After a slight winter weather delay, the General Assembly kicked off February with action in both chambers. The Senate resumed floor debate on DUI reform legislation, giving the bill second and third readings after adopting several amendments. A Senate Transportation subcommittee continued discussions on the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Modernization bill, and a Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee began debate on the “Data Center Development Act.”
Following extensive debate on Wednesday, the House gave second reading to a bill that would create criminal and civil penalties for unlawfully providing abortion-inducing drugs, and it recommitted a bill to regulate hemp to the Judiciary Committee. In subcommittees, the House began debate on their version of the SCDOT Modernization bill and continued budget hearings in preparation for full committee consideration of the appropriations bill during the week of Feb. 16.
Upcoming Action Item
Department of Juvenile Justice Proviso
A House Ways and Means subcommittee met last week to take up proviso requests from several state agencies, including the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). This included their request to keep Proviso 67.17 in the budget, which requires counties to pay more than three times the amount they paid before the proviso was inserted at the very end of the 2025 legislative year. The full Ways and Means Committee will meet during the week of Feb. 16 to decide which provisos will be included in their adopted version of the budget.
If you talk with your House member on the Ways and Means Committee before this meeting, please ask them to remove this proviso from the budget if you have concerns about the $125 per day capital expenditure charge for a total of $175 per day (including the $50 per diem charge).