April 8, 2020
On Wednesday the General Assembly reconvened in Columbia originally to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government past July 1st and a Sine Die (end of session) resolution. The Sine Die resolution had the General Assembly coming back for a couple of weeks in September. Unfortunately the wheels fell off that plan once they gaveled in at 1 p.m.
The cause: disagreement about what to do with Santee Cooper. Apparently, there was an agreement on Friday between both chambers for the continuing resolution that included language on Santee Cooper. In summary, it would have placed a hold on any action the General Assembly would take on the utility until next year. That deal fell apart yesterday.
The House gaveled in at 1 p.m. and quickly passed the continuing resolution with the Santee Cooper language, then adjourned with no Sine Die resolution. I can’t remember a time that there hasn’t been a Sine Die resolution. The handful of Senator’s who objected to the language in the bill began a mini filibuster for more than three hours and tried to amend the resolution removing the Santee Cooper section. Their effort failed by vote of 23-13.
After an extended recess the Senate came to an agreement to allow Santee Cooper some leeway to make some changes and enter some contracts with the consent of the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, Chairman of Ways and Means and Chairman of Senate Finance. The Senate amendment also has a sunset date of September 24 meaning General Assembly will deal with Santee Cooper this year if the House agrees to come back and accept the changes the Senate made. The Senate did also pass the Sine Die resolution and that now goes back to the House for them to take up when they return. No date has been set for their return at this point.
Why is the Sine Die resolution important? When the House and Senate pass a Sine Die resolution it sets the parameters on what the House and Senate can take up when they return. It’s usually budget vetoes, conference reports, resolutions and any appointments. The way the Sine Die resolution was drafted as of last night it included any bills passed by one chamber. The Charleston Metro Chamber is working to pass several bills that fall into that category, business license fees and angel investors being the top two.
With no Sine Die resolution those bills are dead, as well as the conference report on the military spouse licensing on the House desk and our workforce housing bill on the House calendar under Senate amendments. The legislature also loses their ability to call themselves into session; that power now falls to the Governor, and he sets the bills they can take work on when they return. This is a big deal in a state like ours with a powerful legislature. Unless the House and Senate come back before May 14th and pass a Sine Die, the Governor will dictate terms for the end of session. That hasn’t happened in long time in South Carolina.
Finally, late in the afternoon Governor Henry McMaster issued another executive order allowing furloughed workers in the state can file for unemployment benefits as a form of severance pay. The order goes into effect today.
We will keep you posted on what happens next.
