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 vote on gubernatorial vetoes, but legislators are otherwise finished. Below is an overview of the important bills from the 2017 session. Some passed, some didn’t, …
Posted: June 9, 2022 by South Carolina Policy Council
SCPC Voter Poll Release (May 31 – Jun 3, 2022)
. . Inflation, gas prices are top concerns for SC voters as lawmakers return to Columbia for special session Inflation and gas prices are among the most pressing concerns for South Carolina voters. Voters also feel positive towards legislative reform efforts focused on taxes, education, elections and transparency. 82% of likely S.C. 2022 general election …
Posted: January 24, 2021 by South Carolina Policy Council
Bills to watch in 2021
Before convening the 2021 legislative session (which began earlier this month) lawmakers filed roughly one thousand bills in advance of the New Year, known as “prefiles”. These bills can offer a look into what the legislative priorities will be over the next few months. Below is a look at some of the most substantial bills …
Posted: January 29, 2020 by South Carolina Policy Council
Lawmakers double down on Second Amendment attacks
MULTIPLE BILLS ATTACK SOUTH CAROLINIANS’ RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS A growing number of bills filed by lawmakers would erode South Carolinians’ Second Amendment rights. In recent weeks, five bills were introduced that push for gun confiscation powers, banning certain firearms, and severely limiting their access – all of which would violate the rights …
Posted: May 3, 2018 by South Carolina Policy Council
General Assembly to Censor Video Games and Movies?
Lawmakers often wait until the closing weeks of session to drop their most controversial bills. This year was no exception, with H.5218 and H.5219 aiming to censor gun violence in digital entertainment. The former would make it illegal to sell video games depicting gun violence, and the latter would prohibit theaters or other streaming services …
Posted: January 18, 2018 by South Carolina Policy Council
What the General Assembly did on Last Year’s Budget Vetoes
Last year the legislative session ended before the governor’s line-item vetoes of the 2017-18 budget were issued, and lawmakers opted to wait until session reconvened the following January to sustain or override them. The budget vetoes were accordingly the first order of business in the first two of weeks of session. It takes a two-thirds …
Posted: December 14, 2017 by South Carolina Policy Council
Senate Energy Solutions: An Analysis
In mid-November, the House prefiled and fast-tracked through committee six bills developed by the special energy investigatory committee, appointed by the House speaker (you can read our analysis of those bills here). Last week, the Senate prefiled its own version of legislative energy “solutions” – and like the House bills, it fails to truly reform the …
Posted: November 21, 2017 by South Carolina Policy Council
House Legislative Energy Solutions: An Analysis
THE HOUSE ENERGY COMMITTEE DRAFTED SIX BILLS TO “FIX” THE SYSTEM. HERE’S WHAT THOSE BILLS WOULD DO. UPDATE: The House passed H.4379 (ORS) and H.4378 (PURC) this week with no substantial changes. Those bills will now go to the Senate for debate. The rest of the bills remain on the House calendar for debate next week. …
Posted: September 27, 2017 by South Carolina Policy Council
University Enterprise Divisions: Vehicles for Dodging Accountability
A pair of bills filed last year would allow the creation of powerful mini-governments within public colleges and universities. These entities would function similarly to shell corporations by allowing universities to bypass state oversight for bonding, construction and even the exercise of eminent domain. This legislation – H.4182 (and its Senate companion, S.542)– is specifically designed …
Posted: May 26, 2017 by South Carolina Policy Council
Friday Follies: A Tax Exemption for … Huh?
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 view the sales tax provisions in state law, not as a means of raising revenue to carry out the necessary functions of government, but rather …
Posted: May 18, 2017 by South Carolina Policy Council
Wrap-Up of the 2017 Legislative Session
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 vote on gubernatorial vetoes, but legislators are otherwise finished. Below is an overview of the important bills from the 2017 session. Some passed, some didn’t, …