Friday, March 27, 2020
The General Assembly has postponed the legislative session until further notice. South Carolina’s public schools will remain closed through the month of April.
REMINDER: Wash your hands. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough. Stay home if you’re sick.
CORONAVIRUS
Gov. Henry McMaster and State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced on Tuesday that all South Carolina public schools will remain closed for the duration of the month of April. The governor’s Executive Order applies to all K-12 schools and the state’s public colleges, universities and technical colleges. They encouraged all institutions to maintain existing plans to provide instruction through virtual learning.
Both the House and Senate will remain in recess for the foreseeable future.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is offering free Telehealth consultations and screenings to anyone in South Carolina experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms. New and existing patients should use the promo code COVID19.
For more information from the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control on the virus, go here.
The DHEC Care Line is available to provide general information about COVID-19 by calling 1-855-472-3432 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., seven days per week.
Other helpful links:
South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division provides links to important information, including the South Carolina Department on Aging, SC Childcare, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the Department of Revenue and the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
South Carolina Department of Commerce for small business information and assistance.
Information for parents, teachers and students regarding statewide school closures can be found at the SC Department of Education.
For resources that might be beneficial to your organization’s preparedness efforts, visit the COVID-19 Resources page of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA (Copper Dome Strategies is a subsidiary of the law firm).
ELECTIONS
The 2020 Candidate Filing Period opened at noon on March 16, and closes at noon this Monday, March 30. Any candidate seeking a political party’s nomination for any office in the 2020 General Election must file with the appropriate county board of voter registration and elections or the South Carolina Election Commission during this period. All 170 seats in the S.C. General Assembly (124 House seats and 46 Senate seats) are up for election this year, along with numerous county and local offices.
Partisan primary elections are scheduled for June 9. Runoff elections, if necessary, are scheduled for June 23. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in a partisan primary election in South Carolina, the two top vote-getters advance to a head-to-head match-up two weeks later.
For more information go here.
RETIREMENTS
Senator Paul Campbell (R-Berkeley – District 44) announced he will not seek re-election. Campbell currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and has served in the Senate since 2007.
UP NEXT
The General Assembly will not meet next week or in the foreseeable future. We will keep you apprised as to any updates regarding the state’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
REARVIEWS 2020
Look to SCACPA’s ‘The View from the Dome’ for State House Developments on Tax Issues Through SC’s 2020 Legislative Session. Sine Die adjournment is scheduled for May 14.
Jan. 10: South Carolina’s Pending Tax Bills and Your 2020 Legislative Preview
Jan. 17: Gov. McMaster’s Executive Budget Calls for Tax Cuts, Rebates for Taxpayers
Jan. 31: House Subcommittee Hears Budget Request from SC Chief Justice to Improve Case Management System
Feb. 7: Senate Finance Committee Approves Business Personal Property Bill for DOR Filing
Feb. 14: Board of Economic Advisors Announces Largest Budget Surplus in SC History
Feb. 21: House Floor Debate is Up Next for Budget After Ways and Means Committee Plan Adopted
Feb. 28: House Members Have Upcoming Week to Study Budget Before Floor Debate
March 6: Education Reform Bill Moves from Senate to House; DHEC Tells of Coronavirus Resources
March 20: A Look Inside the $45M COVID-19 Relief Package for DHEC; Return of Legislators is on Hold
To keep up with the latest news of SCACPA Advocacy, turn to the SCACPA Blog and our social media outlets.
