What's happening at the State House this week

Posted
This week, the Senate will be debating S.954 (which was placed on special order last week). This joint resolution would prohibit the Public Service Commission from issuing a final ruling on the prudency of abandoning the V.C. Summer nuclear construction project. (Click here for our analysis.) Also on the energy topic, a bill goes to the House this week that would direct the Public Utilities Review Committee to resume their screening and nomination process for this year’s three open seats on the Public Service Commission. This screening process was suspended with little explanation last fall. A number of bills and issues covered in our annual publication Best & Worst of the General Assembly 2017 are on the House and Senate floor calendars. Those bills are color-coded according to their status in Best & Worst and linked to the appropriate page. To view this week's calendar online, click here.  
Who's feeding your lawmakers this week?
  • Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
  • South Carolina Brewers Guild
  • Optometric Physicians Association
On the House and Senate Floor:House:
  • H.4729 – Only three liquor licenses allowed per individual (SCPC analysis here and here)
  • H.4377 – Tweaks the PSC
  • H.4376 – Santee Cooper “reform”
  • H.4380 – Ratepayer relief
  • H.3565 – Removes automatic stay for a permitting decision if contested
  • H.3722 – Bond bill (SCPC analysis here and here)
  • S.105 – Automatic stay on agency decisions in administrative law court
  • S.955 – Joint resolution instructing PURC to resume PSC candidate screening
Senate:
  • S.954 – Prohibits PSC from issuing any BLRA orders except for experimental rate in House bill (SCPC analysis) – SPECIAL ORDER
  • Five remaining budget vetoes – (SCPC analysis)
  • S.185 – Adds “internet” to regulations concerning licensure of embalmers and funeral directors, new regs for out of state funeral brokers (SCPC analysis)
  • S.866 – Repeals tax credits for geothermal machinery
  • S.916 – Tax credit for energy efficient homes
  • S.137 – Making superintendent of education appointed by governor (SCPC analysis)
  • S.160 – Reestablishes sentencing reform oversight committee
  • S.324 – Retired officials can carry concealed anywhere (similar to H.3025 – SCPC analysis)
  • S.148 – Additional fee for magistrate court civil filings
  • S.445 – Charter school regulations
  • H.3234 – Strikes occupancy requirement for tenants primarily engaged in agriculture
  • H.4868 – PEBA audit due in 2020 instead of 2019
Tuesday - 2/13/18
House committee meetings
  • House Ways and Means proviso subcommittee (live stream link)
  • 3-M Committee
    • H.4410 – DHEC may issue penalties for persons operating unlicensed tattoo facility
    • H.4412 – Further regulations on tanning establishments
  • Judiciary Committee
    • H.3830 – Individual may not lobby former state agency within one year of leaving job
  • Education and Public Works Committee
    • H.4596 – “Competency-based schools” may apply for certain regulatory exemptions
    • H.4618 – Reduces number of car sales a dealer must make before they are issued a dealer plate
Senate committee meetings
  • Senate budget hearings (Constitutional and Transportation and Regulation)
  • Finance Committee
    • S. 889 – Capital Project Sales Tax Act (SCPC analysis)
    • S.934 – Procurement exemption for Medical University of South Carolina
Wednesday - 2/14/18
  Joint Committee on Pension Systems Review – House and Senate
  • Testimony from SCRS and PEBA
House committee meetings
  • Agriculture subcommittee
    • H.4730 – Utility that operates solar farm must maintain vegetative buffer around it
  • 3-M subcommittee, Occupational Regulation and Licensing Boards
    • H.4529 – Allows nurses to practice telemedicine
    • H.4590 – Loosens supervision requirements for detox therapy practice
Senate committee meetings
  • V.C. Summer Nuclear Project Review Committee (live stream link)
  • General Committee
    • S.805 – Creates Department of Children’s Advocacy
  • LCI Regulatory and Local Government subcommittee
    • S.313  – County may establish Windstorm Protection and Homeowners Insurance Program via ordinance

Thursday - 2/8/18

House committee meetings
  • Agriculture Committee
    • H.4644 – establishes Solid Waste Emergency Fund
    • H.4704 – DHEC may authorize permits when it benefits coastal zones
Senate committee meetings
  • Judiciary subcommittee
    • S.833 – Local body may pass ordinance requiring individual to keep property clean
  • Senate budget hearings (Higher Education and Economic Development)