Copper Dome Chronicle: 2024 Session Week 11
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, covering March 19-21, 2024, is 1,062 words or a 4 minute read. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
Week 11 Preview
The House has 22 bills and zero resolutions on its calendar eligible for debate to begin the week. There are three bills currently on the contested calendar; below are a few bills that could generate some debate.
H.3989 (Solar, Agricultural, Farmland, and Environmental Act)
H.5164 (Education Scholarship Trust Fund)
H.5203 (Budget Proviso Codification Act of 2024)
H.5066 (liquor liability insurance)
H.3988 (pharmacy practice act)
H.4649 (proprietary security services in schools)
The Senate has 61 bills, eight joint resolutions, one concurrent resolution, and one Senate resolution on its calendar to begin the week. There is one bill in the status of Special Order: S.1046 (judicial merit selection commission reform).
There are 40 bills and joint resolutions without a printed objection:
H.4002 (telecommunications devices in correctional facilities)
S.1046 (judicial reform)
S.962 (pharmacy service administrative organizations)
S.839 (crime of homicide by child abuse)
S.877 (crime of luring a child)
S.996 (crime of obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse)
S.968 (disclose blood type on driver’s license)
S.538 (tenure)
S.1052 (wildlife area management regulations)
S.1054 (residential group care facilities regulations)
S.1055 (social work regulations)
S.954 (electronic communications disclosure to law enforcement)
S.995 (crime of sexual exploitation using a morphed image of a minor)
S.1090 (license plates regulations)
S.1091 (self-insurers regulations)
S.107 (maximum sales tax on livestock trailers)
S.650 (lottery tickets)
S.859 (skills based hiring)
S.969 (income tax deduction for law enforcement and firefighters)
S.1017 (nonprofit housing corporations)
S.1021 (abandoned buildings tax credit)
S.1047 (Denmark Technical College Area Commission)
S.1117 (wilderness therapeutic camps regulations)
H.3121 (income tax credit for perpetual recreation trail easement)
H.3295 (competency-based education)
H.3309 (Seizure Safe Schools Act)
H.3608 (real property deeds)
H.3811 (industry partnerships tax credits)
H.3880 (admissions tax on golf dues)
H.4376 (unclaimed remains)
H.4720 (continuing resolution)
H.4957 (name, image, likeness)
S.434 (service contract terms)
S.746 (trust business definition)
S.1031 (Uniform Money Services Act)
H.3255 (living organ donors)
S.994 (electronic nicotine delivery devices)
S.965 (COVID-19 vaccination mandates)
S.1074 (certified medical assistants)
S.1101 (Hampton County interchange naming bill)
Week 10 Review
House floor sessions consumed 14 hours, 9 minutes and passed three bills:
H.5100 (FY25 budget)
H.5101 (capital reserve bill)
H.4817 (proof of age to purchase alternative nicotine products)
The House spent all of its floor time debating the budget, which passed on a 104-15 vote. The no votes were provided by 15 out of 17 members of the House Freedom Caucus; one HFC member voted Aye on the budget and one HFC did not vote.
Senate floor sessions consumed 4 hours, 4 minutes and passed three bills:
H.5153 (Anderson County District 2)
H.5168 (Kershaw County School District)
H.5079 (Beaufort County precinct bill)
The Senate spent extensive time debating S.1046 on and off the floor, resulting in the adoption of a comprehensive compromise amendment that will pave the way for Senate passage. The prospects for passage in the House are yet to be determined.
Committee Schedule Week 11
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.
Joint Bond Review Committee; March 20 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (3 budget hearings)
K-12 Education; March 20 at 10am; Agenda
Transportation & Regulatory; March 20 at 12pm; Agenda
Higher Education; March 21 at 10am; Agenda
Senate Finance Committee; March 19 at 3pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: A presentation from the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee; March 19 at 3pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.533 (abolish joint and several liability); S.543 (insurance reserve fund coverage); S.1048 (alcohol liability)
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee; March 20 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.855 (healthcare market reform study committee) and S.858 (acute hospital care at home).
Senate LCI Labor and Employment Subcommittee; March 20 at 9am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4552 (affordable housing on redeveloped military installations) and H.4700 (age verification for social media).
Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee; March 20 at 10am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.1051 (waterfowl hunting on Lake Blalock) and S.955 (blue crab fishery).
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Agriculture Subcommittee; March 20 at 11am; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.1150 (cultivated food product labeling)
Senate Medical Affairs Committee; March 21 at 9:30am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are four five bills on the agenda: S.854 (safe syringe program); S.855 (healthcare market reform study committee); S.858 (acute hospital care at home); H.4486 (septic tank testing pilot program); S.975 (vaccine or gene therapy mandates).
House Ways & Means Property Tax Legislative Subcommittee; March 19 immediately upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4912 (assessment ratios) and H.4294 (millage increases for fire protection districts).
House Ways & Means Sales, Use, and Income Tax Legislative Subcommittee; March 19 30 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.4059 (sales/use taxes for transportation facilities); H.4082 (sales tax exemption for ophthalmic disease medication); H.4594 (annual tax conformity bill).
House Education & Public Works Committee; March 19 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are 5 bills on the agenda: H.4289 (higher education DEI bill); H.5023 (work zones and driver’s licenses); H. 5024 (National Guard license plates); H.4601 (preventing escape of materials loaded on vehicles); H.5244 (Catawba Nation license plates).
House LCI Public Utilities Subcommittee; March 19 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.5118 (comprehensive energy bill) and H.5120 (resolution urging federal permitting reform).
House LCI Committee; March 20 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda, pending subcommittee approval: H.5118 (comprehensive energy bill) and H.5120 (resolution urging federal permitting reform). This is the comprehensive energy bill that is a top priority for House Speaker Smith.
House Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Cyber Crime; March 21 at 8:45am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The committee will hear a presentation from the Center for Humane Technology.
House Education & Public Works K-12 Subcommittee; March 21 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.5245 (military child enrollment preference); H.4702 (Computer Science Education Initiative); H.4703 (STEM Coalition).
House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee; March 21 at 9am; Agenda
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.5016 (state auditor); H.5170 (judicial merit selection commission reform); S.1046 (judicial merit selection commission reform).
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 11: Nominating Primary Elections
June 25: Nominating Primary Runoff Elections
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
