Friday Report - June 18, 2021

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The budget conferees (Sens. Leatherman, Peeler, and Setzler; Reps. Murrell Smith, Bannister, and Hayes) met this week and reached a tentative agreement on the budget. Both chambers will meet on Monday, June 21st , in general session. There are several items that will require a super majority vote (3/5 vote) in the Senate to be included as a part of the final budget. Other items we have previously reported on may be adjusted depending on funding. We will highlight some of the provisions that appear to be to locked in and will provide a more in-depth report after the General Assembly adopts a final budget.

State Budget — H. 4100

The budget conferees have agreed on the following items:

  • An increase in the Local Government Fund (LGF) of $17.92 million statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF, including all back funding that was imperiled because of the state operating under a Continuing Resolution in light of the ongoing pandemic.
  • A 2.5 percent base pay increase for all state employees.
  • A 1 percent increase to the employer contribution rate to the State Retirement System and the Police Officers Retirement System (The increase in employer contribution rate was suspended in Fiscal Year 2020-21).
  • $10 million for the Rural County Stabilization Fund. Any county that has a population growth, as determined by the 2020 Census, of less than 5.35 percent since the 2010 Census and would lose a substantial amount of their portion of the LGF shall be eligible to receive monies from the fund. Please thank Chairman Murrell Smith and the other conferees for including these important funds for rural counties in South Carolina.
  • A raise to library per capita funding from $2 to $2.25, an SCAC policy position.
  • $500,000 for PTSD treatment for first responders

Other Items of Interest

Call for NACo Policy Steering Committee Nominations

Do you want a voice in creating the national legislative policies of the National Association of Counties (NACo)? Consider filling out the NACo nomination form to be appointed to one of the policy steering committees. As a steering committee member, you are responsible for developing national policies and priorities affecting counties and serve as NACo’s frontline for grassroots efforts. Committees meet at the NACo legislative and annual conferences, and one other time during the year. You will be responsible for your own travel and conference expenses. To learn more about NACo’s steering committees and legislative development process, visit NACo’s website.

Completed forms must be submitted to SCAC by Friday, June 25. The nominations will be processed by SCAC and forwarded to NACo for approval by the NACo President after the NACo Annual Conference in July. Appointments will be announced in September and NACo will contact the committee members directly. If you have any questions regarding the NACo Policy Steering Committee nomination process, please contact Anna Berger with SCAC at 1-800-922-6081 or via aberger@scac.sc.

 

 

Legislative Session: 
2020-2021