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The State House Gavel
The State House Gavel shares updates about the South Carolina General Assembly, including legislative actions, debates and discussions. Featuring news and interviews, so you have access to the latest developments in policy and decisions that shape South Carolina’s future.

The State House Gavel: GOP leaders strike liquor liability compromise, Senate takes on energy

South Carolina Public Radio | By Maayan Schechter,
Russ McKinney, Gavin Jackson
Published May 7, 2025 at 6:01 AM EDT
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, at the House well at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.
Gavin Jackson
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, at the House well at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.

Statehouse reporters Gavin Jackson, Russ McKinney and Maayan Schechter are back at the Capitol reporting what you need to know when lawmakers are in Columbia. They'll post news, important schedules, photos/videos and behind-the-scenes interviews with policymakers.

Welcome to Wednesday.

There are roughly 36 hours until sine die, but who's counting?

The regular session gavels out at 5 p.m. Thursday.

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.

Notebook highlights:

  • Republican Statehouse leaders have reached a compromise over liquor liability that includes parts of the Senate's broader tort reform package.
  • The Senate will take up a major energy bill Wednesday that the chamber's GOP leader says will get a lengthy floor debate over its omission of language controlling data centers.
Russ McKinney, Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson
SCETV
Russ McKinney, Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson

In final week, liquor liability compromise reached

For over a year now, owners of South Carolina bars and restaurants have urged state lawmakers to ease their exposure to alcohol-related liability and the soaring insurance costs that they say without fixes could shut down their businesses.

Help appears to be on the way.

House and Senate Republican leaders have reached a compromise they say will ease bar and restaurant pains.

The agreement addresses liquor liability, the level of responsibility bars and restaurants have to victims when their customers leave and injure someone after drinking alcohol.

And it tackles the broader liability topic of joint and several liability, or how much responsibility is split among parties that cause harm to a victim — something senators pushed to be included in the final plan.

The deal was the culmination of an "awful lot of hard work," said House Judiciary Chairman Weston Newton, R-Beaufort.

S.C. House Judiciary Chairman Weston Newton, R-Beaufort on liquor liability compromise 5.6.25

Meanwhile, Senate Republican leaders confirmed it is indeed the compromise hashed out over the last week or so.

Reporters spoke to Sen. Michael Johnson — the York Republican was among the negotiators who finalized the compromise passed by the House Tuesday and is now in the Senate to consider — who said he believes the bill will ultimately lower premiums for bars and restaurants.

You can listen to part of that interview below:

S.C. Sen. Michael Johnson, R-York, on liquor liability compromise 5.6.25

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who pushed for the inclusion of joint and several liability language, said he will advocate for passage of the bill on the floor Wednesday.

Here's more from the Edgefield Republican:

S.C. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield liquor liability compromise 5.6.2025

The changes would kick in Jan. 1, 2026.

What else did the House do?

  • The House reamended its the more than $14 billion state spending plan that does not include earmarks, or what legislators call local community investments. The budget bill heads back to senators, who will vote to non-concur and push the budget to a conference committee. On Tuesday, Democrats in particular focused on the lack of earmarks — an omission that was struck between the House and Senate budget chairmen. Here's Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland.
S.C. Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland, on budget 5.6.25

"Do I hear you committing to re-putting forth the effort next year to make this process better and not what we had to deal with this year?" asked Rep. Hamilton Grant, D-Richland.

"That is absolutely correct," said House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville.

  • The House voted 68-46 to approve its income tax plan that, starting in 2026, would drop the top rate to 5.39%. Filers with taxable income less than $30,000 would pay 1.99%, and filers with income of $30,000 or more would pay a top rate of 5.39%. If the state continues to record strong revenue growth, then the two rates would collapse into one, and could eventually lower to zero. The bill won't become law this year. Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, has said he plans to take up the bill in committee next year.
Lawmakers at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.
Gavin Jackson
Lawmakers at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.

Energy bill up for debate in Senate

The Senate returns on Wednesday to debate energy.

Recall: Last week, the House passed H. 3309. Leaders have publicly called the revamped bill a compromise between the two chambers so that electric utilities can meet future needs for the fast-growing state.

Some senators have promised a longer floor fight over the bill after the compromise amendment in part removed language that deals with data centers.

Here's Senate GOP Leader Massey:

S.C. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield on energy bill 5.6.25

Here's a breakdown of what else the Senate did Tuesday:

Amended and returned to the House:

  • S. 28, which deals with AI-generated child sexual abuse material
  • S. 29, which focuses on child sexual abuse material that uses a real image of child morphed onto another. A loophole wasn’t allowing prosecution of such material.  
  • S. 74, which deals with electronic records 
  • S. 136, which deals with handgun possession and was amended to strike liquor liability and sent back to the House 
  • H. 3563, which deals with Department of Veterans' Affairs county offices

Voted to send to conference or voted to non-concur:

  • S. 127, which deals with adding the Catawba Nation to the state police officers retirement system (non-concurrence)
  • S. 210, which deals with captive insurance companies (non-concurrence)

Voted to concur with the House:

  • S. 171, which deals with transporting waste tires
  • S. 176, which deals with certified public accountants
  • S. 78, which deals with work experience credit for teachers 
  • S. 89, which renames military base task force and tweaks the council's mission
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin, R-Conway, speaks with Sens. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, and Jason Elliott, R-Greenville, in the Senate at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.
Gavin Jackson
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin, R-Conway, speaks with Sens. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, and Jason Elliott, R-Greenville, in the Senate at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 6, 2025.

Daily planner (5/7)

SC House

SC Senate

SC governor

  • 9 a.m. — Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to attend a press conference for for Middle Tyger Community Childcare Center in Wellford
  • 4:15 p.m. — Gov. Henry McMaster and Evette to join business leaders and local community leaders for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic Opening Ceremony
The South Carolina Statehouse
GAVIN JACKSON
The South Carolina Statehouse

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Maayan Schechter
Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter) is a news reporter with South Carolina Public Radio and ETV. She worked at South Carolina newspapers for a decade, previously working as a reporter and then editor of The State’s S.C. State House and politics team, and as a reporter at the Aiken Standard and the Greenville News. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2013.
See stories by Maayan Schechter
Russ McKinney
Russ McKinney has 30 years of experience in radio news and public affairs. He is a former broadcast news reporter in Spartanburg, Columbia and Atlanta. He served as Press Secretary to former S.C. Governor Dick Riley for two terms, and for 20 years was the chief public affairs officer for the University of South Carolina.
See stories by Russ McKinney
Gavin Jackson
Gavin Jackson graduated with a visual journalism degree from Kent State University in 2008 and has been in the news industry ever since. He has worked at newspapers in Ohio, Louisiana and most recently in South Carolina at the Florence Morning News and Charleston Post and Courier.
See stories by Gavin Jackson