Legislative Outcomes
Review the results of important legislation and the impact of our united advocacy efforts.
How They Voted: 2025
Investments in South Carolina
$290 million to fund the phased-in reduction of the individual income tax rate from 6.3% to 6.0%.
Funding to increase teacher starting salaries to $48,500 bringing South Carolina higher than Georgia and North Carolina.
$3 million to increase full-day 4k funding.
$91.4 million to fund the SC Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship Program (SCWINS).
$5 million to ReadySC for Economic Development Training.
$71.3million to freeze in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
$13 million to enhance the technical college system and its 16 colleges’ ability to meet workforce demands effectively.
$16 million to address workforce shortages by expanding medical residency programs and supporting the training and development of paraprofessional healthcare workers.
$81 million to LocateSC to allow South Carolina to proactively prepare sites, plan on the state and local level, support local governments with grants and ensure the state remains attractive and competitive.
$27 million to the rural infrastructure authority to further water and sewer grant opportunities.
$5 million to fund first time homebuyer grant opportunities for workforce housing.
$80 million for airport infrastructure and safety projects.
$12 million to the rural infrastructure fund to enhance the quality of life for residents in communities across South Carolina by providing grant and loan financing options, as well as training, technical assistance and funding coordination for qualified infrastructure projects for water and wastewater systems and stormwater drainage facilities.
$13.1 million to the Statewide Education and Workforce Development for portal development and maintenance. The Education & Workforce Portal will serve as the state’s central access point for education and workforce information to users as their opportunities and pathways change throughout their life. The portal will be a desktop- and mobile-browser-friendly online resource that will provide users with tailored resources relating to workforce opportunities and pathways.
$200 million to SCDOT to accelerate bridge infrastructure improvements throughout the state.
$40 million to Office of Resilience for disaster relief and reserve fund replenishment.
$14.5 million to Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) to improve permitting timeframes. This is accompanied by proviso language that implements a 90-day deadline for DES to issue a permit decision.
With the on-gong teacher shortage in South Carolina, we asked for innovative solutions to attract qualified professionals to our classrooms. S.78 addresses this by offering individuals with prior relevant work experience a spot in line on the teacher pay scale that reflects their experience. This bill is an important step forward in helping mid-career professionals transition into teaching.
This bill creates an optional pilot program allowing school districts to hire non-certified teachers, with the ratio of non-certified teachers capped at 10% of the teaching staff. It’s another measure aimed at addressing the teacher workforce shortage.
Businesses have asked, and the Senate has delivered. Real lawsuit reform that ends joint and several liability, drops minimum coverage from $1mm to $500,000, and allows nonparties to appear on the verdict form. Addresses Medical Malparactice and Construction Statute of Repose.
As South Carolina grows, we must ensure we have the energy infrastructure to support it. H. 3309 addresses the critical need for reliable energy generation by providing regulatory clarity, including permitting reform to streamline the construction of vital energy infrastructure. This bill passed the House and will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. We believe it will play a crucial role in ensuring our state’s energy future.
The compromise is most of what the House originally passed minus DUI penalty enhancements. The tiered mandatory minimum coverage and knowingly language prevailed. Joint and several language, with many exceptions, remained in the bill from S.244 language. Gross negligence was excluded and allowances to the verdict form made it into the bill.
South Carolina has one of the highest effective tax rates in the southeast region. House members, along with Senate leaders and the Governor unveiled a flat tax structure that would lower the rate initially to 3.99% with triggers to lower the rate to 2.49%. Following the publication of the fiscal impact statement the bill was amended to a two tiers, 5.39% and 1.99% respectively, with triggers to zero if revenue continues its current pace.y.
The legislation extends existing law until 2031, requiring entities involved in transportation improvement projects to cover the costs of relocating water and sewer lines within the project’s rights-of-way. This includes expenses for design, engineering, and installation, with provisions based on the utility’s size. The approach is seen as a cost-saving measure, especially for smaller utilities like Charleston Water System, which would otherwise have to pass relocation costs onto customers or delay the relocations until they have enough funds, potentially delaying highway construction.
The bill adds planning for repairs to bridges, highways, roads, and other improvements on state rights of way to the list of exemptions from the state procurement code. Currently, SC DOT uses its own procurement process for highways and related infrastructure but must follow state procurement procedures for projects like mass transit facilities. This often results in separate entities managing different parts of the same project. The proposed changes in H. 3801 would streamline the process, reduce duplication, and improve overall efficiency in managing such projects.
It is our position it is the right of private business to make their own operating decisions. The bill was amended to reflect more closely the proviso language that was ruled out of order during the budget debate then amended again with contractor requirements that place undue burden on employers to comply with political policy.