The General Assembly’s second week of session featured significant activity in both chambers. The House continued hearing budget requests from state agencies while also holding subcommittee meetings on several election and judicial election reform bills. The House Ways and Means Committee will debate the budget the week of Feb. 16, and the House will debate the budget on the floor the week of March 9.
The Senate spent most of the week on the floor debating the DUI reform bill. The Senate Finance Committee held its first meeting of the year, advancing several bills relevant to counties, including an increase in the homestead exemption. Finally, a Senate Transportation subcommittee convened to begin preliminary discussions on a S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) modernization bill. This comprehensive bill would, among numerous other items, allow for the voluntary transfer of certain nonessential roads from SCDOT to local governments. These bills and more are discussed in this week’s Friday Report.