With clock ticking, S.C. lawmakers have a busy few days ahead of them

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina lawmakers have just three days left to get their major priorities for the year completed and to the governor’s desk.

Unfinished business includes efforts to reform income taxes, protect South Carolina’s power supply and figure out what to do about the state treasurer and the governor’s pick to head the public health department.

It’ll be a flurry of action here at the State House next week – when lawmakers ar in session for its final three days.

They’ll work all the way up to 5 p.m. on Thursday – when the law requires them to stop.

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Lawmakers won’t have to worry about some priorities they’ve already checked off the to-do list – including bills to reinstate the private school voucher program and to reform teachers’ contract process.

Those will soon head to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster – who’s already signed another key matter into law this week – a merger of three state health-related agencies into one.

“This is an enormous, historic step forward, a great step forward, for the people of our state to make things better and better,” McMaster said.

But more work remains on other priorities – including a push to ensure South Carolina can keep the lights on for years to come as it welcomes massive growth.

The House approved a potential compromise on the energy reform legislation Thursday – and it’ll now await senators’ sign-off.

“It took a second to get it done, but after long last, we did get a resolution where we believe this version that was ed by the House is going to be concurred with in the Senate when it gets over there,” said Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Dorchester.

of both bodies are also working out an agreement between their tort reform and liquor liability bills.

As time winds down, they say the door remains open to get a compromise settled.

“So that the folks that have been experiencing these skyrocketing s are not being held hostage yet again to a broader scope of issues,” said Rep. Weston Newton, Judiciary Committee chairman.

But not everything will get done next week – or ever.

Next week, the House expects to debate a plan to revamp South Carolina’s income tax system – which senators won’t take up this year.

Two issues not expected to get lawmakers’ focus next week deal with key state leaders.

House leaders do not intend to take up a resolution to remove elected Treasurer Curtis Loftis from office – which senators ed last month.

And senators say they will not hold a vote on whether to confirm the governor’s appointee to lead the Department of Public Health Dr. Edward Simmer.

McMaster has stood by his pick and repeatedly urged senators to give him a vote – after Simmer failed to advance out of a committee earlier this year.

“Dr. Simmer’s not going to get a vote in the full Senate. When the vote fails in the committee, the vote fails in committee, and that’s just — that’s where the body is,” said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield.

One final priority will be completed after next week – the state budget.

The General Assembly always gives itself extra time to wrap that up – so it can go into effect July 1.

This is the first year of a two-year session.

So any bills that don’t make it to the governor’s desk by the end of next week can be picked up in January, when a new legislative session begins.

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