THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) canceled the fifth in a series of town hall meetings on "College Access and Affordability in South Carolina" which was scheduled for Thursday, March 15 in Myrtle Beach, SC. It is unclear if or when the meeting will be rescheduled.
CHE's monthly newsletter, which contains a listing of upcoming town hall meetings, may be found here.
The next scheduled town hall will be held in Spartanburg on April 5, 2018. The location has not yet been announced.
BUDGET The 2018-19 State Budget Process The full South Carolina House of Representatives completed their work on the state budget in the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 14.
The House version of the budget is identical to the Ways and Means Committee's version of the budget with respect to Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G - No new recurring funding - $5 million in nonrecurring funding for SC's Advanced Materials Industrial Competitiveness (Instruments)
Clemson PSA - $2 million in recurring funding for Water Resource Research, Management and Technology - $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Statewide Research and Education Facility Upgrades - $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Facility Renovation for Water Research
The budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance and an increase in retirement contributions for state employees and employers. The employee portion of both the health insurance and retirement contribution increases will be paid by the state.
The budget now goes to the Senate Finance Committee.
Detailed information on Clemson's 2018 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2018-19 may be found at these links:
BILLS OF INTEREST The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson. A complete listing of these bills may be found here. Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill's current status.
NEWS AND FYI Members of the State 4-H Teen Council and 4-H students and agents from across the state traveled to Columbia last Tuesday, March 13 for their annual legislative day.
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