By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | House members filed 97 bills on Wednesday in the first of two pre-filing dates accepting bills before the second year of the two-year session begins Jan. 14. A second round of filing will be held Dec. 11. The Senate will also pre-file its legislation on Dec. 11.
Here are a few of the bills added this week:
- Tax breaks. House Bill 4657 that would “enhance” federal opportunity zone tax breaks by offering breaks and more transparency at the state-level. Read more about S.C. Rep. Marvin Pendarvis’ plan here.
- Detectors. HB.. 4665 by Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-North Charleston, would require all public schools have a walk-through metal detector installed at all entrances by the 2020-2021 school year.
- Bullets. H.B. 4706 by Rep. J.A. Moore, D-Goose Creek, would provide a penalty for each bullet fired from a gun when a person is fatally shot. Read more about what South Carolina residents say they want to do about shooting deaths.
- Diversion programs. H.B. 4719 by Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, would establish pre-arrest diversion programs for minors in the state, among other juvenile justice changes. Read more about how more children could be getting caught in the judicial system than ever before in South Carolina.
- Vaping. H.B. 4710 by Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland, and others would include vaping in the state’s Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act of 2006. Read more about the regulations that could be coming to electronic cigarettes’ sales in the state.
- Naloxone. H.B. 4711 by Rep. Russell Fry, R-Horry, would require prescribers to offer a prescription for opioid-overdose antidote Naloxone to a patient under certain circumstances. Read more about what the state is doing on opioids.
- Hate crimes. H.B. 4680 by Rep. Bernstein and others seeks to add penalties for crimes motivated by a person’s race, religion, gender or sexual identity. The bill also provides an avenue for victims to bring civil action for damages sustained.
- Related: Read editor Andy Brack’s piece on why it’s time for South Carolina to have a hate crime law.
- See all the bills here.
In other recent news:
Senate Education Committee to talk overhaul Dec. 12. The second full-committee hearing on a sweeping overhaul bill for public education will take place 2 p.m. Dec. 12 in room 308 of the Gressette building on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. Education Chair Greg Hembree, R-Horry, told Statehouse Report last week he is pushing the committee to give a favorable report for the bill originally passed by the House before the start of the 2020 legislative session Jan. 14. See agenda here.
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- Related: The committee’s education funding formula panel will meet 10 a.m. Dec. 4 in room room 308 of the Gressette building on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. Read the agenda.
Clemson gets $1.24M grant for offshore wind research. Clemson researchers and the North Charleston wind turbine lab received a U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop a new way to test a key piece of equipment on offshore wind turbines, enhancing their reliability and making them more cost-effective to build. Read more about the grant here.
‘Angel’ charities recognized by secretary of state. Secretary of State Mark Hammond has released the agency’s annual list of nonprofits donating the most money — more than 80 percent of their expenses — towards their causes. Click here to find some of the best charities, according to Hammond.
Santee Cooper reform plan approved Thursday. State-owned utility Santee Cooper has approved a plan to improve its finances, as mandated by a legislative directive. The plan will be considered alongside bids to manage or buy the utility in a January report to legislators. It will remain secret until then. Read more.
Regulators tentatively agree to drop solar rates. A draft directive from the S.C. Public Service Commission would put solar reimbursement rates in South Carolina at the lowest in the nation — cutting them more than a third from where they have previously been. The directive also would limit contracts to 10 years. Both moves will effectively end solar investment in the state, solar advocates said this week. PSC Commissioner Tom Ervin told Statehouse Report that adjustments to the directive could happen over the coming weeks, and it will be addressed again in two years. Read more via The State.
A good cause in a box. Blessing Boxes are popping up across South Carolina as a Palmetto State way to help feed the community. Read more from our sister publication Charleston City Paper about how these micro-warehouses seek to take on the big issue of food insecurity.
Simrill to be honored for leadership. The 2019 Wilkins Award for Excellence in Civic Leadership will go to House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, who was nominated for this award by his peers in the State House. The citizen being recognized with the award is Nella Barkley, who has worked on elevating education, improving the arts, and creating opportunities for marginalized populations. Simrill and Barkley will be recognized at a Columbia leadership dinner Jan. 14.
S.C. collects nearly $64M in sales tax from online retailers. S.C. Department of Revenue has reported that out-of-state, online retailers have contributed to $64 million in sales taxes to the state. Read more.
Public hearings on judicial merit selections. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission will hold public hearings Dec. 2-4 at 9:30 a.m. in room 105 of the Gressette building on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. See the agenda here.
2020 candidate calendar
Throughout the campaign season, we are working to keep South Carolina informed of candidate events in the state. Have an event you want us to know about? Email us at 2020news@statehousereport.com.
Yang stops in Rock Hill Nov. 22. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang will visit South Carolina today and hold a rally 7 p.m. at Old Town Amphitheater in Rock Hill. Learn more.
Harris makes 3-day swing in S.C. California Sen. Kamala Harris will hold a black women town hall 6 p.m. Nov. 23 at Benedict College (RSVP). Then, on Nov. 24, Harris will attend three churches:
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- 10:30-11 a.m. at Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Bennettsville;
- 11:15-11:45 a.m. at Community of Grace Church in Bennettsville; and,
- 1:55 p.m. at Grace Temple Church in Wallace (RSVP).
On Nov. 25, Harris will hold a meet-and-greet 3:55 p.m. in Berkeley County. Details have not been announced for that stop. Click here to learn more.
Klobuchar makes 2-day swing in S.C. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar will hold campaign events Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. Details have not been announced yet. Click here to learn more.
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