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2018 South Carolina legislative session
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| 2018 legislative sessions coverage |
|---|
| South Carolina State Legislature | |
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| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | January 9, 2018 |
| Session end: | May 10, 2018 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Kevin Bryant (R) |
| House Speaker: | James Lucas (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Shane Massey (R) House: Gary Simrill (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Nikki Setzler (D) House: James Rutherford (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 46 (Senate), 124 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art III, South Carolina Constitution |
| Salary: | $10,400/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Redistricting: | South Carolina Legislature has control |
During 2018, Ballotpedia tracked notable stories from the South Carolina State Legislature. The timeline on this page shows the major events that we tracked during 2018, including events in the regular session and in any special sessions that occurred after the regular session adjourned.
If you know of any additional events that should be added to this page, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Overview
In 2018, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 9, 2018, through May 10, 2018.
Partisan control
South Carolina was one of 26 Republican state government trifectas in 2018. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the South Carolina State Legislature in the 2018 legislative session.
Senate
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 46 | |
House
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 44 | |
| Republican Party | 80 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 124 | |
Leadership in 2018
Senate
- Senate president: Kevin Bryant (R)
- Senate president pro tempore: Hugh Leatherman (R)
- Majority leader: Shane Massey (R)
- Minority leader: Nikki Setzler (D)
House
- Speaker of the House: James Lucas (R)
- Majority leader: Gary Simrill (R)
- Minority leader: James Rutherford (D)
Regular session
Status of legislation at the end of the regular session
This table details the status of legislation covered on this page at the end of the regular session.
| Status of legislation at the end of the 2018 regular session | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislation | Subject area | Actions during the regular session | Status at the end of the regular session |
| H 4375 | Reduce electric rates | Passed legislature |
Governor vetoed Legislature overturned veto |
April 12, 2018
State Senate approves sanctuary cities ban
The South Carolina State Senate approved a provision to prohibit sanctuary cities by inserting it into the state budget. The provision would require cities and counties to prove to state government officials that they are enforcing federal immigration laws. A sanctuary city refers to a city that has enacted policies that limit local officials' involvement in the enforcement of federal immigration law. According to The State, there were no sanctuary cities in South Carolina at the time of the bill's passage.[1]
June 28, 2018
Legislature overrides governor's veto of bill to lower energy rates
The South Carolina State Legislature overturned Gov. Henry McMaster's (R) veto of a bill that reduced South Carolina Electric and Gas Company's (SCE&G) electric rates by 15 percent. McMaster vetoed the legislation on June 28, 2018, saying that it was "unacceptable, irresponsible, and unconscionable" for South Carolina residents to continue to pay for a failed nuclear reactor project. In his veto letter, he encouraged the legislature to send him a bill mandating that SCE&G ratepayers would not have to pay any fees for the failed project. The House voted 110-1 and the Senate voted unanimously to override the governor's veto.
The legislation, H 4375, required the South Carolina Public Service Commission to set a lower rate for SCE&G ratepayers within five days. According to The State, SCE&G raised its rates nine times after the past 10 years to raise funds for a nuclear reactor project that failed in July 2018. As a result, more than 700,000 ratepayers paid $2 billion to SCE&G through higher rates to fund the project. The State reported that ratepayers paid 18 percent—about $27 per month—to fund the project. Lawmakers approved a 15-percent rate cut.[2]
- Update: SCE&G filed a lawsuit against H 4375 on June 29, 2018. Click here for more information.
Noteworthy events
Teachers rally at state house
Public schools teachers and state employees rallied at the state house on May 19, 2018, in a call for better pay and benefits. The rally was hosted by the South Carolina Education Association and the South Carolina Employees Association. Educators called on lawmakers to raise pay and reverse a decision to end a stipend for national board certification.[3][4]
#scstrong pic.twitter.com/AqGaCs2uz6
— The SCEA (@TheSCEA) May 19, 2018
They also encouraged colleagues to vote in the 2018 gubernatorial and state House elections. Kathy Maness, head of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, said, "We must elect a governor and members of the General Assembly who care about our state employees (and) our public schools."[5]
Protestors and organization leaders sent a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster (R) recommending that lawmakers prioritize funds, bring in new tax revenue without raising taxes, and use already-available revenue streams to "address prominent visible short-comings including employee recruitment, retention, workforce quality, morale and service delivery" and to "shore up deficiencies in education and state services."
