It's Tuesday, March 17.
We're in the double digits now.
Welcome to Week 10 of the South Carolina legislative session.
The Senate gavels in at noon. After completing the budget and two big tax bills last week, the House is taking the week off.
You're reading The State House Gavel, your daily reporter notebook by Maayan Schechter and Gavin Jackson that previews and captures what goes on at the South Carolina Statehouse.
Notebook highlights:
- The 2026 election season officially kicks off as candidate filing opens and a new name announces a bid for governor
- What's on the agenda for Week 10 at the Statehouse, from hemp to horses
2026 election season begins
The 2026 election season is now officially underway.
On Monday, dozens of candidates lined up to formally file their candidacies for a range of public offices, from U.S. Senate and House, to statewide constitutional offices, state House and various local seats.
That included U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is seeking his fifth term in the Senate with the backing of President Donald Trump.
Here's a bit of what he told reporters in Columbia:
Beyond the Senate race, all seven federal House seats are up for reelection.
So are all statewide constitutional offices, such as governor, agriculture commissioner, education superintendent, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state and comptroller (yes, comptroller).
Four of those races are wide open, meaning an incumbent is not running — that we know.
But while the State Election Commission's candidate tracker did not include any big surprises — yet — a new candidate for governor entered the chat on Monday, pulling the wide open race into a more contested arena.
Wealthy business owner Rom Reddy, whose legal tangles with the state over an illegal seawall construction thrust him into the media spotlight, announced Monday he is seeking the state's top office because, he said, "it's time for something different."
Reddy said he will not accept campaign donations, noting he is dropping a seven-figure two-week ad buy. And he said he will not seek endorsements.
If he doesn't "deliver," he said he will not run for office again.
Reddy enters what is now a crowded GOP contest, with candidates who have been in the race for months:
- Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
- Attorney General Alan Wilson
- 1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace
- 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman
- State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg
What does Reddy's candidacy mean?
Though Reddy lacks the statewide name ID that his fellow challengers either already have or have aggressively sought to achieve, pumping enough of his own money into the race could very well fix that.
In addition to his court saga, Reddy has used his influence to put pressure on the General Assembly to make changes to the process by which lawmakers screen and elect most judicial candidates. And through his "DOGE SC" political action committee, Reddy has sought to push lawmakers to, among other initiatives, drastically cut state regulations.
Reddy is not the first GOP candidate to funnel millions of dollars into their statewide bid. Back in 2018, wealthy businessman John Warren spent more than $3 million to fund his campaign, but lost to Gov. Henry McMaster into a runoff as the Columbia Republican sought to win his first full four-year term.
Meanwhile, Norman filed his bid on Monday, leaving his lieutenant governor choice — not an immediate priority of course — for another day.
And United Citizens Party candidate Michael Addison also filed for governor, with Candace Brewer as his running mate.
Read more:
- Post and Courier: Millionaire Lowcountry activist and businessman Rom Reddy enters crowded field for SC governor
- The State: Wealthy beachfront homeowner Rom Reddy enters GOP gov’s race. 5 things to know
- Greenville News: Architect of DOGE SC Rom Reddy joins packed Republican governor's race
- SC Daily Gazette: Isle of Palms millionaire Rom Reddy joins GOP primary for governor
What's on the Senate's Week 10 agenda?
With the House out this week, it's all about the aptly termed "deliberative body."
The South Carolina Senate will hop back on the consumable hemp legislation this week, with the likely expectation that Wednesday we will see extended debate.
As a reminder, the amended H. 3924:
- Prohibits anyone under 21 from buying or using certain hemp-derived products
- Strictly regulates Delta-9 hemp-derived THC drinks, including where they can be sold and how many milligrams of THC the drinks can have
- Puts hemp beverages in the three-tier alcohol system. That means a 12-ounce, 5 milligram drink would be allowed for retail sale wherever beer and wine are sold. And a 10 milligram 12-ounce drink would be regulated similar to liquor
- Bans on-premise consumption at bars and restaurants
- Bans gummies and other hemp consumables. Only the hemp beverages are allowed
- Keeps CBD products legal and under current regulations
If you missed any of the debate last week, two notable actions occurred:
- An attempt to ban all consumable hemp products outright failed in a narrow 22-18 vote
- An amendment to restrict all THC drinks to liquor stores, pulling them out of groceries and other retail locations, also failed in another narrow 20-17 vote
Hemp is not the only eye-catching legislation on the agenda for Week 10.
Here are other agenda highlights:
Tuesday
- Budget hearings are back in the Senate Finance subcommittees, starting at 10 a.m. with the Sea Grants Consortium and the state Research Authority. At that same time, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Commission for the Blind will get their requests heard in another hearing room.
