THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
There are 6 legislative days left in the session. By law, the General Assembly must adjourn sine die at 5 o’clock on Thursday, May 10 but may return to finish work on the budget or other items agreed upon by both bodies. Since this is the second year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session will die at the close of the session.
On Wednesday, April 25, the Senate Education Committee passed H.4182 (SC Higher Education Efficiency Act) and sent it to the full Senate. The bill was read across the Senate desk on Thursday morning at which time Senator Harvey Peeler Clemson ’70 (R-Cherokee) moved to recommit the bill to the Senate Education Committee, removing the bill from the Senate calendar.
Please keep an eye out for important calls to action on H.4182.
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) will host their next town hall meeting on “College Access and Affordability in South Carolina” this Thursday, May 3 at 5:30 pm at the Poynor Adult Education Center located at 321 South Dargan Street in Florence, SC.
Florence area Clemson Advocates, we’d like for as many of you as possible to attend this meeting. Please respond via return email to bmcinni@clemson.edu if you are able to attend.
CHE’s monthly newsletter, which contains a listing of upcoming town hall meetings, may be found here.
BUDGET
The 2018-19 State Budget Process
The House adjourned debate on the Senate’s amendments to the state budget and will resume debate this week. If the House votes to non-concur in the Senate amendments, a conference committee will be appointed to negotiate the differences in the House and Senate versions.
Below is a summary of the current budget (Senate version) as it relates Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G
– $2,868,740 in recurring funding for Access and Affordability for In-state Students – Tuition Mitigation Funding (No recurring funding in the House)
– $5 million in nonrecurring funding for SC’s Advanced Materials Industrial Competitiveness (Instruments) (House funded $5 million)
– $2.4 million in nonrecurring funding for deferred maintenance (not funded by the House)
– $300,000 in nonrecurring funding for STEM equipment (not funded by the House)
Clemson PSA
– $1.5 million in recurring funding for Water Resource Research, Management and Technology (House funded $2 million)
– $500,000 in recurring funding for the Pinckney 4-H Scholars program and Comprehensive Statewide Extension Programs (not funded by the House)
– $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Statewide Research and Education Facility Upgrades (same as the House)
– $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Facility Renovation for Water Research (same as the House)
– $6.8 million in nonrecurring funding for the T. Ed Garrison Arena Education/Conference Center Renovation and Repairs (not funded by the House)
The current 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 will be paid by the state. The employer portion of both will have to be covered by the university.
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.
NEWS AND FYI
Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. Current news coverage of interest may be found here.