Happy Tuesday.
Welcome to a different kind of March Madness — Week 10 of the South Carolina legislative session.
Yes, we're officially in the double digits.
You're reading 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 South Carolina Statehouse this year while lawmakers are in session.
Two Scheduling notes: This week, the S.C. House won't hold session but some committees will meet. And Senate leaders told reporters that the chamber will likely take a week off from floor debate the second week of April so that the Senate Finance Committee can work on the budget and other committees can hold hearings.
But today, the Senate gavels in at noon.
And Gov. Henry McMaster will make a Cabinet appointment announcement at noon.
New SC Lede drop: Host Gavin Jackson previews the week ahead, and he takes a look at some of the major infrastructure projects and needs in our growing state. There's also comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham on a Ukraine ceasefire deal and Congressman Jim Clyburn’s remarks about Democratic Party infighting.
You can find the episode wherever you get your podcasts and scpublicradio.org.
Notebook highlights:
- Dr. Ed Simmer, McMaster's pick to lead the newly-created Department of Public Health will appear for his first hearing before Senate Medical Affairs.
- In case you missed it, Senate GOP Leader Shane Massey said Tuesday is "D-Day" for S. 244, otherwise known as tort reform legislation.
- A breakdown of what else we are watching as lawmakers return to Columbia for Week 10 of the Statehouse session.
Simmer Up or Down?
Gov. Henry McMaster's Cabinet pick to run the newly-created Department of Public Health will finally get his day in front of a Senate committee Thursday.
It's been a monthslong wait for Dr. Edward Simmer, who's been serving in an interim basis ever since the Legislature enacted a law last year splitting up the Department of Health and Environmental Control — the agency that Simmer led that oversaw everything from COVID and flu response, licensing to restaurant grades and ensuring dams weren't falling apart.
Simmer's 9 a.m. Thursday hearing in front of the conservative-tilting Senate Medical Affairs Committee — which has dealt with legislation from abortion access to so-called "medical freedom" — may be his toughest yet. He has received criticism from some conservative legislators over his leadership during the COVID pandemic.
At least three Republican members of the committee, run by Laurens Republican Sen. Danny Verdin, have told the Post and Courier that they plan to oppose Simmer's bid.
As background: During one the most tumultuous times for DHEC in recent memory, it faced a growing COVID pandemic and a problem keeping directors. Early in the pandemic, then-director Rick Toomey resigned, leaving the position filled by an interim director for more than a year. Simmer, a retired Navy doctor, was confirmed as DHEC director in 2021 — the department's fourth director since 2012.
Recall: Simmer's confirmation was approved four years ago by the committee he faces on Thursday. Then, Chairman Verdin told The State that Simmer "pours himself into his work, he pours himself into his community." Verdin also said then that “we found nothing’’ that raised flags about Simmer’s background and qualifications.
Look ahead: McMaster has continued to stand by Simmer despite growing discord by those in his own political party over his nominee. Early this year, he told reporters that Simmer is "imminently qualified" to run DPH.
"I have not found an ounce of truth in any of them (allegations made by critics against Simmer)," McMaster said in January.
Tort reform's 'D-Day?'
The Senate is back in session at noon Tuesday.
And that means, in the Senate Republican leader's own words, it's "D-Day" for his comprehensive tort reform legislation.
Recall: The upper chamber has been stuck on S. 244 for now more than two weeks without a compromise on the bill that aims in part to limit liability payouts to people or companies seeking damages in an effort to lower liability insurance rates.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters last Thursday the bill needs to wrap up this week.
Look ahead: The longer the tort reform debate goes on in the Senate, the stickier the schedule gets. In addition to Senate budget committee work in mid-April, the chamber plans to debate the roughly $14.5 billion state spending plan later that month. And there are other policy issues the Senate wants to tackle this year, like energy utility changes.
What else we're watching
Just because there's little floor work this week — at least on the House side — doesn't mean it's going to be a dull one at the Statehouse.
Here's what else we're watching in Week 10.
