Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce LEGISLATIVE

SCORECARD 2020 INTRODUCTION

HE CHARLESTON METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is committed to T keeping our region competitive and improving the business climate. Through the legislative process, the Chamber works on behalf of its members to advocate for policies that contribute to the growth and prosperity of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

This year we worked to advance legislation in the following priority areas:

• Taxes and Regulation • State Fiscal Health • Talent, Education and Workforce • Military Base Retention and Expansion • Entrepreneurship • Workforce Housing

The Chamber’s advocacy efforts at the State House are led by Chamber Lobbyist, George Ramsey. George is at the State House each day the legislature is in session, advocating on behalf of the region’s business community. The 2020 session is the second year of a two-part session that ended in September 2020 due to the pandemic. Thank you to the leadership shown by our delegation in both the House and Senate. 22 of our 26 delegation members voted at or above 75% with the Charleston Metro Chamber’s Legislative Agenda this year.

For more information, or to view the full agenda and Guiding Principles, visit WWW.CHARLESTONCHAMBER.ORG/LEGISLATIVEAGENDA. CHECK-CIRCLE LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES: S.76 H.4431 ANGEL INVESTOR REAUTHORIZATION BUSINESS LICENSE TAX REFORM Act 138 reauthorizes the Angel Investor Act tax credits (which Act 180 streamlines and standardizes the business license tax expired in 2019), allowing investors in start-ups to apply for the process without negatively impacting municipal revenues. The credit for an additional six years. The Angel Investor tax credit has legislation includes an online payment portal, common applications been extremely effective in encouraging early-stage investment in statewide and an appeals process. The law will cut red tape for high growth companies statewide. Since the initial law took effect businesses, saving time and money in compliance costs. This is a in 2013, nearly 1,000 jobs have been created and $175 million in big win for businesses statewide and a long-time chamber legislative Angel capital has been raised for these companies. priority that finally crossed the goal line.

S.455 S.207 MILITARY SERVICE CREDENTIALING ACT WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING This legislation minimizes the red tape when active duty military This legislation gives affordable housing partnerships the same spouses apply for state professional licenses. The adoption of the property tax exemptions that are currently afforded to nonprofit bill allows the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation to affordable housing corporations if the housing corporation is expedite and reciprocate professional licenses for spouses at Joint managing or general partner of the partnership. The law incentivizes Base Charleston. The passage of this act is an important step in private developers and investors to partner with our housing ensuring the continued viability of military missions and making authorities to build housing for our workforce. South Carolina the most attractive place in the country for service members. H.3210 CARES ACT FUNDING APPROPRIATIONS H.3998 As South Carolina’s economy was restarting after the COVID-19 WORKFORCE AND SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING shutdown, South Carolina’s five major Metro Chambers, along with Act 137 will build affordable housing for seniors and lower waged 17 other Chambers and business organizations from across the workers, which is particularly important in the Charleston region state, created the GrowSC Agenda. The GrowSC team felt the state due to disproportionate housing costs. This tax credit will partner needed to address several key issues to allow businesses to get with an existing federal tax credit allowing developers to apply for back to doing what they do best – creating jobs and serving as the state credits as well to meet this need in our state. bedrock of our state. In H.3210, the General Assembly addressed several critical areas outlined in the GrowSC Agenda. • $920 million to replenish the SC Unemployment Trust Fund ($500 million in June and $420 million in September) • $40 million for grants to small and minority-owned businesses • $25 million in grant funding for nonprofits. S.76 S.455 ARMED H.3998 WORKFORCE H.4431 BUSINESS S.207 WORKFORCE H.3210 CARES ACT NAME DISTRICT ANGEL SERVICE AFFORDABLE LICENSE TAX AFFORDABLE FUNDING FOR SMALL INVESTOR LICENSING ACT HOUSING REFORM HOUSING BUSINESS RELEIF Robert Brown House District 116 N/V Y Y N/V N/V Y

Krystle Matthews House District 117 Y Y Y Y Y Y

Joe Daning House District 92 Y Y Y Y Y Y

Wendell Gilliard House District 111 N/V N/V Y E/A N/V Y

Lee Hewitt House District 108 Y Y N Y Y Y

Lin Bennett House District 114 Y Y N Y Y Y UNFINISHED Con Chellis House District 94 N/V N/V N/V E/A E/A E/A Joseph Jefferson House District 102 Y Y Y Y Y Y

LEGISLATIVE Mandy Kimmons House District 97 Y Y N Y Y Y PRIORITIES William Cogswell House District 110 Y Y Y N/V Y Y David Mack House District 109 Y Y Y Y Y Y State Fiscal Health Continue to support reforms to the current Nancy Mace House District 99 Y Y N N/V N/V N/V SC Retirement System that will eliminate the Chris Murphy House District 98 Y Y Y Y N/V Y unfunded liability closing the state pension system to new employees and moving to a JA Moore House District 15 Y Y Y Y Y Y defined contribution plan. Mike Sottile House District 112 Y Y Y Y Y Y Talent, Education and House District 100 Y Y N Y Y Y Workforce House District 119 N/V Y Y Y Y Y Update and modernize SC’s state education Marvin Pendarvis House District 113 Y Y Y Y Y Y funding model to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education. Support Sean Bennett Senate District 38 Y Y Y N/V Y Y increased funding for state colleges and Paul Campbell Senate District 44 Y Y Y N/V Y Y universities to ease tuition burdens on in-state students. Secure $25.6 million to renovate Chip Campsen Senate District 43 Y E/A Y Y Y Y Trident Technical College’s Berkeley campus. Senate District 34 Y Y Y Y Y Y Military Base Retention Larry Grooms Senate District 37 Y Y Y Y Y Y and Expansion Marlon Kimpson Senate District 42 Y Y Y E/A Y E/A Continued work with the South Carolina Military Margie Bright Matthews Senate District 45 E/A Y Y Y Y Y Base Task Force to push full exemption of Sandy Senn Senate District 41 Y Y Y Y Y Y military retirees from the state income tax. Ensure that development of offshore wind energy facilities do not threaten the mission of state military installation. Restrict drone usage KEY: Y - voted with us N - Voted against us N/V - did not vote E/A - excused absence near Joint Base.