THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The first session of the 125th General Assembly convened on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
This is the first year of a two year session which means those bills introduced during this legislative session will carry over until next year as well. Each legislative session is held from the second Tuesday in January until the second Thursday in May.
The House of Representatives held their organizational session December 6. During that session, Rep. Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) was formally elected Speaker of the House. The House also received committee assignments and met as standing committees to elect officers.
House Committee Chairs are:
Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs – Bill Hixon (R-Aiken)
Education and Public Works – Shannon Erickson (R-Beaufort)
Ethics – Jay Jordan (R-Florence)
Interstate Cooperation – Mark Willis (R-Laurens)
Invitations and Memorial Resolutions – Dennis Moss (R-Cherokee)
Judiciary – Weston Newton (R-Beaufort)
Labor, Commerce and Industry – Bill Sandifer (R-Oconee)
Legislative Oversight – Jeff Johnson (R-Horry)
Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs – Sylleste Davis (R-Berkeley)
Operations and Management – Patrick Haddon (R-Greenville)
Regulations and Admin. Procedures – Jeff Bradley (R-Beaufort)
Rules – Anne Thayer (R-Anderson)
Ways and Means – Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville)
The House pre-filed legislation on December 8 and 15.
The Senate pre-filed legislation on November 30 and December 7.
Executive Budget
Governor Henry McMaster released his Executive Budget proposal for 2023-24 on Friday, January 6, 2023. Below are items in the Governor’s budget as they relate to Clemson University and higher education:
Clemson E&G
– Allocates $43 million in recurring funds for tuition mitigation at SC’s public colleges and universities if each institution agrees to no in-state tuition or mandatory fee increase for the 2023-24 academic year
o Clemson E&G: $5,980,033 in recurring funding; the funds are based on a 5.2% Higher Education Price Index and allocated based on the number of in-state students at each public institution
– The FY 2023-24 Executive Budget dedicates the entirety of the Capital Reserve Fund, $209 million for capital projects and deferred maintenance at our public colleges and universities.
Of the $209 million in funds, $50 million will be allocated to the sixteen technical colleges and the balance to all other public colleges and universities based on total in-state student enrollment. These dollars are for capital projects and deferred maintenance.
o Clemson E&G: $31,962,688 nonrecurring funding will be distributed on a pro-rata basis, based on in-state student enrollment for deferred maintenance
Clemson PSA
– $2,313,235 in recurring dollars for employee recruitment and retention
– $2 million in nonrecurring dollars for Poultry Science Research Facility
For Higher Education:
– $201 million lottery dollars for LIFE scholarships, $67 million lottery dollars for
Palmetto Fellows Scholarships, and $12.5 million lottery dollars for HOPE scholarships
– $80 million lottery dollars for need-based grants to provide tuition assistance for every eligible student in public colleges and universities
– $78 million lottery dollars for workforce tech scholarships and grants at the South
Carolina Technical College System
– $51 million lottery dollars for tuition assistance at 2-year institutions (CHE and South Carolina Technical College System)
– $20 million lottery dollars for tuition grants at the Higher Education Tuition Grants
Commission
– $4 million lottery dollars for the College Transitions Programs, which provide scholarships for South Carolina residents with intellectual disabilities to complete a postsecondary education program, which includes academic coursework and career exploration, thereby preparing them for independent living and employment
– $10 million lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools
– $5 million for a new Alzheimer’s disease research project partnership with Greenwood Genetic Center to be named in honor of Governor Carroll Campbell Jr.
Gubernatorial Inauguration
On Wednesday, January 11, Henry McMaster was inaugurated for his second full term as Governor of South Carolina. Also sworn into office were Lt. Governor Pamela Evette and the state’s constitutional officers. The prepared text of Governor McMaster’s inaugural address may be found here.
The State Budget Process
The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) began agency budget subcommittee hearings last week and will continue this process through January.
President Jim Clements, along with Tony Wagner (Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations) will give Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 17.
Clemson PSA’s budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 before the Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee. President Clements, along with Dr. George Askew (Vice President for PSA) will be presenting before the Subcommittee.
House Ways and Means Subcommittees that will hear Clemson’s budget requests
Higher Education Subcommittee:
Chairman Nathan Ballentine (R-Lexington)
Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg)
Representative Bill Taylor (R-Aiken)
Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee:
Chairman Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston)
Representative David Weeks (D-Sumter)
Representative Max Hyde (R-Spartanburg)
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.
Detailed information on Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2023-24 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.
NEWS AND FYI
Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. Current news coverage of interest may be found here.