It's Friday, April 17.
That wraps Week 14 of the South Carolina legislative session.
There are four more weeks and 12 more days until the final year of the two-year session officially wraps at 5 o'clock on May 14.
You're reading The State House Gavel, your daily reporter notebook by Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson that previews and captures what goes on at the South Carolina Statehouse.
Tonight on TWISC: On Friday night's episode of "This Week in South Carolina," host Gavin Jackson gets an economic update from state Ports Authority President and CEO Micah Mallace and the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business research economist Joey Von Nessen.
Now six months in the top job, Mallace is navigating an ongoing global freight recession, the construction of the costly Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston and the ongoing negotiations with CSX and Norfolk Southern — two rail operators set to service the railyard when it comes online.
On tonight's episode, Von Nessen and Mallace will address the oil shocks as a result of the war with Iran that are squeezing the shipping industry and eroding spending power, among other effects, as consumer sentiment plummets and inflation surges.
You can catch tonight's episode at 7:30 p.m. on SCETV.
Notebook highlights:
- As the legislature preps for Week 15 in the Statehouse, House and Senate leaders detail what bills they want passed, what legislation could cross the finish line and what may be dead for the year
- In a brief turn to 2028 (it's right around the corner), Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by Columbia to promote her new book as she mulls another potential run for higher office
The skinny on the final weeks of session
There are four more weeks left on South Carolina lawmakers' legislative calendars before the clock strikes 5 o'clock May 14.
Lawmakers may, and likely will, return after that date to handle a few remaining issues, particularly the state budget.
But the remaining four weeks — or 12 days — will be crucial for most individual members to have any luck getting their preferred legislation across the finish line.
A snapshot of what we expect across the next four weeks.
Let's start with the House.
House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, told us that this week was probably the final week for most House-sponsored bills to get through the chamber.
"If we don't get it passed by this week, (it will be) difficult for the Senate to take up those bills," Smith said.
Next week, Smith said he hopes to start debate over the omnibus roads legislation, H. 5071 and S. 831, which has already passed the Senate and since has been amended to the House version.
The bill includes efforts to modernize state transportation department operations, creates avenues to ease congestion, gives the department greater ability to enter into public-private partnerships, incentivizes the turnover of state-owned roads to locals and aims at speeding up infrastructure construction by also adjusting the permitting process.
Under the legislation, rather than the current commission, the transportation secretary would serve in the governor's Cabinet.
The bill also deals with tolling and electric car registration fees.
Smith said the House will likely take up the Senate bill to position it to a conference committee, where three members of each chamber meet to negotiate any differences.
What would come next?
There will be a flurry of other legislation from both chambers, but the House will also get yet another crack at the $15 billion state spending plan after the Senate wraps its debate in the next week.
"Things fly fast and furious at this time," said Smith, who particularly wants to see a regulation-related bill he sponsored get through the upper chamber this year.
What about the Senate?
Next week is mainly all about the budget, an expected multi-day process that will begin Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters he expects to get through a chunk of confirmation votes also Tuesday.
Still hanging out there is State Election Commission director appointee Conway Belangia, and Thomas Limehouse, appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to a statewide, at-large seat on the state Ports Authority.
And, particularly for the Senate, the calendar really shrinks as they stare down nine more days after to get legislation moved.
"If it's a controversial issue originating here (in the Senate)," it'll be difficult to get done unless it's already moved through the chamber, Massey said.
That brings us to a few outstanding bills and where they sit.
- Abortion: The Senate Medical Affairs Committee plans to return to S. 1095 on Monday. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Richard Cash, R-Anderson, would outlaw nearly all abortions from the current six-week ban, remove exceptions for rape and incest and fatal fetal anomalies and reclassify abortion-inducing medication, such as misoprostol and mifepristone, as a Schedule IV controlled substances. Should the bill advance to the floor, its chances of getting through the upper chamber are in question, with a narrow legislative calendar, a stacked set of priorities and even Republican pushback over parts of the proposed ban.
"All I can tell you is, there has been, honestly, there has been zero conversations about that bill at all," Massey told reporters. "We've had no conversation among the (Senate GOP) caucus about that bill at all."
Massey said any contested Senate bill senators wanted to do would have needed to be done this week.
- Criminal gang activity: Despite initial thoughts the Senate may get to S. 76, sponsored by Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, Massey said there probably will be no action this year as the bill which aims to tackle criminal gang activity and offenses needs more work.
