2016 Issue South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Message From the President 1301 Gervais St, Suite 1100 Each year, the South Carolina Columbia, SC 29201 Chamber of Commerce 803.799.4601 publishes a scorecard to keep www. scchamber.net the state’s business community informed as to how their @scchamber legislators voted on business facebook.com/scchamber issues at the Statehouse, and we are excited to release the 2016 Legislative Scorecard. The Legislative Scorecard is a publication of By and large, the General Assembly and business community had a productive year in 2016. As a result, we have a record number of legislators being recognized as Business Advocates for this legislative session. The bulk of the work from this legislature focused on two key economic drivers: workforce development and improving the condition of our roads and bridges. The legislators acknowledged within our report specifically deserve credit for taking steps to address those two areas of concern. In addition to workforce and infrastructure, several other vital business issues came before the General Assembly in 2016, including an attempt to repeal our Right to Work laws, tort reform, military retirement benefits, and aid for our farmers following October’s President & CEO historic flood. On these issues and many more, the SC Ted Pitts Chamber served as your voice at the Statehouse. Vice President of Membership & Marketing Sunny Philips The Legislative Scorecard is also used as a guide by the Chamber’s political arm, the South Carolina Vice President of Government Affairs Good Government Committee, as it looks to support & Public Policy candidates attuned to the needs of the business Mark Harmon community and defeat those who are not. Director of Public Policy & Research Kate Bondurant The state Chamber will continue to advocate for pro- jobs policies to strengthen the business climate in • our state. If you have the opportunity, please take the time to thank our 2016 Business Advocates for their The Legislative Scorecard service and efforts to keep South Carolina the best Published by place in the world to live, work, and do business. Business Black Box Ted Pitts, President & CEO Copyright @2016 by the South Carolina Chamber of South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Commerce and Business Black Box. All foreign and U.S. rights reserved. Contents of this publication, including images, may not be reproduced without written consent from the publisher. Published for South Carolina Chamber of Commerce by Business BILL DESCRIPTIONS H. 3147: Tax Relief for Military Retirees (Weighted at 10%) 2015. This bill created the South Carolina Farm Aid Fund to Senate Votes On 6/2/16, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that phases assist farmers who have suffered at least a forty percent loss *H. 3579 (2015): Vote to set Infrastructure Funding for in an increased income tax deduction on retirement benefits of agricultural commodities as a result of this natural disaster. Special Order (Weighted at 5%) By a vote of 26-19, the for military retirees who choose to make their home in South The House passed the bill by a vote of 95-6 on 2/25/16. SC Senate failed to set the comprehensive infrastructure bill for Carolina. Senator Malloy received a 5-point deduction for Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #H-1013, 2/25/16 priority debate status. This bill was later set for Special Order obstructing the complete exemption for military retirees. SC by a voice vote, but the 2015 session concluded before the bill Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #S-1124, 6/2/16 H. 4717: SC Farm Aid Fund - Veto Override (Weighted at was debated. SC Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #223, 4/30/2015 5%) The The House overrode the Governor’s veto of the SC S. 267: Bill to Shorten Legislative Session (Weighted Farm Aid Fund by a vote of 112-2, and the Senate followed suit. *H.3266 (2015): Trespasser Responsibility Act (Weighted at 10%) By a vote of 44-0, the Senate approved statutory SC Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #H-1472, 5/17/16 at 5%) By a vote of 41-1, the Senate passed a tort reform changes to shorten the length of the legislative session by measure to protect landowners from frivolous lawsuits nearly a month. The Chamber supports shortening of the S. 1258: SCDOT Governance Reform and Infrastructure arising from situations where trespassers suffer injuries on legislative session, one of the lengthiest in the country, in Funding (Weighted at 30%) By a vote of 109-2, the House their property. Enacts statutory protections similar to those order to encourage more business-oriented candidates to approved this transportation infrastructure funding plan already in place in 20 other states, including North Carolina offer for service. SC Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #S-1132, 6/2/16 that provides as much as $2.2 