THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
H. 4880 was passed last week to lower state income taxes. The bill was given second reading in the House by a vote of 110-0.
BUDGET
The State Budget Process
The House Ways and Means Committee completed its work on the state budget on Thursday, February 24, 2022.
Below is a summary of the items impacting Clemson University:
Clemson E&G
– $9.9 million in recurring funding for tuition mitigation
– $32.5 million in nonrecurring funding for maintenance, renovation and replacement
Clemson PSA
– $2 million in recurring funding for Rural Health Cooperative Extension and Research
– $750,000 in recurring funding for Laboratory Services Support
– $500,000 in recurring funding for Integrated Agriculture Technology
– $3.6 million in nonrecurring funding for Critical PSA Infrastructure
– $7 million in nonrecurring funding for Edisto Research and Education Center Research Infrastructure Upgrades and Expansion
The Committee included several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University:
– $60 million in recurring lottery dollars for need based grants at the Commission on Higher Education
– $20 million in recurring tuition grants at the Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission
– $4.1 million in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs (ClemsonLIFE)
The Committee’s version of the bill includes a 3% pay increase and a one-time bonus of $1500 for state employees. The proviso directing the authorization of these funds provides flexibility to higher education institutions to reward both the pay raise and the bonus based on merit for unclassified employees.
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 will be paid by the state. The employer portion of both will have to be covered partially by the university.
The budget now goes to the House of Representatives which is expected to take up the budget the week of March 14.
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.
2022-23 State Budget Priorities
Clemson E&G
Recurring Requests
Base Appropriations Increase (In State Tuition Mitigation) $12.6 million
Rural Health $1.3 million
Nonrecurring Requests
IT Network Infrastructure Improvements $39.7 million
Advanced Materials Innovation Complex $25 million
Planned Maintenance and Renewal Projects $17 million
Clemson PSA
Recurring Requests
Rural Health Cooperative Extension & Research $2.4 million
Laboratory Services Support $1.5 million
Integrated Agriculture Technology $1 million
Nonrecurring Requests
Critical PSA Infrastructure $3.6 million
Edisto Research & Education Center Infrastructure $8.3 million
Upgrades and Expansion
Poultry Science Research Facility $4.7 million
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.