Page Content
From the Dome to Your Home: May 29, 2015
The House of Representatives and Senate were in session this week and held subcommittee and committee meetings. Most of the action took place on the floor of the House and Senate debating bills with only three legislative days left in the first year of this two-year session. Any bill that doesn’t pass this session is still active for the 2016 session.
Body camera bill in conference committee
House and Senate members could not agree on changes to S47, the body camera bill, so a conference committee was appointed to iron out the differences. S47 was amended by House members to instruct the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council to conduct a body camera pilot project and establish guidelines for using body worn-cameras. Senators insisted on their version of S47, requiring body cameras for officers on the local level subject to full funding. Conference committee members include Senators Hembree, Malloy and Young and Representatives Pope, Gilliard and Tallon. The conference committee met on Thursday afternoon but took no action on the bill. For more information on the body camera bill, contact Tiger Wells (twells@masc.sc) at 803.933.1270.
Debate begins in the Senate on the roads bill
On Wednesday, senators began debating H3579, the House version of the transportation infrastructure bill. Members of the Senate Republican Caucus proposed a new plan to fix the state’s roads and infrastructure. Senators resumed debating the capital reserve bill on Thursday and adjourned on Thursday without taking action on either bill. For more information on the roads plans, contact Melissa Carter (mcarter@masc.sc) at 803.933.1251 or Scott Slatton (sslatton@masc.sc) at 803.933.1203.
Meeting agenda bill in conference committee
A conference committee met again this week to discuss the differences in the House and Senate versions of S11, the bill that requires an agenda for all regularly scheduled meetings of a public body. The House amended S11with the House version of the bill. H3192, is the House version which requires an emergency finding before an action item could be added to an agenda once the regularly scheduled meeting begins.
Senators Greg Gregory, Chip Campsen and Kevin Johnson and Representatives Weston Newton, Bill Taylor and Mandy Powers-Norrell met on Wednesday morning. Committee members plan to ask the House and Senate for free conference powers on compromise language to make further changes to the bill; however, they have not requested free conference powers yet. The potential compromise would require a 2/3 vote to add any action item to the agenda and an additional finding of emergency circumstances to take final action. For more information on the agenda bill, contact Tiger Wells (twells@masc.sc) at 803.933.1270.
Budget action this week
House members discussed the Senate changes to H3701, the state budget bill, on Thursday. House members amended the budget back to the House version and sent it back to the Senate. Senators nonconcurred with the House changes to the bill and returned it back to the House. House members will continue work on the budget on Tuesday. The House Ways and Means Committee meets on Monday to discuss a bill that would allocate additional surplus revenue. For more information on the state budget bill, contact Melissa Carter (mcarter@masc.sc) at 803.933.1251.
Weekly bill introductions
Committee action this week
House Education and Public Works Transportation Committee
H3440 - Makes several changes to the current law on mopeds – favorable report with an amendment. The amendment adds language to the bill to require mopeds to always travel in the right lane, except when they are making a left turn.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires a moped to be registered, carry insurance and may not be operated on a public road with a speed limit greater than 35 miles per hour.
Don’t forget to follow the Municipal Association on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s happening every day at the State House. Follow us @MuniAssnSC.
The Municipal Association encourages reprints and reproductions of this report; however, contact the Municipal Association for permission and give credit for any reprints or re-use of this report.