S.C. General Assembly to reconvene May 12

Listen to this article

The S.C. General Assembly will return to session May 12.

Senate President Harvey Peeler and House Speaker Jay Lucas announced in joint letter dated today that the Legislature, which suspended its session on March 20 because of COVID-19 concerns, would reconvene two days before the 2020 session was scheduled to end on May 14.

“We understand that the past weeks and months have been a challenging and unprecedented time for our state,” the letter reads. “Our regular legislative schedule, along with the schedules and plans of every South Carolinian, was halted abruptly and left unfinished. 

“However, while the pandemic did not permit us to continue to meet as normal, the job of this legislature will not be left unfinished. Now, more than ever, the needs of the citizens of this state must be addressed and met.”

Jeff Gossett, Clerk of the Senate, said via email that an additional two weeks could be added to the 2020 session.

“A final decision on that will be made in the coming days,” the email read.

The General Assembly reconvened for a special one-day session on April 8. The House approved a bill to allow the state to keep spending money if a budget is not passed by the end of June, but several senators opposed the bill because it placed restrictions on Santee Cooper, including not allowing the state utility to approve any contracts longer than a year.

A potential sale of Santee Cooper, saddled with billions of dollars in debt related to the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project, has been the subject of ongoing legislative debate.

“In order to do our work in a timely manner, it is imperative we work together as fellow legislators and fellow South Carolinians. Leadership in both chambers recognizes the importance of this partnership,” the letter read.