- Data centers: Massey said more work is needed related to data center legislation, making another hot topic unlikely set to reach the governor's desk this year. The GOP leader said there "needs to be more pressure in the legislature before there's a real will for the legislature to act." However, he said his hope is that the issue does not become untenable in the meantime and becomes a "problem that will be too late to fix."
- Judicial reform: Calls to further change up the judicial selection process in South Carolina — lawmakers vet and elect most judges — have gone nowhere in the Senate this year and appear it will stay that way through sine die. The House passed legislation — H. 4755 — to give the governor full appointment power over who sits on the judicial screening committee. But that's another bill, Massey said, that hasn't received any conversation internally.
"And I think the more time that's gone on, the more people have had second thoughts on that," Massey said, adding that the more it's been made into a governor's race issue, the less willingness some have to engage on it.
- Consumable hemp: The Senate is waiting to see what the House does on consumable hemp/THC drink legislation — H. 3924 — that the Senate passed last month. The bill prohibits anyone under 21 from buying consumable hemp products, but allows retailers with beer and wine and hemp licenses to sell up to 5 milligram single-can 12-ounce THC drinks, which would be kept behind the counter. Any drink over that milligram amount would be required to be sold at liquor stores. And gummies with up to 40 milligrams of THC per package could only be sold at liquor stores. But, like retail rules, store inventory must be kept behind the counter. Massey said he'd rather not have to go to conference with the House over the bill, but said they'd rather negotiate than leave session for the year with nothing done at all, given the product is currently unregulated.
Hemp isn't the only outstanding legislation the Senate is keeping a close eye on.
Right now, there's no signed sine die agreement — legislation that keeps the legislature from getting called back into the session by the governor and dictates on what terms the legislature can return to Columbia after May 14.
Typically, that includes the budget, any conference committee reports and the governor's vetoes, what the Senate passed early this year.
It remains sitting in the House.
Massey told reporters he's heard the House intends to pass the resolution, which could become the subject of chamber infighting as factions attempt to add particular legislation of their choice to it.
Kamala comes to Columbia
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took a swing through the Palmetto State this week, meeting with Democrats and touting her new book.
Harris, who says she is "thinking about" a 2028 presidential run, spoke in Columbia last night to promote her new book, "107 Days," which centers on the days between former President Joe Biden exit in the 2024 race to Election Day.
Her comments about a potential bid are the most direct the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 has been as she wrapped a short tour through South Carolina, a key early presidential primary voting state.
“I needed to reflect after it was over, because there was no time to do so while it was happening,” Harris told the crowd Thursday, who included University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley. “Don’t ever allow other people’s limited ability to understand your capacity to be a limitation on your perspective of what you can do.”
For over an hour, Harris mixed her remarks with advice and takes on President Donald Trump and members of Congress.
“What he has done, in effect, is made America unreliable, Harris said. "So, in addition to the cost of gas, he is making America ... an unreliable partner and actor as it relates to global affairs.“
Harris also told the audience she has high hopes for Democrats in the midterms, but added voters need to be prepared.
"My prediction is they’re not going to cancel elections, they’re just going to make it so difficult to vote," she said. "So, we got to get ready.”
Statehouse daily planner (4/17)
SC governor
- 11 a.m. — Gov. Henry McMaster and first lady Peggy McMaster to attend the Columbia Garden Club Foundation statue unveiling, commemorating the Columbia Garden Club's 100th anniversary at the Governor's Mansion
Statehouse clips from around the state
- SC’s utility could be paid $2.7B for V.C. Summer. Will it lower electric rates? (The State)
- Effort to reform how SC judges get picked poised for a quiet death in state Senate (Post and Courier)
- Did a Republican budget chairman sponsor an SC resolution honoring Kamala Harris? (The State)
- Senator Kimbrell releases statement regarding Facebook comments to SC firefighter (WSPA)
- SC technical colleges partner with online university for easier transfer (SC Daily Gazette)
- SC Senate passes revitalized Heritage Act, enshrining almost every historic monument in the state (Post and Courier)
- Changes to SC High School League move forward in state Senate. Here is the latest (The State)
- South Carolina DUI reform bill delayed, raising fears it may die this session (WACH)
- Republican Ellen Weaver outraised by challengers last quarter in SC schools chief race (The State)
- Shrimpgate update: New labeling law and federal seafood office signal change for industry (WCIV)
- SC Commerce Dept. could face inquiry over $150 million Scout Motors overrun. How did we get here? (Post and Courier)
