Statehouse Update – February 24, 2020

The following is courtesy of Public Education Partners based in Greenville. They publish a bimonthly primer on all the policy action at the Statehouse.

Bills We’re Watching

The Santee Cooper debate has returned this legislative session. Lawmakers must decide whether to sell, restructure, or reform this public utility that provides power to nearly 2 million customers in South Carolina.

State Budget

• The House Ways and Means Committee adopted their version of the State Budget on 2/20, with debate on the House floor expected to begin the week of March 9th.
• Included in the budget is a $3,000 pay raise for all teachers, and $53 million set aside to expand 4K programs statewide.

S.419: The SC Career Opportunity and Access for All Act 

• S.419 has been a subject of intense debate for much of this legislative session.
• Senators have debated over a hundred amendments [debate on 2/20 was interrupted during consideration of the 125th amendment!] and have adopted several dozen amendments.
• On 2/19, a motion to prohibit additional amendments and wrap up the debate failed, leaving room for many additional amendments to be considered before the final version of the bill receives a vote.
• As the Senate turns to the Santee Cooper debate, S.419 will be temporarily placed on the back burner. It remains set to special order and a top priority.

House Education Bills

• H.3328, a bill that states that students who have lunch debt cannot be offered an alternate meal and cannot receive academic penalties such as missing field trips or graduation ceremonies, received a favorable report and moved to the full Education committee.
• H.4753, the teacher’s bill of rights, and H.4760, reducing statewide standardized testing, passed the House and were sent to the Senate Education Committee. These policies are currently being debated as part of S.419, but if for any reason the omnibus bill does not move, the individual House bills provide a back up.

S.556/H.3681: Education Scholarship Accounts

• The Senate Education Subcommittee has cancelled two hearings in a row on S.556.
• Members of the committee have discussed amending the bill to reduce the number of participants by imposing additional eligibility constraints and capping participation at 2,000 students in the first year of implementation.
• The committee adjourned without taking action on the bill and updated language for the proposed “pilot” version of the program is not yet available.
• Though it appears that this specific piece of legislation is losing traction, it remains the position of Public Education Partners that ANY effort to reallocate public funds to private and religious education must be vigorously opposed.