Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 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 10-13, 2025, is 769 words or a 3 minute read. The 126th South Carolina General Assembly convened on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 and will adjourn on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
NEW RESOURCE ***2025 Acts***
FY 2025-2026 Agency Budget Requests
Week 9 Preview
It’s budget week on the House floor. The House will hold floor sessions on Monday (1pm), Tuesday (TBA), and Wednesday (TBA). However, if the budget is not adopted by Wednesday the House will remain in session until a budget is passed. The current calendar has seven bills eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week.
Per motions made last week, only S.157 (utility storm damage recovery) will be considered each day and then the House will begin debate on the budget bills: H.4025 (FY26 General Appropriations Act) and H.4026 (capital reserve fund),
The Senate will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (1pm), and Thursday (11am). The Senate has 23 bills (14 are contested) and 15 joint resolutions eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. S.244 (tort reform plus dram shop) is in the status of Interrupted Debate; the path forward for the bill is unclear. Some other uncontested bills that will generate debate include:
S.171 (waste tires)
S.210 (captive insurance companies
S.220 (Insurance Holding Company Regulatory Act)
S.337 (blue catfish)
S.345 (baiting areas & bobwhite quail)
S.236 (anesthesiologist assistants)
Word to the wise: don’t sleep on fishing and hunting bills. What appear to be innocuous policy amendments can quickly consume an hour or more of Senate floor time; see last year’s bill about blue crabs and robust redhorses (H.4386).
Week 8 Review
House floor sessions consumed 5 hours, 51 minutes. The House passed eight bills, one joint resolution, and two concurrent resolutions as well as several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Priority legislation that passed the House last week included:
H.3021 (Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act)
H.3756 (utility storm damage recovery)
H.3558 (Commissioners to Article V Convention)
H.3497 (liquor liability)
H.3650 (discharge firearm at a dwelling)
Senate floor sessions consumed 14 hours, 30 minutes. The Senate passed five bills as well as several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Legislation that passed the Senate last week included:
The Senate spent nearly the entire week on S.244. On Thursday, the first amendment was debated and a motion to table it failed 19-25. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who is also the bill sponsor, was clearly disappointed in the vote outcome and moved to adjourn for the day.
The first pieces of legislation ratified in 2025 have been presented to Governor McMaster for his decision right; he signed all six into law. The new-look Clarendon County delegation (Rep. Fawn Pedalino and Sen. Jeff Zell) putting in the work.
S.253 (state audit support)
S.271 (PSC elections)
S.282 (Clarendon County Aeronautics Commission)
H.3438 (Expand Catawba Indian Reservation)
H.3523 (organized retail crime)
H.3792 (Clarendon County School District)
Committee Schedule Week 9
If a live stream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means no live stream is available. Additional meetings may be added during the week and while 24 hours notice is generally given, it is not always possible to provide such notice.
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (6 budget hearings)
Constitutional, March 11 at 2pm or call of the Chair; Agenda; Livestream
Higher Education, March 12 at 9:30am; Agenda
Natural Resources & Economic Development, March 12 at 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Transportation, March 12 at 12pm; Agenda; Livestream
Higher Education, March 13 at 10am; Agenda
Constitutional, March 12 immediately upon adjournment; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Senate Meetings
Senate Finance Property Tax Subcommittee
March 11, 2:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.102 (operating millage rates).
Senate Judiciary Committee
March 11, 3pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: S.111 (failure to stop), S.126 (law enforcement & judicial personal privacy protection), S.233 (Sexually Violent Predator Act), S.235 (prostitution), S.336 (establish judicial election date), and H.3529 (family court judges).
Senate Education Subcommittee
March 12, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3196 (Educator Assistance Act).
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee
March 12, 11am; Agenda
Summary: There are eight regulations on the agenda.
Senate Transportation Subcommittee
March 12, 11am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.340 (smoking tobacco in a vehicle with a minor) and S.371 (mobile driver’s licenses & ID cards).
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee
March 13, 9:30am; Agenda
Summary: There are six regulations on the agenda.
House Meetings
There are no House committee meetings due to the budget debate.
Joint Meetings
None.
Key Dates
January 14, 2025: Session Convenes
January 16, 2025: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 29, 2025: State of the State
February 5, 2025: Judicial elections
February 13, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) February revenue estimate
March 10-14, 2025: House floor budget deliberations
March 17-21, 2025: House Furlough Week (tentative)
April 10, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) April revenue estimate
April 14-18, 2025: House Furlough Week
April 21-24, 2025: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 8, 2025: Session Adjourns
July 1, 2025: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 begins
