It's Friday, March 27.
That wraps Week 11 at the South Carolina Statehouse.
Excluding a week of respective furlough and perfunctory sessions in the House and Senate, there are seven weeks and 21 legislative days until sine die on May 14.
That countdown does not include any additional days when the legislature may return post-sine die to deal with governor vetoes, conference committees and finalizing the state budget.
The week of April 6 will be a legislative "Spring Break," if you will. The House plans to furlough and the Senate plans to hold a perfunctory session with no floor work to give the Senate Finance Committee time to work on their version of the budget.
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.
South Carolina on Thursday celebrated its 250th anniversary of the signing of its very first state Constitution.
Anyone who visited the Statehouse Thursday got a special treat: the opportunity to check out a mint condition, original copy of the historical document, showcased by the state Department of Archives and History. You could read about the creation of the "upper house," and the foundation for legislative election of judges.
We spoke with Eric Emerson, the department's director, state historic preservation officer and a state archivist, about the very important document. (Did you know that it's one of seven state constitutions?)
Hear from him below:
If you missed the occasion, the department advises to keep an eye on its social media to see where else you can view the 1776 Constitution, the 1775 Articles of Association and the 1777 Treaty of Dewitt's Corner while the documents are on tour.
When not on tour, the public can check out the documents at the department's full exhibit at 8301 Parklane Road in Columbia.
Tax conformity update: As tax conformity legislation still moves through the General Assembly — conforming the state tax code for one year to the federal changes in law — the state revenue department on Thursday announced it's giving taxpayers more time to file their 2025 state tax returns. The department said it's extending the tax filing deadline to Oct. 15, and that no action is required to take advantage. The extension, however, only applies to deadlines to file returns — not tax owed. The revenue department stressed that a taxpayer will owe penalties if they do not pay at least 90% of the filer's 2025 tax liability by the April 15 deadline. If the bill is passed, the department said it will update taxpayers who've already filed their returns.
Notebook highlights:
- Board of Economic Advisors updates revenue numbers before the Senate starts writing its budget.
- House drives infrastructure bills closer to the floor for debate, and other chamber highlights from the Senate too
- Likely final Republican candidate for governor files, backs out of first debate
SC economists show tighter budget forecast
As the saying goes, more money can mean more problems.
In the case of South Carolina and for the 170 lawmakers tasked with passing a state budget, it can also mean more expectations.
The state's Board of Economic Advisors on Thursday released new state revenue collections as the Senate prepares to write and vote on its $15.4 billion version of the state spending plan. The House passed their version of the budget back in March.
South Carolina remains a fast-growing state with a strong economy.
But as we mentioned back in February, ahead of the House's spending plan passage, lawmakers may need to sharpen their pencils a little more this cycle, after several years of booming surpluses.
State economists on Thursday did not revise its revenue forecast, which was expected, but the state's actual collections over anticipated revenue has narrowed significantly.
Takeaways from the state Revenue and Fiscal Affair's Office:
- Tax filing season is set to have a significant impact on the final numbers
- International conflict and oil prices are a concern for consumer spending and further economic growth
Frank Rainwater, RFA's director, said back in February that total general fund revenue — what lawmakers actually spend — for the fiscal year through January was about $90 million above expectations.
On Thursday?
Rainwater reported that surplus has been more than halved to around $43 million.
According to the RFA:
- Withholding tax revenue is about $17.6 million above expectations
- Sales tax revenues are about $2.1 below expectations
- Corporation income tax is nearly $29 million below expectations
- Earned on investments is about $30 million above expectations
Final results, the RFA said, will be dependent on tax filing season, which could take a while because of the tax conformity legislation moving through the Statehouse.
If the legislature adopts conformity, it will affect the year's estimated surplus dollars, the RFA said.
In November, the RFA reported the budget outlook for the fiscal year that starts July 1:
As noted above, a few key pieces of legislation could — and will in some cases — affect overall spending by the General Assembly.
