Copper Dome Chronicle: 2024 Session Week 6
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 February 13-5, 2024, is 761 words or a 3 minute read. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
Week 6 Preview
The House has 4 bills and zero resolutions on its calendar eligible for debate to begin the week. The four bills on the calendar are:
H.3594 (permitless carry)
H.4231 (Sunday liquor sales)
H.4957 (NIL bill)
S.577 (apprenticeship tax credit)
The Senate has 38 bills, three joint resolutions, two concurrent resolutions, and one Senate resolution on its calendar to begin the week. Much of the week will be devoted to the debate on S.423 (medical cannabis), which is in the status of Interrupted Debate. There are 17 bills and resolutions without a printed objection:
H.3518 (driver’s licenses)
H.3866 (Attorney General duties)
H.3993 (farm-raised venison)
H.4047 (prohibit DNR records release regarding exotic animals)
H.4116 (funeral services and practices)
H.4868 (Florence County School District 3)
S.32 (uninsured motorists)
S.408 (suicide prevention training for professional counselors)
S.558 (tuberculosis testing in nursing homes)
S.578 (disclosure of DOR documents)
S.697 (marine recreational harvest data collection)
S.903 (flounder catch limits)
S.944 (family leave insurance)
S.957 (Department of Insurance investigations)
S.962 (pharmacy service administrative organizations)
S.1026 (pharmacy service administrative organizations regulations)
S.1027 (pharmacy benefits managers regulations)
Week 5 Review
House floor sessions consumed 7 hours, 8 minutes and passed several bills:
H.3116 (disabled veterans property tax exemption)
H.3278 (real estate appraisers)
H.3608 (county auditor endorsement of deeds)
H.3951 (Working Agricultural Lands Preservation Act)
H.3992 (delinquent unemployment compensation tax rates)
H.4364 (curbside/third-party alcohol delivery)
H.4376 (unclaimed remains)
H.4710 (unemployment benefits)
H.4832 (family leave insurance)
H.4869 (Department of Insurance investigations)
H.4876 (Dorchester County School District 4)
H.4928 (Veterans’ Trust Fund)
H.5008 (official code of laws)
H.5015 (proviso punctuation)
Senate floor sessions consumed 8 hours, 53 minutes and passed several bills:
S.305 (prior work experience on initial teaching certificate)
S.778 (social worker state compact)
S.782 (Jasper County School District)
H.4892 (Anderson County School District 1)
The overwhelming majority of Senate floor time was during the debate on S.423 (medical cannabis).
Committee Schedule Week 6
Some committee meetings that will generate some debate and news.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee; February 13 at 3pm or 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: Two bills related to civil justice reform are on the agenda: S.533 (joint and several liability) and S.844 (insurance and civil justice study committee).
Senate Education Committee; February 14 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: S.538 (tenure), S.974 (accrediting institutions), S.418 (old Read to Succeed bill), and S.905 (new Read to Succeed bill). It is anticipated that S.905 will become the primary legislation to amend the Read to Succeed Act.
Senate Corrections and Penology Committee; February 15 at 9am; Agenda; No Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.1001 (prison industries) and H.4002 (telecommunications devices in correctional institutions).
Senate Medical Affairs; February 15 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4624 (prohibit gender transition procedures).
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (4 budget hearings)
Higher Education; February 13 at 10am; Agenda; No Live Stream
Criminal Justice; February 14 at 8:45am; Agenda; No Live Stream
Constitutional; February 15 upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Higher Education; February 15 at 10am; Agenda; No Live Stream
House Ad Hoc Committee to Study Insurance Fraud; February 13 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The committee will receive presentations from the Attorney General, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.
House Ways & Means Budget Proviso Subcommittee; February 13 at 2:30pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The Proviso Subcommittee will consider provisos from the other budget subcommittees.
House Judiciary Committee; February 13 at 2:30pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4927 (Executive Office of Health and Policy).
House Education & Public Works K-12 Subcommittee; February 13, 1.5 hours upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.4655 (physical education requirements), H.4374 (social studies standards), and H.4709 (cursive writing grades 2-5)
House Labor, Commerce and Industry Insurance Subcommittee; February 14 at 9am; Agenda; No Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4218 (genetic information protection).
House Liquor Liability Insurance Ad Hoc Committee; February 15 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5066 (liquor liability insurance).
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 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 9-11: Senate Finance Committee budget deliberations
April 10: Crossover Day
April 10: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) April revenue estimate (final forecast)
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
