Copper Dome Chronicle: 2024 Sine Die Edition
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.
This week’s edition is 890 words or a 3.5 minute read. The 2024 regular session has adjourned pursuant to S.1192. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
***Ratifications/Acts Log***NEW RESOURCE
SC Election Commission Candidate Filing Tracker
Week 18 Review
The second regular session of the 125th South Carolina General Assembly adjourned at five o’clock on Thursday, May 9, 2024 pursuant to S.1192 (sine die resolution).
House floor sessions consumed 17 hours, 59 minutes while Senate floor sessions consumed 20 hours, 42 minutes. In the Week 18 edition we highlighted 26 priority bills, 13 from each chamber: 38% passed (10), 35% did not pass (9), and 27% made it to a conference committee (7).
Bills Passed
S.125 (additional LIFE scholarship stipends education majors)
S.557 (tax credits omnibus bill)
S.881 (Prohibition of Unfair Real Estate Service Agreements Act)
S.1021 (abandoned buildings tax credit)
S.1166 (dismissal of pending handgun possession charges)
H.3424 (age verification for certain websites)
H.4116 (funeral services and practices)
H.4617 (xylazine ban)
H.4624 (prohibit gender transition procedures)
H.4817 (alternative nicotine product vending machines)
H.4957 (name, image, likeness)
Bills Not Passed
S.1 (drug-induced homicide)
S.134 (live stream school board meetings)
S.841 (Prosecutors Personal Privacy Protection Act)
S.915 (Executive Office of Health and Policy)
S.947 (crime of kidnapping)
H.3014 (hate crimes enhanced penalties)
H.3514 (South Carolina Equine Advancement Act)
H.4231 (Sunday liquor sales)
H.4364 (curbside/third-party alcohol delivery)
Bills In Conference Committee (19 bills)
S.142 (safe harbor for exploited minors)
S.314 (higher ed permanent improvement projects)
S.577 (apprenticeship tax credit)
S.862 (caregiver requirements in childcare facilities)
S.969 (income tax deduction for law enforcement and firefighters)
S.1017 (low income housing property tax exemption)
S.1031 (Uniform Money Services Act)
S.1046 (judicial merit selection commission reform)
H.3728 (Transparency and Integrity in Education Act)
H.3865 (coroner qualifications)
H.3988 (pharmacy practice act)
H.4087 (tax credits omnibus bill)
H.4187 (retail theft)
H.4386 (robust redhorse fish protection)
H.4820 (wild turkeys)
H.4843 (consumption of food & beverage on commercial docks)
H.5100 (FY25 budget)
H.5101 (capital reserve bill)
H.5118 (comprehensive energy bill)
What’s Next?
The House and Senate will meet in a joint session on Wednesday, June 5 at 12pm to elect a candidate to the State Supreme Court, Seat 3 pursuant to S.1275 (Supreme Court election). The Judicial Merit Selection Commission announced three out of six candidates were found qualified and nominated: The Honorable Blake A. Hewitt (Conway); The Honorable Jocelyn Newman (Columbia); The Honorable Letitia H. Verdin (Greenville). The candidates are not permitted to seek or accept vote commitments until May 22 at 12pm when the final report is issued. As we’ve written time and time again, after the budget the most important - and political - activity of the General Assembly is the election of judges.
Two other dates have been scheduled (tentatively) for the General Assembly: June 18 to consider the budget conference report and June 25 to consider budget vetoes. Conference reports for other bills could be considered on June 5, 18, or 25 as well. The tax bills in conference committees, if all were enacted, would reduce general fund revenues by approximately $18.2M in FY25. It may be necessary to gain agreement on those bills prior to the budget to account for any revenue implications.
But perhaps the most widely anticipated meeting this month is the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA)on May 20 at 9am; it will be live streamed. Most State House observers are waiting to see if the BEA will certify any additional FY25 revenue, both recurring and non-recurring. Everyone expects that FY24 revenues are strong and will not require any changes to the current budget. If additional revenue is recognized, there are at least three options available to the budget conference committee:
Use none of it in FY25
Use some or all of it as part of H.5100 (FY25 budget)
Use it as part of a supplemental appropriations bill (a permissible action under the sine die resolution)
Lastly, a note about S.1192 (sine die resolution). Sine die resolutions, historically, have contained this clause permitting consideration of the following: “introduction, receipt, and consideration of resolutions affecting Sine Die adjournment.” Put another way, the sine die resolution can - and has in the past - been amended.
Last week reports were already swirling about resurrecting S.915 (Executive Office of Health and Policy). In 2017, two sine die resolutions were passed: S.692 and S.744. The difference between the two was S.744 allowed for the receipt and consideration of local legislation whereas S.692 did not. For a more expansive effort to amend a sine die resolution, one can revisit the 2012 session. H.5377, commonly called a “clean” sine die resolution, was passed on June 5 only to be amended by H.5410 on June 27, which added five specific bills to the list of permissible actions. So while the door may be shut for most bills in 2024, the General Assembly always leaves a window open in the sine die resolution.
Committee Schedule May 13-17 2024
Some committee meetings that will generate some debate and news. If a live stream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means no live stream is available.
No conference committees have posted meeting notices for this week.
H.3728 Conference Committee; June 5 at 10am; Agenda
Summary: The conference committee on H.3728 (Transparency and Integrity in Education Act) will meet for a third time.
Key Dates
January 9: Session Convenes
January 16: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 24: State of the State
February 7: Judicial elections (subject to change)
February 15: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) February revenue estimate
February 20-22: House Ways & Means Committee budget deliberations
March 6: Election of the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court
March 11-14: House floor budget deliberations
March 16: Candidate filing opens for all House and Senate seats at 12pm
April 1: Candidate filing closes for all House and Senate seats at 12pm
April 1-5: House furlough week
April 9-11: Senate Finance Committee budget deliberations
April 10: Crossover Day
April 17: Judicial Elections
April 23-25: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 9: Session Adjourns
June 5: Election of an Associate Justice of the State Supreme Court
June 11: Nominating Primary Elections
June 18: Budget conference report votes (tentative)
June 25: Nominating Primary Runoff Elections
June 25: Budget vetoes session (tentative)
July 1: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 begins
October 6: Last day to register to vote
October 21: Early voting opens
November 2: Early voting closes
November 5: General Election Day
