THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
There are twelve days remaining in the legislative session.
The House of Representatives was on furlough last week and will return in statewide session on April 18.
Last week marked the General Assembly’s crossover deadline. After the crossover deadline, bills require a two-thirds vote by members present and voting to even be considered by the other chamber for the session that is set to end on May 11.
S.314 (Higher Education Permanent Improvement Projects) remains on the Senate calendar for second reading.
S.173, which clarifies language regarding the procedures for promulgating regulations related to Clemson’s plant regulatory services is pending in the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
The State Budget Process
The Senate is scheduled to debate the budget beginning tomorrow.
Below is a summary of the items impacting Clemson University:
Clemson E&G
Recurring Requests
– Base Appropriations Increase (In State Tuition Mitigation)-CU requested: $12.1M (House recommended $13M) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $13M)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $2.5M (House recommended $0) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $12.5M)
– Experiential Learning – CU requested: $3.5M (House recommended $0) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $3.5M in the lottery)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Planned Maintenance and Renewal Projects- CU requested: $15M (House recommended $20M) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $15.6M)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $30M (House recommended $0) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $75M)
Clemson PSA
Recurring Requests
– Employee Retention & Recruitment – CU requested: $2.3M (House recommended $2.3M) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $2.3M)
– Statewide Program Support – CU requested: $1.9M (House recommended $1M nonrecurring) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $1M in nonrecurring)
– Problematic Wildlife – CU requested: $954,400 (House recommended $954,400 nonrecurring) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $0)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Poultry Science Research Facility – CU requested: $4.5M (House recommended $3M) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $4.5M)
– Critical PSA Research Infrastructure and Dam Improvements – CU requested: $8.2M (House recommended $2.1M) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $4M)
– PSA Animal Farms Infrastructure: CU requested: $15.4M (House recommended $0) (Senate Finance Committee recommended $15.4M)
Money Provisos Impacting Clemson:
– DHHS: Rural Health – Directs that at least $1M is recommended for rural health initiatives at Clemson University
– DAODAS: Addiction Research – Directs $3M for a SC Center for Excellence in Addiction for a collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC
– DHHS: Alzheimer’s Research – Directs $10M to be used by the collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC to achieve the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center designation
The Committee included several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University:
– $4.1 million in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs
– $10 million in recurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools
$2500 compensation increase for state employees earning less than $50,000 and a 5% compensation increase for state employees earning more than $50,000. (House recommended a 3% increase for state employees earning over $83,000). The language (in proviso) that allows institutions the flexibility to reward based on performance remains in the bill.
The Senate Finance 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.
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.
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.