| THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Both the House and Senate will return tomorrow to consider and adopt the budget Conference report. Details on the budget are included below. |
| THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS |
| Last week, the Conference Committee on the budget adopted a conference report. Clemson received the higher of the two versions for each appropriation. The Clemson specific items are as follows: Clemson E&G Recurring: $12.2 million in recurring funding for in state tuition mitigation $4 million in recurring funding for Student Experiential Learning $4 million in recurring funding for the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism $500,000 in recurring funding for the Clemson Energy Center Clemson E&G Nonrecurring: $40 million in nonrecurring funding for the NextGen Computing Complex $4 million in nonrecurring funding for Maintenance, Renovation and Replacement Clemson PSA Recurring: $600,000 in recurring funding for Statewide Operational and Programmatic Support $1 million in recurring funding for Food Safety and Nutrition Agents $500,000 in recurring funding for Critical Vehicles & Equipment Clemson PSA Nonrecurring: $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Planned Maintenance and Critical Infrastructure The budget also includes a 2% base pay increase for classified employees of institutions of higher education. It also contains language that allows flexibility to reward unclassified employees with merit-based increases. The budget conference report included an increase in the cost of health insurance contributions for state employees and employers. The state will pay for the employee portion and the university will be responsible for the employer portion. The budget conference report contained several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University: $10 million in nonrecurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools Over $3.5 million in nonrecurring lottery dollars for the College Transition Programs (ClemsonLIFE), 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. An additional $695,000 in recurring funds for Call Me Mister, which brings the total annual state investment in this program to $1,195,000. |
| BILLS OF INTEREST |
| We will provide a detailed update on legislative action in our next legislative update. |
| NEWS & FYI |
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