By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | At least one more legislative day is needed to release $180 million in state disaster response to the coronavirus pandemic and to continue funding the government beyond the end of the June 30 fiscal year.
State legislators met April 8 in a one-day session after weeks of staying away from Columbia to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In an effort to release aid money and pass a budget before the May 14 end of session, the House and Senate agreed to meet before the virus’ predicted peak in the state.
But after the Senate debated on a provision in the continuing resolution that barred state-owned utility Santee Cooper from entering into long-term contracts, the House passed its own continuing resolution and adjourned. The Senate then passed its version of the continuing resolution and adjourned. Now one body or the other must return to concur with or amend the other chamber’s version. According to staff, there are no major differences, just minor tweaks to work out.
Nicolette Walters, spokesman for House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, said Thursday her boss has not issued a comment on recalling lawmakers to Columbia. Another bill that would allow lawmakers to pass limited items after the official end of session, known as sine die, was only passed in the Senate, leaving it up for House approval.
The budget resolutions ended up including the language on Santee Cooper, which has been under evaluation for sale or reform by the legislature for more than two years following a very public multi-billion debacle related to nuclear plant construction.
Both measures would have set aside $200 million for relief, of which $20 million would be for natural disaster response such as a hurricane. The other $180 million would be used at the governor’s discretion following the Joint Bond Review Committee’s recommendations on coronavirus pandemic. That committee, which includes high-ranking legislative members from both chambers, can make decisions and recommendations via polling members remotely.
Of the money, $15 million has been earmarked for elections in the state, likely for helping poll workers with personal protection equipment such as masks, gloves and shields.
The resolutions also would suspend teacher annual pay increases to avoid unfunded mandates on districts. Teachers will receive the same pay as they did in the 2019-2020 budget. But the pay increases are expected to return once the 2020-2021 budget is passed later this year.
That budget, which will likely work off of a $1.2 billion decrease in revenues from the pandemic, will be drafted when it is determined for groups to meet safely again.
Also in recent news:
More drama about Santee Cooper. The budget-funding resolutions both include language barring the state-owned utility from entering long-term contracts and keeps the option for legislators to determine whether it is sold or reformed. Then, on Wednesday, S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, released a letter accusing the utility of spreading misinformation. Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore responded some information was sent out “prematurely” and acknowledged the mistake. On Thursday, Lucas and others sent a formal public records request for correspondence between the utility and lawmakers.
About those gun-store exemptions in executive orders. What do gun shops and grocery stores have in common? According to Gov. Henry McMaster’s “home or work” order this week, both are permitted to stay open during the current public health crisis. This week, reporter Heath Ellison at the Charleston City Paper took a hard look at why gun stores are allowed to keep operating. The purported reason is in part due to a Department of Homeland Security guidance that exempts gun stores from closures. Read more.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!