State House Week

Two controversial bills important to the Republican majority made it through the state legislature this week with a week to spare in this year’s session. Bills that could see the resumption of executions, and handguns allowed to be carried in public won final approval, and will soon be on the way to the Governor to be signed into law.

With just two weeks left in this year’s regular session of the state legislature, the fates of a number of high-profile, controversial bills that backers hope to see enacted into law this year remain unclear.

After almost four years of investigations, recriminations, hearings and debate following the V-C Summer nuclear debacle, both the South Carolina House and Senate have now passed bills to bring major reform to state owned utility Santee Cooper.

Since the unexpected closing of schools just over a year ago, students, parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials have grappled with how to keep the state’s 767,000 school children from falling too far behind.

- Pandemic Economy, Projected Tax Revenues, and Calls for Medicaid Expansion -

The budget may not be finalized until June.

The S.C House of Representatives is continuing its focus on controversial gun rights and social issues this legislative session.

The S.C. House of Representatives will soon begin debate on next year’s state spending plan. The proposed $9.8 Billion budget contains just $188 Million in projected new revenue down from an expected over $800 million. But it does include new funding for education, teacher salary bumps, and state prisons.

With Republicans increasing their majorities in the General Assembly this year, conservative members are pushing a number of bills that stand much better chances of being enacted into law than in past legislative sessions.

South Carolina’s ports are one of its’ major economic engines with over a $63 Billion impact on the state’s economy each year.