Copper Dome Chronicle: 2024 Session Week 9
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 5-7, 2024, is 1,197 words or a 5 minute read. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
Week 9 Preview
The House has 25 bills and one joint resolution on its calendar eligible for debate to begin the week. There are no bills currently on the contested calendar but a few bills that could generate some debate:
H.5066 (liquor liability insurance)
H.4333 (mobile optometry units)
H.3988 (pharmacy practice act)
H.4649 (proprietary security services in schools)
The Senate has 54 bills, eight joint resolutions, and one Senate resolution on its calendar to begin the week. There is one bill in the status of Interrupted Debate: S.1046 (judicial reform). This bill and S.99 (judicial reform), which will be offered as an amendment to S.1046, will consume much of this week’s floor time.
S.1046 has 22 sponsors, which is 2 sponsors shy of the 24 votes needed for passage if all 46 Senators are present. There are 20 Republican sponsors, meaning 11 Republicans are not sponsors and therefore the Senate Republican Caucus cannot pass the bill alone.
Part of the deal struck to bring S.1046 to the beginning of the calendar was allowing the election of the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court to take place on March 6, where Associate Justice John Kittredge will be elected because he is the only candidate.
There are 34 bills and joint resolutions without a printed objection:
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)
Week 8 Review
House floor sessions consumed 12 hours, 49 minutes and passed 14 bills and resolutions:
H.4875 (sale of deer parts)
H.4387 (hybrid striped bass limits)
H.4386 (robust redhorse fish protection)
S.912 (SC Nexus resolution)
S.298 (combined corporate income tax returns)
H.4927 (Executive Office of Health and Policy)
H.4895 (concurrent resolution setting judicial elections)
H.5153 (Anderson County School District 2)
H.5168 (Kershaw County School District)
H.3963 (coyote and wild hog management)
H.4709 (cursive writing grades 2-5)
H.4589 (municipal election protests)
S.418 (Read to Succeed bill with new Senate amendments)
H.3676 (Convention of the States)
Senate floor sessions consumed 7 hours, 45 minutes and passed 17 bills and resolutions:
H.4002 (telecommunications devices in correctional facilities)
S.912 (SC Nexus resolution)
H.3592 (compounding pharmacies)
S.578 (disclosure of DOR documents)
S.1064 (Alzheimer's special care unit code review)
S.755 (personal property title transfers)
S.845 (claims related to the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022)
S.1005 (Lake Bowen motor restrictions)
H.4895 (concurrent resolution setting judicial elections)
S.1025 (Aiken County School District)
H.3518 (driver’s licenses)
H.4116 (funeral services and practices)
S.235 (wireless device information disclosure to law enforcement)
S.881 (Prohibition of Unfair Real Estate Service Agreements Act)
S.947 (crime of kidnapping)
S.780 (Super-Kart Act)
H.3355 (fifth wheel assembly towing requirements)
Committee Schedule Week 9
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.
Conference Committee on H.3594 (permitless carry); March 5 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The second meeting of the conference committee on H.3594 (permitless carry)
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (3 budget hearings)
Health & Human Services; March 6 at 10am; Agenda
K-12 Education; March 6 at 10am; Agenda
Constitutional; March 7 upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Special Joint Committee to Study Childcare; March 6 at 9am; Agenda
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee; March 6 at 9:30am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.854 (safe syringe program); S.855 (healthcare market reform study committee); S.858 (acute hospital care at home); S.1074 (certified medical assistants).
Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee; March 6 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The committee will receive three presentations regarding the forestry industry.
Senate Banking and Insurance, Insurance Subcommittee; March 7 at 9am; Agenda
Summary: there is one bill on the agenda: S.1050 (liquor liability insurance).
Senate Medical Affairs Committee; March 7 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: S.868 (WHO resolution); S.965 (COVID-19 vaccination mandates); S.854 (safe syringe program); S.855 (healthcare market reform study committee); S.858 (acute hospital care at home); S.1074 (certified medical assistants).
House Judiciary Family, Business, and Probate Laws Subcommittee; March 5 at 11am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.4559 (claims related to the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022); H.4618 (paternity court orders); H.5069 (probate judge qualifications); H.5113 (joint custody orders).
House Judiciary Committee; March 5 at 2:30pm or 30 minutes upon adjournment whichever is later; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: H.3776 (absent judges); H.4561 (use of campaign funds for dependent care); H.4563 (special purpose districts); H.4234 (guardians ad litem); H.4642 (Code of Military Justice); H.4813 (law enforcement fingerprint data retention).
House LCI Public Utilities Subcommittee; March 5 1.5 hours 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). This is the comprehensive energy bill that is a top priority for House Speaker Smith.
House Education & Public Works Committee; March 5 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The committee will receive a briefing about bridge construction from the Department of Transportation.
House Education & Public Works K-12 Subcommittee; March5 immediately upon adjournment of the EPW Committee; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5164 (education scholarship trust fund program).
House Education & Public Works Committee; March 6 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5164 (education scholarship trust fund program).
House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee; March 7 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5170 (judicial 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 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
