Month: January 2017

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Last week, the House Education Committee gave approval to H.3035, a bill that would expand in-state tuition opportunities for veterans and their dependents. H.3034, a similar bill, was referred back to the Higher Education Subcommittee.

Former Governor Nikki Haley (Clemson ’94) was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday, January 25. Upon her approval vote in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, January 24, Ambassador Haley resigned as Governor and Lt. Governor Henry McMaster was sworn in as Governor. 

Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman (R-Florence) resigned on Tuesday afternoon, January 24. On Wednesday, January 25, Senator Kevin Bryant (R-Anderson) was elected Senate President Pro Tempore and subsequently ascended to the office of Lt. Governor. Senator Hugh Leatherman was then elected Senate President Pro Tempore.

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) Chairman Tim Hofferth testified before the Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Education Committee on Wednesday, January 25. Representative Bill Taylor (R-Aiken) chairs the subcommittee. Other members include Rep. Terry Alexander (D-Florence), Rep. William Cogswell (R-Charleston), Rep. Jason Elliott (Clemson ’93) (R-Greenville), and Rep. Jay West (R-Anderson).

BUDGET

The State Budget Process

The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) continued agency budget subcommittee hearings last week and will continue this process through early February. 

President Jim Clements and Brett Dalton (Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations) delivered Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation before the House Ways and Means Higher Education Budget Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 24.  

The Citadel and Coastal Carolina University also made their budget presentations before the Subcommittee last week.

House Ways and Means Subcommittees that deliberate Clemson’s budget requests

Higher Education Subcommittee:
Chairman Brian White (serving as Interim Chair) (R-Anderson)
Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg)
Representative Mike Sottile (R-Charleston)
Staff:  Kara Brurok

Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee:
Representative Gary Simrill, Chairman (R-York)
Representative Chip Huggins (R-Lexington
Representative Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston)
Staff:  AJ Newton 

From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.

The university also has auxiliary operations, such as athletics, student housing and dining services, which receive no state funding and must generate all of their own revenue.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2017 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2017-18 may be found at these links:

Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities

Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here. Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

FYI

Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. 

The Clemson Advocates website and the Clemson University Governmental Affairs website are also constantly updated with news and information.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Last week, the House Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Education Committee gave approval to two bills (H.3034 and H.3035), both introduced by Representative Joe Daning (R-Berkeley), that would expand in-state tuition opportunities for veterans and their dependents.

Governor Nikki Haley (Clemson ’94) was in Washington, DC for her Senate confirmation hearing last Wednesday. The Governor has been nominated by President Donald Trump as Ambassador to the United Nations. It is expected that, once confirmed, Governor Haley will resign as Governor and Lt. Governor Henry McMaster will be sworn in as Governor. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled this week that the Senate President Pro Tempore will ascend to the office of Lt. Governor in the event Governor Haley resigns to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

BUDGET

The State Budget Process

Clemson PSA’s budget hearing took place on Wednesday, January 18 before the Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee.  President Clements, along with Dr. George Askew (Vice President for PSA) presented Clemson PSA’s budget request before the Subcommittee. 

 The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) began agency budget subcommittee hearings this week and will continue this process through January. This week, the Subcommittee heard budget presentations from the South Carolina Technical College System and individual campuses.

President Jim Clements is scheduled to give Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 24.  

House Ways and Means Subcommittees that are hearing Clemson’s budget requests

Higher Education Subcommittee:

Chairman Brian White (serving as Interim Chair) (R-Anderson)

Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg)

Representative Mike Sottile (R-Charleston)

Staff:  Kara Brurok

Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee:

Representative Gary Simrill, Chairman (R-York)

Representative Chip Huggins (R-Lexington

Representative Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston)

Staff:  AJ Newton

From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.

The university also has auxiliary operations, such as athletics, student housing and dining services, which receive no state funding and must generate all of their own revenue.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2017 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2017-18 may be found at these links:

Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities

Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here.  Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has postponed the vote on President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. The committee vote, originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 24 has been rescheduled for Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. DeVos is a philanthropist, education activist and former Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party. 

Ending weeks of speculation, President Trump has asked National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins to remain in his position. Collins is a geneticist who has headed the $32 billion NIH for the past eight years.

FYI

Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter.

The Clemson Advocates website and the Clemson University Governmental Affairs website are also constantly updated with news and information.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The first session of the 121st General Assembly convened on Tuesday, January 10 with a Tiger Paw flag flying high atop the State House dome!

This is the first year of a two year session which means those bills introduced during this legislative session will carry over until next year as well.  Each legislative session is held from the second Tuesday in January until the second Thursday in May.

The House of Representatives held their organizational session December 6-7.  During that session, Rep. Jay Lucas (R-Darlington) was re-elected Speaker of the House.  The House also received committee assignments, and met as standing committees to elect officers.

Three new committee members were named to the House Ways and Means Committee.  Those new members include Representative Nathan Ballentine (R-Lexington), Representative Kirkman Finlay (R-Richland) and Representative Mike Sottile (R-Charleston)

The House pre-filed legislation on December 15.

The Senate organized on December 6. Four new committee members were appointed to the Senate Finance Committee.  Those new members include Senator Karl Allen (D-Greenville), Senator Sean Bennett (R-Dorchester), Senator Tom Corbin (Clemson ’87) (R-Greenville) and Senator Greg Gregory (R-Lancaster).

The Senate pre-filed legislation on December 13.

Governor Nikki Haley (Clemson ’94) has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Ambassador to the United Nations. Her Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 18. It is expected that, once confirmed, Governor Haley will resign as Governor and Lt. Governor Henry McMaster will be sworn in as Governor. The succession plan for the naming of a new Lt. Governor is currently before the South Carolina Supreme Court for clarification.

BUDGET

Governor Haley Releases FY 2017-18 Executive Budget Proposal

On Tuesday, January 10, Governor Nikki Haley (Clemson ’94) released her Executive Budget proposal for 2017-18.

The State Budget Process

The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) began agency budget subcommittee hearings this week and will continue this process through January. This week, the Subcommittee heard budget presentations from the Commission on Higher Education, Frances Marion University, Lander University and Winthrop University.

Clemson PSA’s budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 before the Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee.  President Clements, along with Dr. George Askew (Vice President for PSA) will be presenting before the Subcommittee.

President Jim Clements is scheduled to give Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 24.

House Ways and Means Subcommittees that will hear Clemson’s budget requests

Higher Education Subcommittee:

Chairman Brian White (serving as Interim Chair) (R-Anderson)

Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg)

Representative Mike Sottile (R-Charleston)

Staff:  Kara Brurok

Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee:

Representative Gary Simrill, Chairman (R-York)

Representative Chip Huggins (R-Lexington

Representative Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston)

Staff:  AJ Newton

From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.

The university also has auxiliary operations, such as athletics, student housing and dining services, which receive no state funding and must generate all of their own revenue.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2017 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2017-18 may be found at these links:

Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities

Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here.  Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

FYI

Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter.

The Clemson Advocates website and the Clemson University Governmental Affairs website are also constantly updated with news and information.