Month: May 2020

Special legislative session recap (5/16/20)

Last week, the SC General Assembly went back into session to take care of some unfinished business, primarily passing a Continuing Resolution and a Sine Die Resolution, along with a few bills that had support for quick passage. Here’s a look at what happened at the State House:

Continuing Resolution and Sine Die
The House returned to vote on a continuing resolution that ensures government will continue to function at current budget levels when the new fiscal year begins on July 1st, and until we better understand the fiscal impact of Covid-19. Many agree that the expected opportunities to address one-time needs with a once-expected large state surplus clearly won’t be happening now, but beyond that, many economic forecasters do not know what to expect at this time. Accurate forecasts are essential to pass a budget that doesn’t result in damaging shortfalls which would undermine a lot of progress we’ve made in recent years, especially with education funding.

The Sine Die resolution is passed by the General Assembly every year, setting a mandatory date and time where the legislature must conclude its business annually. Traditionally this date is set for early May once the state budget is adopted, but this year, we were forced to suspend business two months early with much incomplete, including the state budget.

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