Category: Reform

1.20.22 UPDATE: Ahead of next month’s judicial elections, including for one seat on the state Supreme Court and Administrative Law Court, and many on the Court of Appeals, circuit court,…

S.203 would create a new series of criteria for school district consolidation. Specifically, if any school district met two of the following conditions, it would be consolidated: The district has…

A concerning new bill filed this week – H.3934 – would allow committees created by county legislative delegations to subpoena any state or local government agency, board, commission, etc. and/or…

S.61 would allow the governor to remove members from the Workers’ Compensation Commission at will, and would reinstate term limits for the chairman position, at a maximum of two. Currently,…

Three bills (S.251, H.3433 & H.3447) would prohibit lawmakers or legislative candidates from accepting campaign contributions from regulated utilities – including SCANA and every electric cooperative. However, under H.3447, the…

S.285 would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot allowing the governor to appoint judges with the advice and consent of the Senate (currently they’re elected by the General Assembly).…

S.1 would undercut the Governor’s power to make interim appointments when the legislature is not in session. If this bill becomes law, the Governor will not be able to make…

This joint resolution would allow the executive director of the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) to file for a circuit court order requiring V.C. Summer documents and/or witnesses to be…

This bill would shorten the legislative session by around four weeks. Instead of ending on the second Thursday in May, it would end on the second Thursday in April. All…

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…

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…

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…

LEGISLATION WOULD TIGHTEN SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR STATEMENTS OF ECONOMIC INTEREST — AND LOOSEN OTHERS Late in March, House Republicans, including Speaker Jay Lucas, sponsored a bill requiring increased disclosure on…

S.256 would allow the county legislative delegations to remove their appointees or recommendations for appointment for neglect of duty, misconduct, or malfeasance. While the ability to remove appointments for cause…

S.386 would amend the state constitution by having the governor appoint the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Circuit Court judges rather than having them elected by the legislature. The…

S.370 would amend the state constitution by having the governor appoint Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals, and Circuit Court judges rather than having them elected by the legislature. It…

H. 3650 attempts to streamline and simplify business licensing in the state. It would create a uniform business license tax, that would expire on the 30th of April of each year.…

H.3473 is a resolution calling for an Article V Convention of States to amend the US Constitution. The resolution attempts to limit potential amendment subjects to a spending cap and…

H.3352 creates a new judicial branch under the Administrative Law Court that would oversee Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals and challenges and would institute a number of reforms to…

S.301 would eliminate the Commission of Transportation and transfer the Commission’s authority to the Secretary of Transportation. The Secretary would be a gubernatorial appointment with Senate confirmation. The bill would…

S.27 is a companion bill to S.137, a joint resolution that proposes that the superintendent of education be appointed by the governor instead of elected. S.27 would adjust the necessary code…

S. 76 would require that every state agency, or institution, report to the Executive Budget Office the categories and amount of other funds that were carried forward.  The bill would…

H.3445 would permit county delegations to abolish a county recreation commission and devolve the commission’s power to the county government. Local governments should have control over duties normally performed by…

H.3497 is a resolution that would change the House rules to align with the so-called ethics reform bill that passed last year. This resolution would send all ethics complaints to the…

H. 3002 would require that new regulations issued would expire after 5 years, unless they are reviewed by the General Assembly.  While there are exceptions, this would be a step in…

S.180 turns the Commission on Disabilities and Special Needs into an advisory board rather than the governing body of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and makes the department director…

S.140 is a joint resolution to amend the Constitution and would make the Commissioner of Agriculture a gubernatorial appointment with advice and consent of the Senate rather than a statewide…

S.130 would make the chairmen of county election boards gubernatorial appointments, rather than allowing the county election boards to elect their own chairmen. Under this bill, the county legislative delegation…

S.129 is a joint resolution to amend the Constitution and would make the Secretary of State a gubernatorial appointment with advice and consent of the Senate rather than a statewide…

S.111 would allow county legislative delegations to remove the Governor’s appointment power over county boards of voter registration and elections, giving it to the county governing body by delegation resolution.…