From the Dome to Your Home: April 29, 2011
The House of Representatives and the Senate met in regular session this week and held subcommittee and committee meetings. The Senate debated its version of the state budget, while the House worked on legislation on the calendar. May 1 is the deadline for bills to cross over from one body to the other to be considered this session. There are five weeks left in the session.
Highlights of the Week
Both point of sale bills on House and Senate calendars – UPDATE AND ACTION NEEDED NOW
Two point of sale bills are making their way through the House of Representatives and the Senate. See below for the immediate action needed on this issue. Easy talking points are available here.
As amended, H3713 and S647 eliminate the point of sale reassessment meaning property values will no longer be “trued up” when property is sold. Instead, the new owner would inherit the tax exemption of the previous owner. Also, at reassessment, the new owner would receive another tax exemption if the value of the property has increased more than 15 percent since the last reassessment. Contact Melissa Carter (mcarter@masc.sc) at 803.933.1251 if you have questions about any of the point of sale bills.
H3713 remains on the House contested calendar after debate on Wednesday evening. Representative Harry Ott (D-Calhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg) offered an amendment to create a state income tax credit for all property classifications except owner-occupied residential. The House voted 64 to 47 to table the amendment. Representative B.R. Skelton (R – Pickens) spoke against the bill. Representative James Smith (D – Richland) offered a parliamentary inquiry about a constitutional vote requirement to Speaker Bobby Harrell. He ruled in favor of Representative Smith’s inquiry. The inquiry helped cities, towns, counties and schools.
Representative Alan Clemmons (R – Horry), in an effort to delay a vote to help the real estate agents, moved to adjourn debate on the bill. Representative David Weeks (D – Sumter) moved to table the motion to adjourn debate. The House voted 70 to 44 to table the motion to adjourn debate. The adjourn debate motion was adopted, and the House later adjourned for the day without taking action on H3713.
On Thursday, Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D - Orangeburg) moved to adjourn debate on H3713 until Tuesday, May 3. There were no objections. Representative Cobb-Hunter’s motion prevents H3713 from being passed out of the House before the May 1 crossover deadline. This makes it more difficult to pass the bill this session.
It is very important for ALL LOCAL OFFICIALS to continue to call ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES over the weekend and urge them to vote against H3713 when it comes up for debate next week. This is a critical time to contact your House members.
- Senate point of sale bill
S647, the Senate version of the point of sale bill, remains on the Senate calendar. The Senate debated the state budget bill this week and did not take up any contested legislation.
Continue to call your local school board members and county council members to partner together against these bills which do not fix the problems brought about by the 15 percent reassessment cap in Act 388. Instead, they magnify the existing problems and raise additional concerns. Also, talk with your local homebuilders about these bills. Let them know that these bills in current form would discourage new construction because new homes will be taxed at full market value, while existing homes will inherit the tax exemption of the previous owner. After you talk to your House member or Senator, contact Casey Fields (cfields@masc.sc) at 803.933.1256 and let her know what they said about the bill.
Senate passes state budget
The full Senate began debating the budget on Tuesday and continued all week. Senators plan to continue budget debate when they reconvene at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Included is the same 10 percent cut to the current year distribution of the Local Government Fund as included in the House version of the budget. This equals an $8.9 million loss to cities and towns for FY 2011-2012. To allow this cut, the Senate Finance committee approved H3516, the bill passed by the House that allows the General Assembly to reduce the Local Government Fund for one year beyond the amount allowed by law. H3516 remains on the Senate calendar. Contact Melissa Carter (mcarter@masc.sc) at 803.933.1251 if you have questions about the budget or Local Government Fund.
Weekly Bill Introductions
Committee Action This Week
The Association’s legislative team covered these bills in committee or subcommittee and provided testimony where needed. Click on the bill's link for a full chronology of amendments and committee progress.
House Judiciary General Laws subcommittee
H3308 – Enacts Jaidon's Law – favorable report as amended. The amendment makes technical changes.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Makes changes to the contents, approval and amendments of a placement plan developed by the Department of Social Services for a child removed from the custody of his or her parents.
House Education and Public Works Transportation subcommittee
H3390 – Requirements for abandoning or closing a street, road or highway – adjourned debate
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires that the notice of intention to file a petition to close or abandon a street, road or highway must be posted along the street, road or highway subject to the approval by the governmental entity responsible for maintenance.
House Judiciary Special Laws subcommittee
H3918 – Moves the Division of Aeronautics to the Department of Transportation – favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Moves the Division of Aeronautics from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Transportation and gives the Division of Aeronautics the authority over local decisions including opening and closing airports and local zoning decisions around the airports.
House Judiciary Election Laws subcommittee
H3911 – Requires the establishment of early voting centers – adjourned debate
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires the authority charged by law to conduct elections to establish early voting centers to allow a registered county resident to vote outside their precinct
S391 – Changes the time that absentee ballots may be open in elections – favorable report with an amendment
Summary of the bill as introduced: Changes the time in a general, municipal, special and primary election in which absentee ballots maybe opened from 2 p.m. to 9 a.m. An amendment adopted by the Senate Judiciary committee changes the time back to 2 p.m.
S404 – SC Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voters Act – favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Allows a voter to make a statement on a federal write-in absentee ballot that he is unable to vote by regular absentee ballot or in person due to the requirements of military service, living in an isolated area or extremely remote area of the world.
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