The National Education Association ranked the average salary for South Carolina teachers ($50,000) in 2017 as 38th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The national average for teacher salaries in 2017 was $59,660.[6]
SCE&G files lawsuit against bill decreasing energy rates
On June 29, 2018, South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCE&G) filed a lawsuit in federal court asking the court to block the South Carolina Public Service Commission from setting a lower rate for SCE&G ratepayers, as required by H 4375, and to rule that H 4375 was unconstitutional. SCE&G argued that a 2007 law encouraged investment in a nuclear reactor project that has since failed. SCE&G wrote, "If the Court does not grant immediate relief, SCE&G will suffer massive and irreparable harm, including millions of dollars in damages that cannot be recovered, a substantial loss of goodwill, and other permanent injuries."
The South Carolina State Legislature voted on June 28, 2018, to override Gov. Henry McMaster's (R) veto of H 4375. It requires the South Carolina Public Service Commission to approve a 15-percent rate cut for SCE&G customers that would be retroactive to April 1, 2018.[7]
SCE&G also challenged a law to delay a July 12 deadline for the Public Service Commission to decide if the company can recover nuclear debt from customers. A spokeswoman for SCE&G's parent company, SCANA, said the company wants "a hearing on the merits before the Public Service Commission that is not affected by the unconstitutional directives of the recent legislation." Nanette Edwards, director of the state Office of Regulatory Staff, said she did not agree with SCE&G's position.[7]
On July 26, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs dismissed SCE&G's initial case but held that the company could file its case in federal court. Following Childs' ruling, SCE&G amended its suit to focus on the actions of commissioners, arguing that the commissioners would cause the company irreversible harm if they enforced actions from the state legislature.[8][9]
On August 6, 2018, Judge Childs ruled in favor of the state legislature, allowing H 4375 to take effect.[10]
State Senate sues governor over committee appointment
On August 7, 2018, the Republican-controlled South Carolina State Senate filed a lawsuit against Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. The Senate asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to invalidate McMaster's appointment of former Attorney General Charlie Condon as interim chairman of the state-owned utility Santee Cooper. The lawsuit argued that the governor did not have the authority to make the appointment without the legislature's approval.[11] Click here to read the Senate's petition.
See also
| Elections | South Carolina State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The State, "Gov. McMaster scores political win as Senate resurrects, passes sanctuary cities ban," April 12, 2018
- ↑ The State, "SC Legislature overrides McMaster's veto of 15-percent SCE&G rate cut," June 28, 2018
- ↑ Greenville News, "South Carolina teachers, state employees rally for better pay, send governor letter," May 19, 2018
- ↑ ABC News, "South Carolina educators will rally at the Statehouse Saturday for better pay and benefits," May 18, 2018
- ↑ The State, "SC public school teachers, state workers demand better pay at State House rally," May 19, 2018
- ↑ The National Education Association, "Rankings of the States 2017 and Estimates of School Statistics 2018," April 2018
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The State, "SCE&G files lawsuit to block 15-percent rate cut Legislature passed last week," July 2, 2018
- ↑ Charlotte Business Journal, "SCE&G takes second shot at suit to block nuclear rate cuts," July 28, 2018
- ↑ Charlotte Business Journal, "What's at stake as hearing on SC nuke plant charges begins," July 30, 2018
- ↑ ABC News 4, "BREAKING: Judge allows SCE&G rate cut for failed nuclear plants to stand," August 6, 2018
- ↑ Utility Dive, "SC Senate sues McMaster for overstepping in naming Santee Cooper chair," August 9, 2018
