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. 

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Thursday, June 8, 2023 - 1:16pm

The House met on Wednesday and took up vetoes by the Governor, as well as a few other bills on the calendar. The Senate did not meet this week. The budget conference committee met on Wednesday and Thursday and finally reached an agreement on the budget bill (H. 4300) Thursday afternoon. Both chambers will now meet in statewide session in the coming weeks to adopt the conference committee report.

The budget and other bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300After several weeks of disagreement, the budget conference committee met this week and agreed on a budget bill. As adopted by the conference committee, 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. The budget also provides for $20 million in new money to County Transportation Committees. The committee also funded the Rural Stabilization Fund at $12 million, the same as in FY 22-23.

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;
  • $121.5 million for the state’s share of the 3.7 percent increase in premiums under the State Health Plan, including expanded well visits, prescribed contraceptives for dependents, and annual
  • Read Full Report
Thursday, May 25, 2023 - 11:35am

On Tuesday, the Senate took up the House amendments to the six-week abortion ban bill (S. 474). Several more amendments were debated but ultimately the Senate concurred with the House amendments, and the bill will be enrolled for ratification. The Senate also gave third reading to H. 4299, the continuing resolution to pay the expenses of state government in case the FY 23-24 begins without a new budget. There is still a chance that the Budget Conference Committee will meet before July 1 to deliberate the differences between the House and Senate versions of H. 4300, the FY 23-24 Appropriations Act, but there are also talks that the two chambers may have reached an impasse.

These and other bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300. Both chambers increased funding to the Local

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Thursday, May 18, 2023 - 11:48am

As indicated in last week’s Friday Report, Governor Henry McMaster called both chambers to return to work this week. Because there is no sine die resolution, the General Assembly can take up any bills that are pending. The Senate met briefly on May 16 without taking up any bills and did not meet the rest of the week. The House debated several bills, but spent most of its time debating the six-week abortion ban bill (S. 474), which it passed and sent back to the Senate with amendments.

The House will reconvene on Wednesday, while the Senate will meet on Tuesday. In addition to any other bills lawmakers decide to consider, they will take up any conference committee reports that are completed. The budget conference committee has met but has not completed its work on the budget. SCAC will continue to report on any new developments.

Bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300. The budget conference committee met throughout the week to finalize appropriations and provisos for 2023-2024. The conferees are Reps. Bannister, Herbkersman, and Weeks and Sens. Peeler, Setzler, and Alexander.  Both chambers increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF) by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula. TheRead Full Report

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - 3:53pm

The House and Senate spent the final week of the regular statewide session finalizing committee deliberations and debating numerous bills in their respective chambers. As a result of a disagreement over the future of the Comptroller General’s office, no sine die resolution was adopted to allow the General Assembly to return to deal with specific bills such as the budget and other bills that are in conference committees. Governor Henry McMaster has indicated he will call both chambers to return next week when the House is expected to debate the six-week abortion ban bill (S. 474). SCAC will continue to report on any new developments. Bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300The House took up the budget as previously amended by the Senate this week. Both chambers increased funding to the LGF by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula. The House amended the budget to reinsert their original provisos and line items and also to spend surplus money that was realized by the Board of Economic Advisors on Tuesday. The House returned the budget bill to the Senate and the Senate insisted on their version. As a result, H. 4300 will

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Thursday, May 4, 2023 - 2:12pm

The House spent most of the week in subcommittees and committees to advance bills to the floor prior to sine die Thursday, May 11. The Senate spent most of the week debating bills on the floor but also heard testimony in subcommittees on several bills relevant to counties. Bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Commercial Solar Property Tax Exemption – H. 3948As drafted, this bill would have provided a property tax exemption on renewable energy resource property including solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices that support, collect, generate, transfer, monitor, or store thermal or electric energy, no matter the operating power of the property. SCAC worked with representatives of the solar industry on an amendment to limit the exemption to residential and commercial rooftop solar panels and to ensure that solar farms were not given the exemption. Under the amendment, only those customer-generator resource properties that operate at a capacity of less than 1,000 kilowatts, are intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer-generator’s own electrical energy requirements and meet the other requirements of the definition of customer-generator provided for in Section 58-40-10(C) of the Code would qualify for the exemption. The House Ways and Means Committee adopted the subcommittee amendment and gave the bill a favorable report, as amended, and the bill will be placed on the House calendar.

