Legislative Update & Annual Meeting Recap

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SC House Organizational Session Scheduled for December

The SC House will reconvene for its organizational session December 6-7, during which time they will assign everything from seats to committees. They will also be welcoming many new faces, 27 to be exact. Click here to view the new House members. SCFOR congratulates all on their elections.

We look forward to seeing familiar faces return and getting to know the new members! The legislative session begins on January 10, 2023.

House Republicans Release Agenda
The House Republican Caucus has released its 2023-2024 “Agenda for South Carolina’s Success” based on five pillars – economic prosperity, education reform, limited government, personal freedom, and law and order. View the Caucus Agenda here.

House & Senate Pre-File Dates

January marks the first year of a two-year legislative session, and everything starts anew. The House and Senate will have the opportunity to pre-file legislation before January.

House members can pre-file legislation on December 8 and December 15.
Senators can pre-filed legislation on November 30 and December 7.

Pre-files offer a preview as to what could be the big priorities of each chamber or simply the priorities of one or two legislators. These bills will be the first of MANY introduced during the upcoming session.

The SCFOR Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, November 10, at the Hall at Senate’s End in Columbia, SC. We talked about the big wins from 2022 and strategies for continued success! Here’s a brief overview of the day, and thank you to all of our sponsors, speakers, and attendees for joining us!

Former SCFOR Chairman Gary Brewer (HDR) provides opening remarks and reflects on his work with SCFOR and recent efforts on the campaign trail. Brewer has stepped down from his role as Chairman to take on a new role – albeit one where he will still be hearing from SCFOR – just in a different capacity.

A big congratulations to Gary Brewer on his election to the SC House! SCFOR’s loss is the House’s gain, and we look forward to working with him in this new role.

SCFOR will remain in good hands, as Jim Thompson (Martin Marietta) is stepping up from his Vice-Chairman position on the SCFOR Board to assume the role of Chairman.

SCDOT Commission Chairman Gene Branham provided us with a Commissioner's perspective of the SCDOT before introducing Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall. Secretary Hall provided a thorough update on how the agency has evolved to better plan and meet the needs of our growing state, progress to date, and strategies for continued success.

The SCDOT continues to align funding with priorities linked to goals established by the state's 10-year plan, which aims to repair and improve existing roads and bridges to keep people and freight moving safely and efficiently. Thank you to all the SCDOT leadership staff and Commissioners who joined us for the meeting!

We always enjoy hearing from our friends with the Municipal Association of SC (MASC) and the SC Association of Counties (SCAC). A big thank you to Owen McBride (SCAC), Scott Slatton (MASC), and John Wienges (SCAC) for providing everyone with an update about how local governments are working to tackle infrastructure needs and priorities for the upcoming session.

Newly elected Rep. Gary Brewer (R-Charleston) and Senator Sean Bennett (R-Dorchester) talk about the legislative process, lessons learned from the campaign trail, the 2022 session – and what they expect in 2023.

Senator Bennett reminded everyone that while South Carolina provided some income tax reductions and rebates this year through the budget, the legislature needed to take a comprehensive approach to tax reform – and while this would be a difficult task, it is necessary.

Excellent information on the continued evolution of vehicle technologies and the anticipated growth of electric vehicles from Ben Pierce, HDR's National Director of Mobility and Operational Technology Services group. It is clear that technology continues to advance, and as it does, it will only continue to transform the infrastructure landscape – impacting everything from design and safety to funding.

Representatives Brandon Newton (R-Lancaster) and Roger Kirby (D-Florence) discuss the state’s progress on infrastructure and how the SC House is working to address utility modernization, workforce, and economic development.