Copper Dome Chronicle: 2023 Session Week 23
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity; one of the best books about communications and writing we’ve read in years.
This week’s edition, covering June 12-16, is 639 words or less than a 3 minute read. There are an unknown number of days remaining in the special session. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
1. House, Senate Near Special Session Finish Line
The House and the Senate convened on June 14 to conduct what could have been the final floor session in 2023. The most important business was the adoption of the budget conference report, H.4300 (FY 2023-2024 General Appropriations Act), as well as H.4301 (Capital Reserve Fund). The previous edition of The Copper Dome Chronicle listed some of the big ticket items included in the final version.
House Speaker Murrell Smith and Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey indicated that after consulting with legislative leadership, the General Assembly may not return during the week of June 19 to consider budget vetoes and instead wait until January 2024. Governor Henry McMaster has until June 20 to issue budget vetoes. If the General Assembly does not return, then both chambers will have adjourned sine die for the 2023 special session. However, if the budget vetoes are determined to be time-sensitive and of sufficient substance, the General Assembly leadership is prepared to call members back to Columbia to debate and dispose of the budget vetoes. June 20 Morning Update: According to a memorandum distributed to Senators and authored by Senate President Thomas Alexander, the chambers have consulted and will not return this week. Budget vetoes will be considered in January 2024. The South Carolina General Assembly has adjourned sine die (though without a sine die resolution).
Other legislation ratified last week included S.96 (watercraft safety education), S.108 (first responder line of duty death benefits), S.330 (destruction of utility infrastructure), S.397 (athletic trainers licensure transition to LLR) S.407 (opioid antidotes), H.3360 (Center for School Safety and Targeted Violence) H.3503 (anti-fentanyl trafficking ), H.3532 (criminal bond reform), H.3553 (comprehensive adoption and permanency bill), and (H.4023 (First Steps permanent reauthorization).
The Senate Republican Caucus publicly announced its top three legislative priorities for the 2023 session were education savings accounts (S.39), certificate of need repeal (S.164) and fighting back against fentanyl trafficking (H.3503, plus many Senate bills). The House Republican Caucus 2023 agenda shared these same priorities plus many others, such as criminal bond reform (H.3532), comprehensive adoption and permanency reform (H.3553, plus several House bills), Earn and Learn Act/licensing reform (H.3605), and workforce development restructuring (H.3726). Some House agenda items, such as H.3728 (South Carolina Transparency And Integrity In Education Act), H.3690 (anit-ESG bill), and H.3594 (constitutional carry) did not become law this year but await action next year.
2. Comprehensive Energy Bill In 2024
Gov. McMaster held an all-day energy summit in Columbia on June 9 with a full agenda. At the conclusion of the summit Gov. McMaster issued an executive order creating PowerSC, an interagency working group. The group will tackle many issues such as developing an updated state energy plan, “improve state licensing and permitting processes related to energy infrastructure, evaluate building codes to recommend modifications to enhance energy efficiency, and work with industry stakeholders, education providers, and other state agencies to evaluate supply gaps in the state's energy workforce.”
A legislative panel (beginning at minute marker 38) composed of Senate President Thomas Alexander, House Speaker Murrell Smith, Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee Chair Tom Davis, and House Ways & Means Higher Education Subcommittee Chair Nathan Ballentine provided many insights for the audience. Speaker Smith provided perhaps the most compelling commentary.
To paraphrase Speaker Smith, a comprehensive energy bill will be a priority for the House next session (begin at minute marker 48). Some components of the bill, but by no means guaranteed to be included in the bill, are: incentives for base load energy generation (nuclear, natural gas, clean energy), permitting reform, energy efficiency programs, demand-side management programs, Public Service Commission (PSC) reform, regulatory reform, small modular reactors, and energy competition (i.e. large user utility choice program as used in Georgia). The entire summit can be viewed by visiting Gov. McMaster’s YouTube page.
The summit was well attended (including Advocatus) by utilities, clean energy providers, service and technology suppliers to energy providers, environmental advocates, higher education, local government representatives, and many state agencies.
