State House Daybook provides you with the information you need to navigate the South Carolina General Assembly. Each edition provides a snapshot of the legislative day with meeting schedules, agendas, news and other resources in one place.
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LEGISLATIVE COVERAGE
Summary
The House and Senate lawmakers gaveled in the second regular session of the 123rd South Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at noon. Sine die, the last day of session, is May 14 at 5 p.m.
Senate lawmakers voted 40-4 to put their education reform bill, S. 419, in special order during their brief time in session Tuesday. The move gives the bill priority over other bills on the calendar when it comes to floor debate and signals the importance the chamber is putting on education again this year. Senate President Harvey Peeler gave a short speech as he welcomed back the 46 senators to the second year of session. He outlined several topics the chamber will focus on this year including education, the additional $1.8 billion lawmakers have for the budget, the future of Santee Cooper and the fetal heartbeat abortion ban bill among others.
House lawmakers were also briefly in session yesterday where the most important task was swearing in two new members and to have some 160 pre-filed bills read across the desk—a task staffers did after adjourning. Rep. Patrick Hadden (R-Greenville) was sworn in and replaces former Rep. Dwight Loftis. Rep. Melissa Lackey Oremus (R-Aiken) was sworn in after winning a special election in October to fulfill the unexpired term of Rep. Ronnie Young who died in 2019. Several House Ways and Means subcommittees met Tuesday and will continue for the coming days as committee members start crafting the budget, which includes $863 million in new recurring money and $1.019 billion in one-time dollars.
Gov. Henry McMaster presented his executive budget this week, which features teacher pay raises, state employee pay raises, tax relief, increased funding to improve state prisons, freeze higher education tuition and more. You can read his budget proposal here. The House Ways and Means Committee crafts the budget first, then debates and votes on it in mid-March. The budget then heads to the Senate, which passes their version of the spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year and then a conference committee is appointed to hash out the differences later in the session.
Senate
The Senate gavels in at 12:00 p.m. Watch live here. Calendar. Journal.
House
The House gavels in at 2:00 p.m. Watch live here. Calendar. Journal.
Combined meeting schedule
9:00 a.m. House Transportation and Regulatory Subcommittee, Blatt Room 318, Agenda Available
9:00 a.m. House Healthcare and Regulatory Subcommittee of the Legislative Oversight Committee, Blatt Room 110, Agenda Available, Live Broadcast
9:30 a.m. Joint Screening Committee for Legislative Audit Council, Gressette Room 209, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Environmental Subcommittee on S.690 and S.870, Gressette Room 207, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. Senate Family & Veterans' Services Committee, Gressette Room 105, Agenda Available, Live Broadcast
10:00 a.m. Senate Medical Affairs Committee Listening Session on H.3101, Gressette Room 308, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. Senate L.C.I. Regulatory and Local Government Subcommittee on H.4327, Gressette Room 307, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. House Public Education and Special Schools Subcommittee, Blatt Room 521, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. House Healthcare Subcommittee Meeting, Blatt Room 108, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. House High Education Subcommittee Meeting, Blatt Room 321, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Subcommittee, Blatt Room 305, Agenda Available
10:00 a.m. House Constitutional Subcommittee Meeting, Blatt Room 511, Agenda Available
10:30 a.m. House Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee, Blatt Room 317, Agenda Available
11:00 a.m. House, Environmental Affairs I Subcommittee (Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs), Blatt Room 410, Agenda Available, Live Broadcast
12:00 p.m. Senate, State House, Senate Chamber, Live Broadcast
2:00 p.m. House of Representatives, State House, House Chamber, Live Broadcast
Upon adjournment of the House, Public Utilities Subcommittee of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry, Committee on H.4827, Blatt Room 403, Agenda Available
Immediately upon adjournment of the House, Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Regulations and Administrative Procedures Committee, Blatt Room 110, Agenda Available, Live Broadcast
SUPREME COURT
Case No: 2018-001926
Hearing Time: 09:30 a.m.
Location: Supreme Court Courtroom
Time Limits: 15-15-5
Case Title: William Crenshaw, Respondent, v. Erskine College and David A. Norman, Petitioners.
Attorneys: Thomas H. Keim, Jr., of Ford & Harrison, LLP, of Spartanburg, for Petitioners. E. Charles Grose, Jr., of Grose Law Firm; Robert J. Tinsley, Sr. and Robert Jamison Tinsley, Jr., both of Tinsley & Tinsley, PC, all of Greenwood, for Respondent.
Summary: We granted certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision reversing the trial court's order granting Erskine College's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.
Case No: 2018-001042
Hearing Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Supreme Court Courtroom
Time Limits: 15-15-5
Case Title: The State, Petitioner, v. Arthur M. Field, Respondent.
Attorneys: Attorney General Alan Wilson, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Samuel Creighton Waters, and Senior Assistant Attorney General Brian T. Petrano, all of Columbia, for Petitioner. James Todd Rutherford, of The Rutherford Law Firm, LLC, of Columbia, for Respondent.
Summary: The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals decision in State v. Field, Op. No. 2017-UP-455 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Apr. 4, 2018).
Case No: 2018-002035
Hearing Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Supreme Court Courtroom
Time Limits: 15-15-5
Case Title: The State, Petitioner, v. Archie More Hardin, Respondent.
Attorneys: Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Assistant Attorney General Joshua A. Edwards, both of Columbia; and Solicitor David Michael Pascoe, Jr., of Orangeburg, all for Petitioner. Daniel Carson Boles, of Charleston, Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek and Appellate Defender Lara M. Caudy, both of Columbia, for Respondent.
Summary: Archie More Hardin was convicted of armed robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and three counts of kidnapping. The court of appeals affirmed his convictions. State v. Hardin, 425 S.C. 1, 819 S.E.2d 177 (Ct. App. 2018). The Court granted the State of South Carolina a writ of certiorari. The State agrees with the court of appeals' disposition in the case; however, the State argues the court of appeals erred in analyzing one of the three issues Hardin raised on appeal: whether the trial court erred in admitting out-of-court identifications.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
11:50 a.m. Gov. Henry McMaster and other pro-life leaders participate in a press conference in support of the heartbeat abortion bill at the Statehouse
12:30 p.m., Lt. Gov. Evette will speak at the Rotary Club of Seneca, Cross Creek Plantation, 130 Cross Creek Drive, Seneca, S.C.
NEWS
Episodes of This Week In South Carolina
SC lacks statewide policy on police pursuits, and some say that's a deadly problem The Greenville News
State workers should earn raises instead of receiving automatic hikes, SC governor says The Post and Courier
SC lawmakers tweak ‘hands free’ texting while driving bill, stiffening penalties The State
After months of cleanup and millions of dollars, Lowcountry’s Mount Trashmore is no more The Post and Courier
Comedy star Dave Chappelle comes to Columbia for show to benefit presidential hopeful The State
Boeing’s 737 woes drag its 2019 plane orders into negative territory The Post and Courier
Democrats offer substance but few fireworks for undecided voters at seventh debate The State
Volvo to build Charleston-area battery plant to power SC-made vehicles The Post and Courier
Report on bidders for state-owned Santee Cooper delayed along with debate over its fate The State
SC lawmakers have a lot to absorb in Santee Cooper sale debate The Post and Courier
RESOURCES
Find your representative and senator
South Carolina Judicial Department
