Recent News
The Senate Finance Committee approved funding for SCDHEC to assist in the agency's response to COVID-19 and passed an amendment to house the fund in the Executive Budget Office to provide flexibility for future funding.
- Staffing ($14,598,760): DHEC needs additional staffing to support COVID-19 disease surveillance and contact investigation, laboratory testing, and information phone lines.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ($14,806,800): PPE for DHEC's healthcare workers to prevent spread of infection.
- Staff Support ($5,282,420): Operating costs such as ... Read more
County officials are on the front lines of our public health emergency working daily to keep citizens and employees safe and informed. SCAC stands with our counties and will continue to provide resources regarding legislative updates and implications for county operations.
State Legislative Update
The South Carolina Senate Finance Committee plans to meet on Tuesday, March 17th at 11:00 a.m. to discuss funding related to DHEC’s response to COVID-19 and possibly a Continuing Resolution that would allow state government to operate at current spending... Read more
The House passed the budget on Wednesday and did not meet on Thursday. They will be on furlough until the week of March 23rd. The Senate spent the week working through the calendar while on the floor and debating Santee Cooper in the Senate Finance Committee before reporting their findings to the Senate floor. The Finance Committee voted unanimously to reject the three options (sale, management, or restructuring). The Finance subcommittee tasked with renegotiating the three options met this week but has not made a recommendation. Meanwhile, the House bill (... Read more
Things finally began to move in the General Assembly this week as the Senate ended debate on the education reform bill (S. 419) and sent it to the House. In the ongoing debate in both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Ad Hoc Committee regarding Santee Cooper, the House Ways and Means Ad Hoc Committee voted unanimously to reject the three options presented (sale, management, or restructuring). The House then introduced a bill (... Read more
There was not a lot of legislative activity as the General Assembly continues to be bogged down with the education reform bill (S. 419) and Santee Cooper. One hundred of the more than 200 amendments to S. 419 were withdrawn. Hopefully since cloture has been invoked on the bill and no more amendments can be added, this will allow the Senate to finish up the bill soon. The House Ways and Means Ad Hoc Committee and the Senate Finance Committee both heard testimony on Santee Cooper. The... Read more