Category: Legislation

UPDATE: When the Senate’s version of the budget returned to the House, the latter readopted the original House budget with additional amendments. The total budget spending approved by the House is…

It’s no secret that South Carolina’s education system is regarded as one of the worst in the country. In many cases, lawmakers have turned to increased spending and growing government…

This past week, the legislature showed an unusually keen interest in how South Carolinians choose to wear their clothes. H.4957 would make it a civil offense for a person to…

This bill would mandate that lunch be provided to South Carolina public school students at no charge to the students. While schools do currently provide breakfast and lunch, the students…

Two bills filed by the House would change security policy in South Carolina’s schools. H.4386 would require that metal detectors be installed at the public entrances of every public school…

This bill spells out procedures for dealing with mold in public school facilities. It tasks both the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the Department of Education (DOE) with developing…

This bill would allow local school districts to compensate public and charter school teachers for any sick or vacations days earned but not used. This creates an additional teacher incentive,…

Under state law, taxpayers can challenge the tax assessments of their property. This bill would slightly change the appeals/challenge process. Under this legislation, the Department of Revenue (DOR) would begin…

This bill would allow locally-imposed sales and use taxes to be spent on economic development projects. As “economic development” is not clearly defined, this bill would, in effect, allow these…

This joint resolution instructs the Public Service Commission (PSC) not to take any action on the V.C. Summer issue until ninety days after the end of the 2018 legislative session,…

This bill would privatize the state’s school bus fleet. Under current law, school bus transportation is controlled by the State Board of Education and funded by the state. This bill…

REMOVING CITIZENS’ POWER TO HOLD THEIR NEIGHBORS ACCOUNTABLE? UPDATE: The final version of the bill placed parameters on the bill’s scope, but the core of the proposal – the violation of…

This bill would allow patients and their doctors to bypass insurance companies and requirements by setting up direct primary care agreements and protect those agreements from regulation by the Department…

This bill increases the size of the Public Service Commission (PSC) from seven to ten, seven of which are elected by the voters in each congressional district, and three of…

This bill would allow the governor to appoint the Public Service Commission (PSC) members with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Public Utilities Review Committee (PURC) would no…

If there’s anything state lawmakers are good at, it’s wasting time on frivolous legislation. This week’s return to the legislative session was no exception. On Wednesday, a handful of lawmakers…

It’s a new year in the Palmetto State, and that means the South Carolina’s legislative session is about to begin – on January 9 to be exact. Despite the changes…

WHY NOT JUST DEREGULATE? Ronald Reagan used to tell a joke that went like this: “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it…

GOVERNMENT OUTPACING THE ECONOMY – BY A LOT The General Assembly just passed a $27.42 billion budget – by far the largest in state history and a $1.1 billion increase from…

SOUTH CAROLINA’S FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY GOES AROUND THE LAW Recently the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education found itself the subject of debate in newspapers and on the Senate floor. A…

IF YOU WANT TO HOLD TRANSPORTATION POLICYMAKERS ACCOUNTABLE, HERE’S HOW. After three years of effort, lawmakers raised the gas tax (and a host of related taxes and fees). In the…

BECAUSE SCHOOL KIDS NEED TO LOOK AT SCREENS MORE? Perhaps there is some justification for legislation – S.33 – that would mandate the installation of wireless Internet access in all…

WHERE DO WE STAND ON ETHICS REFORM? Since the Policy Council released its eight-point reform agenda in 2013, several lawmakers have been indicted and the General Assembly has passed a…

A TAX BREAK FOR FOOD AND CLOTHING IN THE PREPARATION OF PERISHABLE FOOD. THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. It’s often the case, and South Carolina is no exception. Lawmakers tend to…

WHY MUST THE STATE DECIDE THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAY TO DRAW A TREE? South Carolina faces many problems. The fact that graphic designs of palmetto trees aren’t standardized is not…

WHAT PASSED, WHAT DIDN’T, WHAT’S STILL TO COME On May 11, the legislative session ended for this year. Lawmakers will return next week to finish and pass the budget and…

PROPONENTS CLAIM THE BILL WOULD FIX SOUTH CAROLINA’S ROADS. THAT’S NOT WHAT THE BILL SAYS. [NB: The bill discussed in this report is now law, the state senate having overridden…

SOUTH CAROLINA’S ‘PENSION DEFICIT DISORDER’ HASN’T BEEN SOLVED On April 25, Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill intended to reform South Carolina’s pension system. The bill, now a law, raises…

LAWMAKERS HAVE TO COMBINE TWO BAD BILLS. THINGS COULD GET WORSE. The House and the Senate have both passed bills that contain significant tax increases, insignificant reform elements, and negligible…

● The Senate’s bill raises gas tax by 12 cents per gallon ● Includes large increases in array of fees ● Calls tax a ‘fee,’ allowing Infrastructure Bank to create more…