Local Sales Tax Workforce Housing – Read Full Report

Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 3:24pm

The House continued to work through its calendar and spent time in committees to advance bills to the floor prior to sine die on Thursday, May 11. The Senate spent most of the week debating an abortion bill (H. 3774) but also heard testimony in subcommittees on several bills relevant to counties. Bills of interest are discussed below: 

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

SCAC Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs Owen McBride testifies about H. 3948 and H. 3072 at a House Ways and Means subcommittee.

Commercial Solar Property Tax Exemption – H. 3948. As drafted, this bill would have provided a property tax exemption on renewable energy resource property including solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices that support, collect, generate, transfer, monitor, or store thermal or electric energy, no matter the operating power of the property. SCAC worked with representatives of the solar industry on an amendment to limit the exemption to residential and commercial rooftop solar panels and to ensure that solar farms were not given the exemption. Under the amendment, only those customer-generator resource properties that operate at a capacity of less than 1,000 kilowatts, are intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer-generator’s own electrical energy requirements and meet the other requirements of theRead Full Report

Thursday, April 20, 2023 - 9:39am

The Senate debated the budget (H. 4300) on Tuesday and Wednesday and passed the budget, which includes increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF). The House worked through its calendar and continued to move several pertinent bills through committees. Bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300The full Senate debated and passed the budget this week. Both chambers increased funding to the LGF by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula.

Other funding of note in the Senate 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;
  • $121.5 million for the state’s share of the 3.7 percent increase in premiums under the State Health Plan, including expanded well visits, prescribed contraceptives for dependents, and annual gynecological visits for women;
  • $40.1 million to cover the state’s share of the 1 percent retirement contribution increase;
  • $12 million to the Rural County Stabilization Fund;
  • $345,000 to registers of deeds (This represents increased funding for FY23-24);
  • $690,000 to coroners (This represents increased funding for FY23-24);
  • $690,000 to clerks of court (This represents the same funding as the current fiscal year
  • Read Full Report
Friday, April 14, 2023 - 9:38am

The Senate spent time on the floor this week debating and passing the Bond Reform bill (H. 3532) and cleared several other bills from the calendar as debate on the budget bill (H. 4300) will begin next week on the Senate floor. The House was on furlough and did not meet in statewide session this week. Several bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – S. 604. This bill would authorize the expenditure of over $586 million in federal funds disbursed to South Carolina in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and would specify how the funds may be spent. Under the bill, the money would be appropriated to the Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) ARPA Water and Sewer Infrastructure Account, with $100 million made available for projects designated by the Secretary of Commerce as being significant to economic development. Up to $20 million would be available for each project with no local match requirement. Only existing grant applications, as of January 1, 2023, may be considered in determining disbursements. 

The House amended the bill to allow funds from the ARPA Resilience Account as a part of Act 244 of 2022 to be used for projects that mitigate the impacts from potential releases of contamination associated with natural hazards. An additional amendment was removed by the Senate this week that would have allowed any members ofRead Full Report

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - 9:12am

The Senate Finance Committee debated and passed the budget bill (H. 4300) out of committee this week, which included increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF). The full Senate will debate the bill on the floor the week of April 18. While the Senate did not meet in statewide session, several Senate committees met throughout the week to discuss multiple bills including one allowing for constitutional carry of concealed weapons (S. 109). The House debated and passed several bills ahead of the April 10 crossover deadline. Bills of interest are discussed below:

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Budget – H. 4300. The Senate Finance Committee debated and passed the budget bill (H. 4300) out of committee this week. The Finance Committee increased funding to the LGF by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula.

Other funding of note in the Senate Finance Committee 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;
  • $121.5 million for the state’s share of the 3.7 percent increase in premiums under the State Health Plan, including expanded well visits, prescribed contraceptives for dependents, and annual gynecological visits
  • Read Full Report
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - 12:03pm
Both chambers spent most of this week working through their respective calendars in preparation for the April 10 crossover deadline. The Senate will not meet in statewide session next week so any Senate bills that have not been sent to the House will need a two-thirds vote in order to pass this year. Bills of interest are discussed below:

From left: SCAC Assistant Government Affairs Director Owen McBride, Executive Director Tim Winslow, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Bruce Bannister and Deputy Executive Director Josh Rhodes met this week to touch base on important issues affecting counties and the state.

Revenue, Finance and Economic Development

Municipal Audits – S. 31. This bill would allow municipalities with less than $500,000 in total revenues to provide a compilation of financial statements in place of an annual audit report. SCAC worked with the stakeholders and members of the Ways and Means Committee to include a provision giving counties flexibility in providing their annual audit report to the state before their allotment of the Local Government Fund could be withheld. Under the amendment, the annual audit report would have to beRead Full Report

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