THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Per the terms of The Sine Die Resolution (S.785) which was adopted by both the House and the Senate, the General Assembly returned yesterday to work on the state budget, conference committee reports, and other items agreed on by both bodies.
Nurse Preceptors (S.314) To allow an income tax credit for each clinical rotation served by a physician, advanced practice nurse or physician assistant as a preceptor for certain programs. Bill was signed by the Governor last week.
The State Budget Process
Yesterday afternoon, the Conference Committee on the Appropriations Bill (H.4000) and the Capital Reserve Fund Bill (H.4001) reached a compromise between the House and Senate versions. This afternoon, the budget conference report goes to the House and Senate for adoption.
The members of the budget conference committee include:
Senate:
Senator Hugh Leatherman (R-Florence)
Senator Sean Bennett (R-Dorchester)
Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland)
House:
Rep. Murrell Smith (R-Sumter)
Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Richland)
Rep. Gary Simrill (R-York)
The budget conference report contains the following items for Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G
– $5.7 million in recurring funding for in-state tuition mitigation
– $2.1 million in nonrecurring funding for Health Innovation Extension programming
– $5.9 million in nonrecurring funding for safety and security infrastructure and enhancements
– $4 million in nonrecurring funding for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Clemson PSA
– $1 million in recurring funding for Comprehensive Statewide Extension Programs
– $250,000 in recurring funding for Critical Agriculture and Natural Resources Research
– $750,000 in recurring funding for Livestock-Poultry Health and Regulatory Programs
– $2 million in nonrecurring funding for Facility Renovation for Water Research
Other items include:
– A proviso that would limit tuition increases for in state, undergraduate students as a condition of receiving the recurring funding associated with in-state tuition mitigation.
– A 2 percent pay increase for employees of public higher education institutions and technical colleges who earn a base salary below $100,000/year. With respect to unclassified employees of institutions of higher education and technical colleges eligible in this item, institutions and technical colleges are authorized to allot the total funds for compensation increases among individual employees without uniformity. The funds provided for compensation increases for any employee subject to the provisions of this item are based on an annual average two percent increase and may be based on performance.
– A one-time bonus of $600 for state employees making under $70,000/year.
– 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 partially by the university.
– $25 million in direct farm aid relief as a result of Hurricanes Florence and Michael. The program is modeled after the state effort that was approved following the 2015 floods. Farmers will have to execute a legal document agreeing to return any state money if federal disaster assistance is received.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Last week, the Commission on Higher Education hosted an informational forum to introduce the three finalists for the President and Executive Director position. Commissioner Charles Dalton Clemson ’64 serves as Chair of the five member Search Committee.
The three finalists are:
– Mary J. Broadwater, J.D., assistant divisional counsel, Laureate Education, Inc., Baltimore, MD
– Rusty L. Monhollon, Ph.D., assistant commissioner for academic affairs, Missouri Department of Higher Education, Jefferson City, MO
– Oran P. Smith, Ph.D. Clemson ’85, co-founder, senior fellow and secretary of the Board of Directors, Palmetto Promise Institute, Columbia, SC
In January, the Commission announced that Mike LeFever had been named Interim Executive Director and President of CHE. LeFever succeeded Jeff Schilz, who resigned as Executive Director and President of CHE in December 2018.
NEWS AND FYI
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