THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
In accordance with state law, the South Carolina General Assembly adjourned sine die at 5 o’clock pm on Thursday, May 12. Since this was the second year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session died at the close of the session.
The Sine Die Resolution (S.1325) which was adopted by both the House and the Senate enables the General Assembly to return after sine die adjournment to work on the state budget, conference committee reports, and other items agreed on by both bodies. The dates for the General Assembly’s return are June 15-17 and June 28-30.
BUDGET
The 2021-22 State Budget Process
The budget conference committee members have been named and are expected to begin meeting during the week of May 23.
The members of the budget conference committee include:
Senate:
Senator Thomas Alexander Clemson ’78 (R-Oconee)
Senator Harvey Peeler Clemson ’70 (R-Cherokee)
Senator Nikki Setzler (D-Lexington)
House:
Rep. Gary Simrill (R-York)
Rep. Murrell Smith (R-Sumter)
Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Richland)
Below is a summary of the items impacting Clemson University:
Clemson E&G
– $6.077 million in recurring funding for tuition mitigation* (House funded $9.9 million recurring-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
o *In order to retain the above appropriations, each institution of higher learning listed above must certify to the Commission on Higher Education by August 15, 2022, there is no in state undergraduate tuition or in state undergraduate mandatory fee increase, excluding increases in auxiliary fees, for the 2022 2023 academic year.
– $35 million in nonrecurring funding for maintenance, renovation and replacement (House funded $32.5 million recurring-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
– $10 million in recurring lottery dollars for the Clemson University College of Veterinary Medicine ($1 included in House version-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee).
Clemson PSA
– $2 million in recurring funding for Rural Health Cooperative Extension and Research (dollars are locked in)
– $750,000 in recurring funding for Laboratory Services Support (dollars are locked in)
– $750,000 in recurring funding for Integrated Agriculture Technology (House funded $500,000 recurring-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
– $2 million in nonrecurring funding for Critical PSA Infrastructure (House funded $3.6 million nonrecurring-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
– $4 million in nonrecurring funding for Edisto Research and Education Center Research Infrastructure Upgrades and Expansion (House funded $7 million nonrecurring-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
– $1.375 million in nonrecurring funding for Poultry Science Research Facility (priority not funded in House version-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee)
The current budget also includes several items of interest from the Executive Budget:
– $70 million in recurring lottery dollars for need based grants at the Commission on Higher Education (House funded $60 million-final amount to be determined in Conference Committee). This would represent approximately $5.83 million in additional need based grant opportunities for Clemson students.
– $20 million in recurring tuition grants at the Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission (dollars are locked in). These dollars are beneficial to students attending private higher education institutions.
– $4.1 million in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs (dollars are locked in). This represents additional funding for ClemsonLIFE.
The budget includes a 3% pay increase (dollars are locked in) for classified and unclassified employees. A one-time bonus of $1500 for state employees must be determined in Conference Committee. The proviso directing the authorization of these funds provides flexibility to higher education institutions to reward the pay raise based on merit for unclassified employees.
The budget also 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.
NEWS AND FYI
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