| THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Governor Henry McMaster delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday, January 29. The prepared text of the Governor’s remarks may be found here. |
| THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS |
| The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) continued agency budget subcommittee hearings last week. President Jim Clements, along with Tony Wagner (Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations) presented Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 28. Later that afternoon, President Clements, along with Dr. Matt Holt (CAFLS Dean), presented budget requests for Clemson PSA to the Economic Development and Natural Resources 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 Kevin Hardee (R-Horry) 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. Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2025-26: Education & General – Recurring Tuition Mitigation – $23.1M Student Experiential Learning – $4.5M Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism (CISC) – $4M Clemson Energy Center – $4M Cybersecurity Research Compliance – $3M Education & General – Nonrecurring NextGen Computing Complex – $40M Center for Human Genetics – $20M Science Lab Building – $35M Public Service Activities – Recurring Food Safety and Nutrition Agents – Operational & Programmatic Support – $1.5M Regulatory, Cooperative Extension, and Experiment Station Operational & Programmatic Support - $760K Critical Vehicles & Equipment – $1M Public Service Activities – Nonrecurring PSA Planned Maintenance & Critical Infrastructure – $7.36M Baruch Institute Research Support Facility – $9.9M |
| BILLS OF INTEREST |
| The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have a potential impact on Clemson. A complete listing of these bills may be found here: VIEW BILLS. |
| NEWS & FYI |
| Please follow ClemsonGovAff on Twitter. |
