Most South Carolinians believe that the number of state services, such as highway troopers, social workers and schools, have not kept pace with the growth of the state, according to a recent Winthrop University poll released Thursday. Although 62 percent of poll respondents...

The Senate finalized its version of the budget on Thursday after a 44-0 vote, sending it back to the House of Representatives. The bill, H. 3720, is expected to head to a joint conference committee where legislators from the House and Senate will hammer out details. Here...

Legislative Update April 4, 2017 Vol. 34, No. 13 The House of Representatives concurred in Senate amendments to H.3358, legislation that provides a framework for issuing and renewing state driver’s licenses and identification cards to bring South Carolina into COMPLIANCE...

This Week in the South Carolina State House, senators approved the $8 billion budget, House members approved an open-carry gun bill, the pension reform bill heads to Gov. Henry McMaster, and crossover day has come and gone with 12 working days left in the legislative...

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., talks about the glory and challenges of Darlington Raceway at the Governor's Mansion on April 4, 2017. The promotional event comes months before the Sprint Cup Series race returns to the Track Too Tough to Tame this Labor Day weekend.

The Senate Finance Committee approved its version of the state budget on Tuesday after months of subcommittee budget hearings. Areas of interest in the approximately $8 billion budget include K-12 education funding, higher education funding, improving the health of the...

Legislative Update March 28, 2017 Vol. 34, No. 12 The House of Representatives approved S.218, a bill PROHIBITING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM REQUIRING AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT, and enrolled the legislation for ratification. The legislation revises labor and employment provisions, by...

This week in the South Carolina State House, suspended Sen. John Courson, R-Columbia, appeared for a bond hearing over his criminal ethics charges, the roads bill officially stalled in the Senate, debate on medical marijuana bills continued in Senate and House committees,...

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters Tuesday he will continue to use long-time political consultants Richard Quinn & Associates for his 2018 campaign, despite an ongoing corruption investigation that has ensnared the firm. McMaster has used the firm for...

The Senate Finance Committee continued its work this week on the state budget with the goal of advancing it to the floor for full Senate debate. Areas of interest in the approximately $8 billion budget includes K-12 education funding, higher education funding, improving the...

Legislative Update March 21, 2017 Vol. 34, No. 11 The House of Representatives amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3720, the General Appropriation Bill, and H.3721, the joint resolution making appropriations from the Capital Reserve Fund, which together comprise the $...

This week in the South Carolina State House, several bills tackling the growing opioid overdose problem advanced in both the House and Senate, a bill to allow people to openly carry a handgun hit the House floor after receiving no testimony, the ongoing State House...

The Senate this week set the stage for debate in the coming weeks on two significant pieces of legislation, a bill addressing the state’s infrastructure system and the state’s general appropriations bill. The Senate Finance Committee voted to give a favorable report to H...

Legislative Update March 13, 2017 Vol. 34, No. 10 The House of Representatives amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3247, a bill making comprehensive statutory revisions regarding MOPEDS. The legislation establishes new requirements for registering and licensing mopeds...

This week at the South Carolina State House lawmakers gave key approval to the state's budget, an infrastructure spending plan, and one lawmaker faced three charges stemming from an ongoing corruption probe aimed at the General Assembly. - House lawmakers approved the $8...