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.
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
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. 4300. The 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
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
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
 | 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
The Senate spent this week debating a bill to limit the amount of property that a foreign adversary or corporations controlled by a foreign adversary can purchase in South Carolina (S. 576). The Senate also spent time in subcommittees, moving legislation forward in advance of the April 10 crossover deadline, and hearing budget requests in preparation of the Senate Finance Committee’s budget debate which begins on April 4. Meanwhile, the House was on furlough this week and will return Tuesday. Bills of interest are discussed below:
Revenue, Finance, and Economic Development
Local Sales Tax Workforce Housing – S. 284. This bill would allow local accommodations and hospitality tax proceeds, as well as a special fund for tourism, to be used for workforce housing. It would also allow local governments to issue bonds to finance workforce housing projects. The Senate Finance Committee gave the bill a favorable report and S. 284 is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Craft Beer Economic Development Act – S. 566. This bill would allow a craft brewery to sell beer wholesale and retail to licensed retailers in the state. It would also allow the brewery to apply for the special permit for events pursuant to Section 61-4-550 and to transfer beer created at its brewery to other facilities owned, leased, or rented by the brewery without being subjectRead Full Report
The House passed the budget bill (H. 4300) after two days of robust debate and more than 90 amendments considered. The House increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF) representing full funding under the statutory formula. After giving the budget third reading on Wednesday, the House adjourned and will return March 28 following next week’s furlough.
The Senate spent most of Tuesday debating the merits of the $1.2 billion incentive package (H. 3604) South Carolina offered to Scout Motors, Inc. to build a plant in Richland County. The incentive package has now been ratified and sent to Gov. Henry McMaster for his signature. On Wednesday, the Senate began debating a bill that would provide an income tax credit for parents of students that attend certain independent or home schools (S. 285). The Senate also confirmed the appointment of Todd McCaffrey as the Secretary for the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs.
Bills of interest are discussed below:
Revenue, Finance, and Economic Development
Budget – H. 4300. The House debated and passed the budget bill (H. 4300) this week. The House increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF) by $13,212,234 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula. The House also allocated $250 million in additional funds to County
Read Full ReportThis week in the General Assembly, the House spent time on the floor debating and passing the Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act (H. 3014). The House will begin debate on the budget bill (H. 4300) on Monday. The Senate debated another education bill (S. 285) that would give tax credits to scholarship funding organizations that provide grants for students to attend independent schools to include religious and private schools. Bills of interest are discussed below:
Revenue, Finance and Economic Development
License and Registration Fees for New SC Residents – S. 208. This legislation would allow a county to impose, upon conducting a successful referendum, an additional driver's license fee of $250 and an additional motor vehicle licensing and registration fee of $250 on
SCAC President Debbie Summers this week received a resolution honoring her as the President of the Association and acknowledging her many accomplishments and acts of service to Lexington County and the Midlands. She is pictured here with House members of the Lexington County Delegation.
This week in the General Assembly, the House spent time on the floor debating and passing the Bond Reform bill (H. 3532) and a joint resolution to amend the South Carolina Constitution to repeal the prohibition against the state or its political subdivisions providing direct aid to the religious or other private educational institutions (H. 3591). The Senate continued working through its calendar and passed several bills relevant to county government. Bills of interest are discussed below:
Revenue, Finance and Economic Development
Thanks to the more than 200 county officials who came to Columbia this week to take part in SCAC’s Counties Connect: A Legislative Action Day. The event was very successful, and members of the General Assembly were grateful for the time spent with their county officials! You all truly demonstrated the #statewideimpact of #localleaders. Check out our Facebook album for more photos of Counties Connect, the Institute of Government and Council Chairperson’s Workshop.
This week in the General Assembly, the House spent time on the floor debating and passing the “Open Carry Without Training Act” (H. 3594) and the Ways and Means Committee passed its version of the budget (H. 4300). The Senate debated and passed two bills in an effort to combat the effects that fentanyl is having in South Carolina (S. 1 and S. 153) as well as a bill to shield the manufacturer of drugs used to administer death by lethal injection (S.Read Full Report