Month: February 2017

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The Presidents of South Carolina’s three research universities, Dr. Jim Clements, Dr. David Cole (MUSC) and Dr. Harris Pastides (USC) delivered a joint presentation before the Senate Education Committee last week. The presentation highlighted collaborative initiatives between the three institutions as well as their collective impact on the state and an update on the state’s investments at each university.

BUDGET

The State Budget Process

The House Ways and Means Committee completed their work on the state budget last week.

The Ways and Means version of the budget contains the following specifically for Clemson University:

Clemson E&G

–      No new recurring funding

Clemson PSA

–      $700,000 in recurring funding for Agriculture and Natural Resources Programming

–      $600,000 in recurring funding for Statewide Extension Programming

The Committee’s version of the budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance and an increase in retirement contributions for state employees and employers.  The employee portion of both the health insurance and retirement contribution increases will be paid by the state.

The budget now goes to the full South Carolina House of Representatives.

Last week, President Jim Clements and Dr. George Askew, Vice President for PSA presented Clemson PSA’s budget request before the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee. Members of the subcommittee include Senator Nikki Setzler, Chairman (D-Lexington), Senator Kent Williams (D-Marion), Senator Paul Campbell Clemson ’68 (R-Berkeley), and Senator Tom Corbin Clemson ’87 (R-Greenville).

President Clements will deliver Clemson’s E&G budget presentation to the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee on March 1. Members of that Subcommittee include Senator John Courson, Chairman (R-Richland), Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland), Senator Paul Campbell Clemson ’68 (R-Berkeley), Senator Shane Martin Clemson ’94 (R-Spartanburg), and Senator John Scott (D-Richland).

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.

Clemson mourns the passing of Representative Joe Neal who died last week. Representative Neal was a strong supporter of Clemson University and Clemson PSA. We are grateful for his leadership and service. Representative Neal was a dear friend to Clemson and we join his family and the entire state in grieving this tremendous loss.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The House Ways and Means Committee approved H.3726 (Retirement System Funding and Administration Act) which requires state employees to pay 9 percent of their paychecks into the state pension plan. This number is up from 8.7 percent this year. Under the current version of this bill, state agencies, including Clemson University, would contribute 13.6 percent of each employee’s pay toward their retirement costs starting on July 1. That rate is now 11.6 percent and if the measure passes, it would increase to 18.6 percent over the next six years.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Last week, the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Senate Education Committee gave approval to S.262 (Higher Ed Textbook Policy), a bill that would help minimize college textbook costs.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved H.3516 (Motor Vehicle User Fee) which would raise the gas tax by ten cents per gallon and create a dedicated source of funding for repairs to the state’s roads and transportation infrastructure. The full House of Representative is expected to vote on the measure this week.

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.  

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) returned to make an additional presentation to the Higher Education Budget Subcommittee last week. The subcommittee has completed budget hearings and provisos. It is expected that the full House Ways and Means Committee will deliberate the budget the week of February 20.

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 Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Education Committee gave approval to H.3583, a bill that would allow students eligible for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship to elect to defer enrollment in an eligible four-year institution for two academic years after graduation, without declining the award.

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. 

South Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and MUSC made their budget presentations before the Higher Education Budget 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.