Welcome to Friday.
It's another cold day in South Carolina, so sit by the fire and curl up with The State House Gavel, a daily reporter notebook by reporters Gavin Jackson, Russ McKinney and Maayan Schechter that previews and captures what goes on at the Statehouse while lawmakers are in session.
Every week, we write that it is a newsy week, and the South Carolina Legislature has yet to let us down in that department.
Week 6 included the House Education and Public Works Committee voting to scrap the funding source for the Senate's K-12 school voucher bill, which, prior to its arrival in the lower chamber was funded by the state Education Lottery account.
Recently, Maayan Schechter sat down with the bill's main sponsor, Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree, R-Horry, and Patrick Kelly, a high school AP U.S. government teacher and director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association to discuss the bill in depth.
Hembree and Kelly talked about school choice measures, whether the Legislature should let voters decide to remove the prohibition of taxpayer dollars paying for private school vouchers in the state Constitution, and their favorite teachers.
You can find that interview below.
Notebook highlights:
- Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey speaks to reporters about the status of the Legislature's energy and tort reform bills, and more Republican priorities.
- The upper chamber's Medical Affairs Committee takes action on Gov. Henry McMaster's appointment to run the health and human services department and a bill to consolidate three health care-related agencies.
- SCETV's This Week in South Carolina features an interview with Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, who sits on the Senate panel looking into the $1.8 billion accounting error.
- Introducing Making Moves, our new feature on Statehouse movers and shakers moving and shaking up their careers.
Senate GOP leader on energy, tort reform
Two weighty policy issues that were held over from the previous year are back in the forefront of the Republican-controlled Legislature: energy capacity and tort reform.
Let's start where we are with energy.
The House passed its bill, H. 3309, last week in a 94-11 vote.
Now it's the Senate's turn. Reporters spoke to Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, after the chamber adjourned for the day and before he had to jet off to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee's hearing on tort reform.
Listen below to what he told us about the Senate's energy efforts, including whether "limited retail choice" will be included.
That brings us to tort reform — a bill that has captured the attention of lawyers, insurance companies, hospitals, builders, victims, restaurants that serve alcohol and, somehow, Donald Trump, Jr.
At the risk of making this too long, we highly suggest you read Post and Courier's Nick Reynolds's report on where the debate stands and why conservative influencers have been flocking on social media to oppose the legislation.
ICYMI: Late Thursday, Massey's tort reform bill, S.244, was given a favorable report, meaning it now heads to the full Senate Judiciary Committee, where it'll more than likely be amended before it goes to the floor.
What Massey told us of its prospects ahead of the hearing:
Reporters asked Massey his take so far on the 2025 session.
"It's going a little slow," he said.
"I'm a little bit frustrated with that (the pace)," he added.
Weather, he said, delayed the legislative session last month.
And, he acknowledged, the issues are much weightier.
Next week: Massey said the Senate will debate legislation that was Republicans' No. 2 priority, including a bill that aims to tackle organized retail crime and a bill to strengthen penalties for fetanyl distribution.
Health care bill gets favorable report
The Senate Medical Affairs Committee met Thursday, moving favorably on two key asks from Gov. Henry McMaster:
- The committee confirmed Eunice Medina’s appointment as director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Medina served as chief of staff to former director Robby Kerr since June 2021 before taking over as acting director last November following Kerr’s retirement. Medina has a 20-year background in Medicaid policy and operations. She now awaits full Senate confirmation.
- S. 2, the health-care consolidation bill, heads to the Senate calendar. The bill combines three state agencies: the departments of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN), Mental Health (DMH), and Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Services. The new consolidated agency would be the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. “Once we get this through the committee on the floor and through this General Assembly, it’s those individuals and those families (with needs) that will be best served by this,” Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee, said Thursday.
Medical Affairs also passed S. 310, a resolution to encourage a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital affiliate program to the state.
TWISC tackles $1.8B mess
"I heard a lot of nonsense."
That's what Georgetown Republican Sen. Stephen Goldfinch told Gavin Jackson about Tuesday's Senate Finance subcommittee hearing over the $1.8 billion accounting error, which featured testimony from the state treasurer's chief of staff, Clarissa Adams.
Adams testified on behalf of Loftis, who was on a camping trip, according to his Facebook page. (Loftis has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and resisted calls to resign.)
Grooms said Thursday that Loftis is expected to go before his panel next week.
And Jackson also spoke with Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Chairman Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, about the House energy generation bill, K-12 school vouchers and more.
You can hear both interviews on This Week in South Carolina at 7:30 p.m. Friday on SCETV or YouTube.
Making Moves
We're introducing a new Friday-only section, featuring job changes of Statehouse and Statehouse-connected notables.
So if that describes you or someone you know and you know of a significant career change, let us know.
Amanda Loveday, a former reporter (worked for SCETV) and former communications director for Congressman Jim Clyburn, has been promoted to CEO of NP Strategy, the strategic communications firm specializing in crisis response, media and public relations. Jean Cecil Frick, a former director of governmental affairs and special projects at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, will take the role of chief operating officer.
Founding CEO Heather Hoopes-Matthews, a former WISTV Statehouse reporter who led NP Strategy since its inception in 2013, remains on the team in a client-facing role.
The firm is composed of former journalists, communications professionals, political insiders and public relations executives. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maynard Nexsen, a 550-attorney national law firm.
Clips from around the state
- SC’s top wildlife official quitting after years of outspoken leadership. Replacement named. (The State)
- SC House voucher plan is intentionally very similar to what high court threw out (SC Daily Gazette)
- New bill proposes pilot program for non-certified teachers in South Carolina schools (WLTX)
- State health plan users may see premium increases under SC House budget proposal (The State)
- US Rep. Nancy Mace sells DC townhouse she owned with her ex for $1.98 million (Post and Courier)
- Trump administration reverses policy that threatened SC’s charter school grant funding (The State)
- SC colleges have frozen tuition for several years. University presidents say that’s not sustainable. (SC Daily Gazette)
- SC Gov. Henry McMaster appointed to Council of Governors (SC Public Radio)
- Official notes rising costs, procurement delays at Savannah River Site plutonium facility (Aiken Standard)