Starting with the House:
- 10 a.m. Wednesday: A House K-12 subcommittee will take up eight bills that in part seek to create a statewide computer science education plan (H. 3201, filed by Rep. Sylleste Davis, R-Berkeley), require a mobile panic alert system in every school (H. 3258, filed by Rep. Tommy Pope, R-York), and implement a media literacy pilot program in public schools (H. 3264, filed by Rep. Seth Rose, D-Richland).
- 10:30 a.m. Wednesday: The House Agriculture subcommittee will take testimony on S. 103, York Republican Sen. Wes Climer's labeling of synthetic foods food product bill.
- 1:30 p.m. Wednesday: The full House Education and Public Works Committee will hold its second hearing on H. 3927 (filed by Rep. Doug Gilliam, R-Union) a bill that targets diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs/spending/training/contracts in schools, state agencies, local governments and college. And the Government Efficiency and Legislative Oversight Committee will meet to take public input on a variety of state agencies.
Now the Senate:
- After the Senate meets Tuesday: A Senate Judiciary subcommittee will meet on two electric utility bills — H. 3309, filed by House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, and S. 446, filed by Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken. (A second hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.)
- 10 a.m. Wednesday: The state Department of Education will lay out its budget request to a Senate Finance subcommittee.
- 11 a.m. Wednesday: A Senate Education subcommittee will meet to discuss two bills, starting with S. 269 (filed by Sen. Ross Turner, R-Greenville), which would allow schools to hire private security, and S. 416 (filed by Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry) that would implement new school expulsion requirements.
- 9 a.m. Thursday: The full Senate Corrections and Penology Committee will decide whether to approve S. 374 (filed by Sen. Shane Martin, R-Spartanburg) that would require counties pay more money to the state Department of Juvenile Justice to house youth offenders in an effort to reduce overcrowding.
- Unclear which day: Sen. Larry Grooms's finance panel investigating the $1.8 billion accounting error is expected to release its report and recommendations this week.
Editor's note: This list has been updated to reflect Tuesday's Senate Finance Committee cancellation.
Daily planner (3/18)
SC House
- 9 a.m. — Blatt 110 — 3M-LCI Pharmacy Benefit Managers Ad Hoc Committee
Agenda Available
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only
SC Senate
- Noon — Senate in session
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only - After Senate adjourns — Gressette 308 — Judiciary Subcommittee on S.446 and H.3309
Agenda Available
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only
Clips from around the state
- A speedy spin through Columbia made SC Gov. McMaster a believer in the future of EVs (Post and Courier)
- SC legislator left the child care business. She hopes to help others keep operating. (SC Daily Gazette)
- Can you take me higher? THC seltzers are booming in SC, but new rules could slow them down (The State)
- South Carolina schedules its fifth execution in less than 7 months (AP)
- SC Republicans won't commit to in-person town halls. But they will insult their critics. (Post and Courier)
- Clemson University among 45 colleges named in federal DEI-related investigation (SC Daily Gazette)
- Trump’s purge of federal workers threatens environmental, scientific studies in SC (The State)
- Suspended Williamsburg sheriff, ex-county supervisor appear in court after indictment (SC Public Radio)
- Rep. Mace sued by 1 of the men she accused of being a sexual predator (SC Daily Gazette)
- Columbia is the only SC city to ban conversion therapy, but a Supreme Court ruling could overturn it (Post and Courier)
- 5 years after reopening with a new mission, SC agriculture school is beyond capacity (SC Daily Gazette)
- Little rolling robots deliver food around USC campus. One lawmaker wants them to be regulated. (Post and Courier)
- Former Lexington County GOP chair pleads guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from party (The State)
- Trump administration cancels COVID-era food aid, a $15.2M hit to SC growers (Post and Courier)
- SC man charged with threatening to kill Trump must undergo mental evaluation (SC Daily Gazette)
- Trump admin makes cuts to USDA grants for public schools. Will it impact Horry County? (Myrtle Beach Sun News)
