State House Update: Property Rights and Poultry
On Tuesday, legislators return to the State House from a week off. They’ll have 12 legislative days to work on priority bills before the end of the legislative Year, meaning there will be a flurry of activity for the next 3-4 weeks. We’ll keep you informed of all the happenings and opportunities to take action.
Highlights from last week:
Although the House and Senate were both on furlough, there were some notable developments last week:
- Governor McMaster issued a statement in support of S.105, the Automatic Stay bill. While we are disappointed in his support of a bad bill, we are not deterred from the fight. You can read his statement and our response here.
- SCE&G made a presentation to the Public Service Commission about the future of the V.C. Summer nuclear reactors in light of the bankruptcy announcement from its contractor, Westinghouse, who has been building the reactors. In short, the future of the project remains uncertain. Regardless of the outcome of the project, these developments highlight the need for continued dialogue on the future of energy in South Carolina. Read more by The State here. Stay tuned for more on this later.
The Week Ahead:
- Taking Priority – With only 12 legislative days left, legislators are focusing on priority bills in the coming week. Unfortunately, it looks like S.105 — the bill that will weaken the Automatic Stay – is one of these. There is a House Judiciary Subcommittee meeting on S.105 this Wednesday, April 19, at 9am. Please keep up the pressure and contact your Representative and ask them to oppose this bill.
- It’s Time to Act – The Dam Safety Reform Bill, H.3218, will finally have a subcommittee hearing this Thursday, April 20th at 8:30 am. Thank you for asking your Senators for a hearing. Now, please ask your Senator to support Dam Safety Reform as the bill advances.
- Something New -The Poultry Pollution Bill, H.3929, will have a subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 18, at 2:30pm. This bill goes too far in trying to protect new poultry farming operations from their neighbors. There should be a balance between poultry farmers and the neighbors who may be impacted by their operation.
- Breaking the Logjam on Dam Safety and Solar Property Tax – Both bills have yet to receive hearings in their respective chambers. We need your help to get legislators to take action before they run out of time.
- More Debate on Conservation Bank – We wrapped up testimony on H.4014 in House Ways and Means last week. We’re looking forward to continued work with the Committee to address concerns and get the Conservation Bank reauthorized.
Please visit our Legislative Action Center for opportunities to contact your legislators about these bills and others.