- Speaking of finances, the Senate Finance Committee has a packed post-session agenda that includes H. 3368, legislation to conform the state's tax code to the federal tax legislation signed by Trump last year (even though Senate leaders said earlier they weren't touching it), and S. 344, the so-called SC Equine Advancement Act that would seek to open the door for pari-mutuel horse wagering.
- A Senate Judiciary subcommittee will meet again in the afternoon over two data center-related bills — S. 902, which aims to regulate data centers in South Carolina, and S. 724, legislation requiring large commercial data centers to report water usage.
Wednesday
- A Senate Judiciary subcommittee will meet in the morning to debate six bills to include S. 983, sponsored by Sen. Jason Elliott, which would remove eviction filings from a person's record five years after the final settlement if no other filings are recorded. Another bill sponsored by Elliott — S. 1005 — would tweak the salary schedule for judges.
- Senate budget hearings continue into Wednesday, starting at 9:30 a.m. with the Adjutant General's Office, then 30 minutes later with the state's Public Charter School District and the Department of Education. At noon, senators will hear requests from the Human Affairs Commission and the Commission on Community Advancement and Engagement.
- A panel of the Senate's Fish, Game and Forestry Committee will meet on three bills, including S. 972, sponsored by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, that would restrict certain kinds of airboats on Lake Moultrie during certain hours of the day. Senators will also discuss S. 532, sponsored by Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, dealing with the removal and relocation of nuisance alligators from communities.
- An education subcommittee will meet to discuss several House bills that include H. 3453, sponsored by Rep. Seth Rose, D-Richland, that would allow free college tuition for children of certain veterans, and H. 3195, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Haddon, R-Greenville, that would mandate public schools require mandatory minimum times of physical education or recess to children up to eighth grade.
- The full Senate Transportation Committee will meet to screen Thomas Limehouse's appointment to the State Ports Authority Board. The committee will also hear a presentation from state Transportation Secretary Justin Powell, and debate two bills, including S. 812, sponsored by Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Horry, that would seek to regulate when and how bicyclists could go through red lights in traffic.
- The Senate's Family and Veterans’ Services child welfare subcommittee will meet to discuss one bill — S. 770, sponsored by Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg — that would outline requirements for anyone who applies for federal childcare assistance benefits to help with childcare costs.
Thursday
- The full Medical Affairs Committee will meet to debate a packed agenda that includes hospital and health-related bills, ranging from S. 862, sponsored by Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, that would give a parent authority over their child's mental health care decisions for an emergency admission if the child is over age 18, to S. 741, sponsored by Sen. Carlisle Kennedy, R-Lexington, that would prohibit required vaccines for infants under 24 months, but only at a parent's request.
- A Senate Judiciary subcommittee will decide whether to advance three bills that include S. 915, sponsored by Sen. Billy Garrett, R-Greenwood, which would increase penalties for anyone who knowingly makes or helps someone make a false medical assistance claim, statement or misrepresentation.
- The Senate's budget hearings will wrap for the week with requests from The Citadel and the Commission on Higher Education.
- A Senate Judiciary subcommittee will meet at at 10 a.m. on two similar small business regulatory bills — H. 3021, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Bradley, R-Beaufort, and S. 254, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort — that in part would aim to cut a certain percentage of regulatory requirements and in essence regulate the adoption of regulations.
Statehouse daily planner (3/17)
SC Senate
- 10 a.m. — Gressette 407 — Finance Natural Resources and Economic Development Subcommittee
Agenda
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only - 10 a.m. — Gressette 207 — Finance Health and Human Services
Agenda - Noon — Senate in session
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only - 3 p.m. — Gressette 105 — Senate Finance Committee
Agenda Available
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only - 15 minutes after Senate adjourns — Gressette 308 — Judiciary Subcommittee on 724, 902
Agenda
Live Broadcast
Live Broadcast - Audio Only
Statehouse clips from around the state
- SC rural hospital asks legislators to enact safety net in preparation for Medicaid cuts (SC Daily Gazette)
- New data center developments in South Carolina are shrouded in secrecy, residents say (Post and Courier)
- State agency threatens to sue SC farmer who told people about public meeting (The State)
- State ownership of roads could pose challenges for local projects (WCSC)
- Dreamliners bolster SC’s export totals even as Charleston’s port sees dip in outgoing cargo (SC Daily Gazette)
- Bill would give local governments a tool to curb developments if infrastructure isn't ready. Some counties already do it. (WLTX)
- Testicular fortitude, the Bible, planets. Quips, campaigns at SC House budget debate (The State)
- Grading reform push from legislators would challenge SC schools’ credit recovery programs (Post and Courier)
- SC gubernatorial candidate wants his charges dismissed (WCSC)
- 2 of SC’s most notorious sex criminals — including ex Rep. RJ May — now in prison (The State)
- ‘Enjoyed every minute’: SC House’s retired chaplain reflects on 25 years of service (SC Daily Gazette)
- SCDOT boss gets candid: Growth challenging pace of road improvements (Spartanburg Herald-Journal)
