judicial Merit Selection Commission reform bill (S. 1046) that was previously set for special order.
Both chambers took up and adopted the conference report on the constitutional carry of concealable weapons bill (H. 3594), during which time several members reiterated their opposition to the bill. The House worked to clear a variety of bills from the uncontested calendar in preparation for next week’s debate on the FY 24-25 Appropriations Act (H. 5100). These and several other bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
Revenue, Finance and Economic Development
Redevelopment Authorities (RDAs): Tax Increment Financing for Affordable Housing — H. 4552. This bill adds certain affordable housing projects to what qualifies as a redevelopment project for federal military installations. It includes an affordable housing project (defined referencing median income percentages according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) where all or a part of new property tax revenues generated in the tax incrementRead Full Report
After weeks of the judicial elections being held up in the Senate, legislators reached a resolution by placing a judicial reform bill (S. 1046) in the special order status. Senators began debating the bill Thursday. The Senate and House then agreed to hold the election for the South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice at noon March 6. All the other judicial elections will be at noon April 17.
The House debated and passed a bill that creates the Executive Office of Health and Policy, H. 4927.
Check out these and several other bills of interest to counties this week's Friday Report: https://conta.cc/49xngNjRead Full Report
The Senate debated several bills this week and passed S.915, which creates the Executive Office of Health and Policy. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee met Wednesday and continued discussions on numerous bills regarding selection of judges. Although most House of Representatives members observed a prescheduled furlough week, the Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday and Wednesday to finalize provisions on the state budget before sending the FY24-25 appropriations bill to the House floor for debate.
Thank you to all the county officials who attended Counties Connect events Tuesday night and Wednesday. Your presence at the State House and conversations with your delegation members were greatly appreciated!
Check out this week's Friday Report for the legislative details relevant to counties: https://conta.cc/4c1Mq8L Read Full Report
The Senate debated and passed S. 423, the “Compassionate Care Act” bill, this week. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday discussed S. 533, a bill to modify how financial responsibility is allocated in a lawsuit, although the bill did not advance. A House Ways and Means proviso subcommittee met Tuesday to adopt numerous provisos prior to consideration of the state budget bill by the full Ways and Means Committee next week. Several bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
Check out this week's Friday Report for the legislative details relevant to counties: https://conta.cc/3T0qXFpRead Full Report
After voting to set S. 423, the “Compassionate Care Act” bill for special order, the Senate began debate on the bill Wednesday. Debate is expected to continue next week on the floor, and multiple amendments are likely to be offered and considered.
A Senate Judiciary subcommittee met Tuesday and discussed several bills aimed at changing the process of nominating and selecting judicial candidates, although no bills were advanced.
The House spent most of the week on the floor working through its calendar to prepare for the consideration of the state budget bill by the Ways and Means Committee in the coming weeks. Several bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
Check out this week's Friday Report for the legislative details relevant to counties: https://conta.cc/4bIoh6WRead Full Report
on Camp LeJeune water contamination litigation legislation.
The Senate spent most of the week on the floor debating and ultimately passing H. 3594, the “Open Carry Without Training Act.” The House continued meeting in budget subcommittees and also spent time working through their calendar on the floor. Several bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
Check out this week’s Friday Report for the legislative details relevant to counties: https://conta.cc/3u9I66d
The Senate Finance Committee met for the first time in 2024 and took up several bills of interest to counties. When not in committee meetings, members of the Senate spent time on the floor debating H. 3594, the “Constitutional Carry” of concealed weapons bill. The House continued meeting in budget subcommittees to hear from various state agencies on budget requests for FY 2024-25. Several bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
Check out this week’s Friday Report for the details and bill discussions relevant to counties at https://conta.cc/3u7aZQo.
The House continued meeting in budget subcommittees to hear from various state agencies and groups on requests for FY 2024-25. The Senate spent time on the floor debating and passing H. 3690, a bill to enact the “ESG Pension Protection Act” to require, among other things, that the Retirement System Investment Commission only consider financial factors in making certain investment decisions.
Check out this week’s Friday Report for the details and bill discussions relevant to counties at https://conta.cc/3vJcvIZ
Tuesday marked the beginning of the second year of the 125th session of the South Carolina General Assembly. Any bills that were introduced last year but did not become law do not need to be filed again to be taken up in 2024. However, bills that do not become law this year will have to be filed again in 2025. The House began meeting in budget subcommittees to hear from various state agencies and groups, including SCAC, on budget requests for FY 2024-25.
Check out this week’s Friday Report for the details and bill discussions relevant to counties at https://conta.cc/3HhJTJi.
The House and Senate met on Wednesday and finally approved the budget bill (H. 4300). Both chambers also took up several conference reports. The Senate and House also indicated that unless there are budget vetoes by the Governor they consider to be significant, they will not reconvene until January 2024.
The budget and other bills of interest are discussed below:
Revenue, Finance and Economic Development
Budget – H. 4300. Both chambers took up and adopted the conference committee report on the budget bill on Wednesday. As adopted by the General Assembly, the state budget increases funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF) by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula. (See the updated LGF County Allocation Estimates Chart.) The budget also provides for $20 million in new money to County Transportation Committees. The budget also includes $12 million for the Rural Stabilization Fund, the same as in FY 22-23. (See the updated RSF County Estimates Chart.)
Other funding of note in the budget includes:
- $155 million to cover a $2,500 base pay increase for state employees making under $50,000 and a 5 percent base pay increase for state employees making over $50,000 Read Full Report