- $308.7 million is the cost of the income tax legislation
- $288.5 million is the one-time cost for tax conformity if the income tax bill is signed by the governor, which is expected
- $247.7 million is the cost of the Senate's homestead exemption property tax expansion legislation for anyone age 65 and older, expanding the extension from $50,000 to $150,000
House puts roads bills in driver's seat as sine die nears
With roughly a month-and-a-half of regular session left on the Statehouse calendar, the House on Thursday finally gave clearer indication over when we may get a debate over a sizeable roads bill in the lower chamber.
On Thursday, a subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee advanced two infrastructure bills — H. 5071 and S. 831 — that have overall the same goals: quicken road infrastructure fixes, ease congestion in the fast-growing state and root out bureaucratic road blocks that can slow down construction as labor and inflation costs rise.
The Senate passed their version of the legislation last week.
Their bill:
- Gives DOT greater ability to enter into public-private partnerships
- Expands DOT's tolling authority
- Gives the department permitting responsibilities from the Federal Highway Administration for National Environmental Protection Act environmental reviews, similar to other states
- Includes provisions to allow counties and cities to take ownership of roads from the state
- Provides greater oversight over county transportation committees
What it did not do was transfer the role of the transportation secretary, held now by Justin Powell, to the governor's Cabinet — a switch the House included in theirs.
The Senate also removed several funding components in the legislation, like the electric car registration fee increase and other mitigation fees for housing developments, to avoid a snafu over "funding origination issues" between the bodies.
Back in 2022, the House rendered a Senate medical marijuana bill out of order for violating the state's constitutional prohibition on revenue-raising bills originating in the Senate.
In the House version of the roads bill, Rep. Heather Crawford, R-Horry, said Thursday their legislation does not raise any fees beyond the electric vehicle registration, and it does use any existing roads for toll roads.
The Ways and Means panel advanced the House bill, but also amended the Senate bill to the House version, a procedural move that gives the chambers two vehicles to get the priority legislation over the finish line before session ends in May.
Both bills are expected to be heard by the full Ways and Means Committee next week, then come up for debate soon after.
In case you missed it: Below hear from Rep. Heather Crawford, a Horry County Republican who helped shepherd the House legislation through:
Other House-passed highlights on Thursday?
- S. 146, sponsored by former Sen. Roger Nutt, R-Spartanburg: The bill would allow residents in long-term care facilities to designate someone to visit in the event of a state of emergency, whether from a disaster or public health emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic. The House amended the legislation to name the bill after Nutt, who resigned his seat last year following an Alzheimer's diagnosis. It's unclear, however, whether that title will remain as the Senate has attempted to stop the practice of naming bills after people (though it's not always followed).
- H. 5164, sponsored by Rep. Lee Hewitt, R-Georgetown: The legislation would allow hospitals to put patient beds in hallways, corridors and other specific areas during a "justified emergency."
- H. 4799, sponsored by Rep. Brian Lawson, R-Cherokee: The bill states that veterans' homes owned and operated by the state Department of Veterans' Affairs would not be required to have a certificate of need
- H. 4688, sponsored by Rep. Chris Wooten, R-Lexington: The legislation specifies that someone 12 and under is not required to wear a seatbelt while riding in a golf cart while in the act of playing golf on a course. It was also amended to exclude when a golf cart is in operation along a primary highway or secondary highway street, or road within a one-half mile of a Division I athletic event for a specific period of time with certain requirements.
- H. 5131, sponsored by Rep. Tom Hartnett, R-Charleston: The bill adds tribal governments to the list of approved license plates by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
- H. 4736, sponsored by Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Horry: The bill requires training for new members of the Commission on Higher Education and tweaks those requirements.
- H. 4767, sponsored by Sylleste Davis, R-Berkeley: The bill, which prohibits non-compete contracts at South Carolina hospitals, passed on an a rare tight third and final vote, 58-53.
Over in the Senate?
The upper chamber unanimously passed H. 4763 — sponsored by Rep. Melissa Oremus, R-Aiken, that is known as the HALO Act — which would require the public to stand a certain length away from first responders and law enforcement if given a verbal warning. Knowingly ignoring that warning would result in a misdemeanor charge, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
The Senate made several changes to the bill that included extending the length of jail time, a number that was included in the initial House bill but lowered to up to 30 days, and adding health care workers.
