View From the Dome – July 2, 2021: The General Assembly returned to Columbia Tuesday to address the governor’s vetoes on the state budget. The Senate confirmed two of the governor’s recent appointments.

Advocacy on behalf of our Membership is an important pillar of SCACPA’s service to members. This View From the Dome update is prepared in conjunction with Copper Dome Strategies.

Friday, July 2, 2021

A Quick View

  • The General Assembly returned to Columbia Tuesday, June 29 to address Governor McMaster’s vetoes on the FY21-22 budget. The governor had issued 226 vetoes of earmarked appropriations totaling $152 million. Both the House and Senate overrode the governor’s veto on all 226 appropriations allowing the $152 million to remain in the budget, which took effect on July 1.
  • Harry M. Lightsey III of Columbia was unanimously confirmed by the full Senate as the next secretary of the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
  • The General Assembly is not expected to return to Columbia again until September. We will keep you updated on any relevant activity that may occur.

Budget

The General Assembly returned to Columbia Tuesday to address Governor McMaster’s vetoes on the FY21-22 General Appropriations Act, H. 4100 (Ways and Means Committee). The governor exercised his veto authority issuing 226 vetoes of earmarked appropriations totaling $152 million. All 226 appropriations were consolidated into six budget sections. Both the House and Senate overrode the governor’s veto of all six sections allowing the $152 million to remain in the budget, which takes effect on July 1. Several provisos vetoed by the governor were sustained. All activity from Tuesday can be found here.

The $31 billion budget includes $10 billion in general fund revenues and one-time surplus revenue of $1.3 billion. The revised budget also includes $524 million in new recurring revenue.

The governor’s Veto Message can be found here.

The Conference Report, which will now become the state budget effective July 1, can be found here.

The General Assembly is not expected to return to Columbia again until September to determine how to appropriate nearly $2.5 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Also up for debate is the $525 million from the Savannah River Site (SRS) settlement, much of which is likely to be directed to the three-county region primarily impacted by SRS.

Sine Die Adjournment

The General Assembly has adopted H. 4285 (Reps. Lucas, Simrill and Rutherford), a Concurrent Resolution to allow the bodies to meet post adjournment at the call of the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to consider certain specified matters, including the state budget.

The General Assembly is expected to meet again in the fall to address redistricting and appropriate the nearly $2.5 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the $525 million from the Savannah River Site (SRS) lawsuit settlement.