There are 3 legislative days left in the session. By law, the General Assembly must adjourn sine die at 5 o’clock on Thursday, May 13 but may return to finish work on the budget or other items agreed upon by both bodies. Since this is the first year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session will retain their current status and be carried over to the 2022 session.
LAST WEEK IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Two major issues dominated the House and Senate calendars last week. The House amended and returned S.200 which would establish electrocution and a firing squad as means of capital punishment and returned the bill to the Senate.
The Senate also engaged in lengthy debate which resulted in the passage of Open Carry with Training (H.3094). The bill was amended and returned to the House.
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee approved the Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act (H.3620). The bill now goes to the Senate floor.
Student ID Card Suicide Prevention Act (S.231) was passed by the House and is enrolled for ratification.
LEGISLATION OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO CLEMSON
Intercollegiate Athletes Compensation for Name, Image and Likeness (S.685) which allows college athletes to be paid for ads or sponsorships, was signed by Governor McMaster.
Clemson University State Crop Pest Commission–Asian Longhorned Beetle (H.4098) would approve regulations related to the Asian Longhorned Beetle quarantine which is necessary in South Carolina to aid eradication efforts, prevent additional pest spread, and save the many more yet to be affected trees in the state. The joint resolution was approved by the Senate and enrolled for ratification.
The State Institution of Higher Education Efficiency Act (S.376) remains on the Senate statewide contested calendar and did not make the April 10 crossover deadline. This legislation would allow Clemson and other universities in the state the necessary flexibility to operate in the areas of capital projects in order to be free of some of the current layers of state oversight, while still being accountable to the General Assembly.
THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS
The House is expected to take up the Senate’s amendments to the state budget 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 as it relates to Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G
– $44 million in nonrecurring funding for maintenance, renovation and replacement (House funded $25 million)
– $4.8 million in recurring funding for in state tuition mitigation (not funded by the House)
– Up to $1million in nonrecurring funding for rural health programming through the Department of Health and Human Services (by proviso) (not funded by the House)
*an additional $2.8M in recurring funding for 20 additional slots through SREB for Vet School. Clemson supported this request by the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians
Clemson PSA
– $990,000 in nonrecurring funding for Sandhill REC Research and Extension Building Repair (same as House)
– $1.1 million in recurring funding for Statewide Comprehensive Extension Program Support (not funded by the House)
– $1.4 million in recurring funding for Critical Fruit and Vegetable Research (not funded by the House)
– $2 million in nonrecurring funding for Pee Dee REC Greenhouse Construction (not funded by the House)
The budget includes a proviso that provides colleges and universities with regulatory relief by increasing the state’s fixed permanent improvement project dollar threshold that currently triggers the state’s multi-phased, eight-step approval process for permanent improvement projects from $1 million to $5 million for research universities, allowing smaller, more routine capital projects to be undertaken in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
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 partially by the university.
The budget currently includes a 2% across the board pay increase for state employees.
Finally, the budget contains several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University:
– $60M in recurring lottery dollars for need based grants at the Commission on Higher Education
– $20M in recurring tuition grants at the Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission
– $750,000 in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs
Detailed information on Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2021-22 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.
NEWS AND FYI
Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. Current news coverage of interest may be found here.
