SCAPA Legislative Update - April 2023
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SCAPA Legislative Update - April 2023
Submitted by Sunnie Harmon and John DeWorken, LobbySC
State House Day Agenda Set
SCAPA’s State House Day, set for Wednesday April 26th, has been set. Speakers include:
- Senator Shane Massey, Senate Majority Leader
- Rep. Bill Hixon (R-Aiken) Chairman of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Cmt
- Rep. Jay West (R-Anderson), Chairman of the Economic Development and Utilities Modernization Committee and Assistant House Majority Leader of the SC House of Representatives
- Rep. Heather Crawford (R-Horry), House Ways and Means Subcommittee Chair
- Mr. Will Kinney, attorney and lobbyist for the SC Coalition for Lawsuit Reform
- SC Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd
- Rep. Gary Brewer (R-Charleston)
Senate Finishes the Budget
The Senate this week passed the State’s $13B State Budget. To view the budget working documents, click here.
ARPA Funds Appropriated to RIA
The House and Senate have been working on appropriations related to the American Rescue Funds that are being directed to the Rural Infrastructure Authority. Specifically, $586,633,226 is appropriated to the Rural Infrastructure Authority ARPA Water and Sewer Infrastructure Account for the purposes described in Act 244 of 2022. Of the $586,633,226 appropriated, $100,000,000 shall be available for projects designated by the Secretary of Commerce as being significant to economic development and may be funded at up to twenty million dollars per project with no local match requirement.
House Advances Key Economic Development Bills
Just in time for Crossover, the House of Representatives passed several bills that impact jobs and economic development in South Carolina. These bills now will be considered in the Senate. They are as followed:
Short Line Railroad Credits (H.3737): This bill would provide tax credits for reconstruction of Class II and III rail line infrastructure.
DHEC Restructuring (H.4124): This bill would split the agency into environmental and health agencies.
Apprenticeship Credit Bill Passes Senate
The Senate sent S.557 to the House. This bill, by Senator Michael Johnson (R-York), would increase the Apprenticeship Tax Credit from $1,000 to a potential maximum of $4,000 for an apprentice or $6,000 for a youth apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship tax credit is currently capped at $1,000, but under this proposal, the credit would be closer to the actual cost of the program.
Scout Motors Funding Package Adopted
The Senate and House adopted a funding package that is attached to the economic development agreement between Scout Motors, a Volkswagen subsidiary, and the State of South Carolina. Locating in Blythewood in the Midlands, Scout Motors is creating an initial 4,000 jobs and $2B in capital investment in the State. Scout will build all-electric trucks and SUVs at this location.
The Joint Resolution appropriates $1.291B to the Department of Commerce for this project. A little over $1.2B of those funds will come from the Contingency Reserve Fund and $86.25M from the projected General Fund surplus, which will fund a new Interstate interchange on 1-77, site improvements, rail spur connectors, water and wastewater infrastructure, a training center, soil stabilization and land acquisition.
Three Weeks Left Until Sine Die
The House and Senate will adjourn Sine Die on May 11, just a few weeks from now. However, since this is the first year of a two-year Legislative Session, the bills that did not pass will have an opportunity to be considered again in January 2024.
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Sunnie Harmon & John DeWorken
LobbySC
Sunnie Harmon
Sunnie@LobbySC.com
John DeWorken
John@LobbySC.com