Senators also deleted a measure in the House bill that required the public to stand 25 feet away from first responders and law enforcement if given a verbal warning.
Instead, under a change proposed by Sens. Brian Adams, R-Berkeley, and Overture Walker, D-Richland, the Senate by voice vote tweaked that language, putting in a "reasonable distance" and striking part of the bill dealing with harassment and taunting.
"You can videotape all day long," Adams assured his colleagues.
SC Senate passed out amended version of House bill, called HALO Act, that would slap penalties on someone for knowingly ignoring warnings from first responders for a buffer between them and public.
— Maayan Schechter (@MaayanSchechter) March 26, 2026
By voice vote, Senate tweaked part of the bill dealing w/ the 25-foot perimeter. pic.twitter.com/I4kT2yheVU
What to look for next week?
The Senate is expected to debate S. 76, sponsored by former solicitor and Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, that tackles criminal gang activity and offenses, while also creating new penalties under a new anti-racketeering act, or RICO.
Still in question is tax conformity legislation, and what the Senate does with the governor's veto of the name, image and likeness legislation — H. 4902 — that restricts public view of revenue-sharing contracts between colleges and universities and their student-athletes.
GOP race for governor shapes up
Unless there is another late surprise, the final Republican candidate for governor officially filed candidacy paperwork on Thursday, days ahead of the deadline.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette is now the sixth, and likely last, Republican to file.
The Travelers Rest resident has been by Gov. Henry McMaster's side since he ran for his first full term in 2018. She is South Carolina's first lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket as the governor, and serves a role similar to a vice president.
"This is just official. But my heart has been in it since July, and so I'm excited," Evette said. "We have 75 days (as of Thursday) until the primary. I'm going to work really hard, get to everybody, shake their hand and ask them for their vote."
The first GOP debate, hosted by the state Republican Party, will be held April 1.
We noted in yesterday's Gavel that Evette was not expected to take the stage with challengers 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman, who now says a debate between only two people should wait until the runoff, and Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Evette made that pronouncement also official Thursday, hinging her reason on the costs to get a ticket that she argued shuts out party activists in favor of "party insiders."
“Those are the people I show up at meetings and talk to and have for eight years, and it just seems to me that there should have been a better mechanism to make sure that they could be in the audience,” Evette said. “It seemed like they were going to be boxed out unless we as a campaign would have to pay $20,000 to get in there, and my supporters want to see that money go to win this race.”
Evette hasn't ruled joining other state GOP-sanctioned debates.
SCETV is expected to host a debate, and Evette said she has indicated that she will participate in that one.
“It's not the debate itself. I'm happy to debate anybody that wants to debate," Evette said. "I've been at every governor’s forum that's been out there. It’s just about how are grassroots people going to get to participate in something that they work so hard for candidates all year long.”
On Wednesday, Norman said, "If another candidate wants to join Alan and me, I'll gladly see y'all in Newberry next week."
McMaster endorsed his No. 2's candidacy in February, joining her so far at fundraisers. He's also cut ads for her.
Who else has filed for governor? As of March 26:
- Michael Addison (United Citizens Party)
- Pamela Evette (Republican Party)
- Walid Hakim (Green Party)
- Jermaine Johnson (Democratic Party)
- Josh Kimbrell (Republican Party)
- Nancy Mace (Republican Party)
- Mullins McLeod (Democratic Party)
- Ralph Norman (Republican Party)
- Rom Reddy (Republican Party)
- Gary Votour (Works Party)
- Billy Webster (Democratic Party)
- Alan Wilson (Republican Party)
The filing deadline is noon Monday.
Statehouse clips from around the state
- USC touts nuclear workforce training efforts in response to new energy investments (Post and Courier)
- Travel on the Trump and Obama highways? Midlands, Pee Dee plan interstate honors (The State)
- SC Senate approves bill restricting transgender bathroom use at K-12 schools and colleges (SC Daily Gazette)
- ‘No Kings’ protesters at SC State House on Saturday aim for biggest crowd yet (The State)
- SC Senate approves ‘halo’ for first responders without 25-foot requirement (SC Daily Gazette)