billion for South Carolina roads and Georgia. Signed into law by Governor Haley on 6/8/15. SC through bonding of vehicle sales tax and DMV fees. S.1258 Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #453, 6/2/15 H. 3430: Unsafe Used Tire Bill also reforms the governance of DOT, allowing the Governor to H. 3430 prohibits the sale of unsafe used tires. Since 2014, the appoint commissioners with legislative approval. Also, every *H.4266 (2015): SCDOT Secretary Sunset Provision SC Tire Manufacturers Council has championed this initiative, project considered by the State Transportation Infrastructure (Weighted at 5%) The SCDOT Reform Act 114 of 2007 gave which would help address driver safety by taking dangerous Bank must now be prioritized using objective criteria, and any gubernatorial authority to appoint the SCDOT Secretary but tires off the road. Due to antiquated rules, the bill languished project approved by the Bank must be subsequently approved also included a sunset of the authority on June 30, 2015. An on the Senate Calendar for the entirety of the 2016 session. by the newly constituted DOT Commission. SC Chamber Vote: amendment to suspend the sunset provision for FY 2015-16 Senator Sheheen received a 5-point deduction on the Aye, Vote #H-1563, 6/1/16 was included in this continuing budgetary resolution by a vote Scorecard for obstructing passage of this bill. of 39-2, preventing control of SCDOT from reverting back to H. 4145: Coordinating Council for Workforce Development the legislature. SC Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #492, 6/16/15 H. 4937: SC EEDA Coordinating Council (Weighted at 10%) This enacted bill creates a Coordinating This bill would reinstitute the SC Education and Economic Council for Workforce Development. The House initially passed *H.4230 (2015): Supplemental Funds for Infrastructure Development Coordinating Council, which was previously this bill on 1/27/16 and concurred in Senate amendments by (Weighted at 10%) The SC Chamber called for the General disbanded. The Council, made up of education and business a vote of 103-1 on 6/2/16. The final version of the bill is a major Assembly to dedicate at least half of all supplemental funds advocates, advised the state Department of Education on step forward, but leaves unfinished work for addressing the available towards infrastructure improvements. The Senate ways to improve students’ transitions from secondary to need for a scholarships and grants program for training and voted unanimously to appropriate $335 million in mostly postsecondary education, increase graduation rates and close certification of undereducated, underemployed adults. SC one-time dollars to the reconstruction and repair of bridges skills gap between education and successful careers. Senator Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #H-1603, 6/2/16. and state-owned secondary roads, as well as bonding for Shane Martin received a 5-point deduction on the Scorecard bridge replacement and expansion of existing interstates. SC for obstructing the passage of this bill. H. 3147: Tax Relief for Military Retirees (Weighted at 10%) Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #560, 6/23/15 In In 2015, the House passed a bill to completely eliminate S.281: Tort Reform income taxes on military retirees. The SC Chamber pushed H. 3579 (2016): Infrastructure Funding - Second Reading S. 281 is a tort reform bill that aims to ensure reasonable levels unsuccessfully for the Senate to approve the full exemption (Weighted at 10%) As its top priority, the SC Chamber of liability for South Carolina businesses and set parameters included in the House-passed legislation. This vote approved has consistently stressed the need to identify a diversified, by which the State can contract with outside legal counsel. a phase-in of an increased deduction on retirement benefits recurring stream of funding to dedicate to the maintenance Opponents of these reform measures effectively shut down attributable to military service under the South Carolina and expansion of the state’s infrastructure system. By a vote debate on the bill for the remainder of the 2016 session by way Income Tax Act. The Senate passed the bill on 6/2/16, and the of 30-15, the Senate voted to approve an annual transfer of a successful carryover motion made on March 15th. Senate House voted 96-0 to concur in Senate amendments the same of $400 million from the General Fund to DOT in order to Judiciary Committee members who voted to carry over this day. SC Chamber Vote: Aye, Vote #H-1610, 6/2/16. address those long-term needs. As with the Special Order vote bill received a 5-point deduction on the Scorecard. on H.3579 from 2015, this Senate vote marked a crucial step S. 267: Bill to Shorten Legislative Session (Weighted toward the eventual enactment of an infrastructure funding *The Senate votes from 2015 are included in the 2016 Legislative at 10%) By a vote of 91-0, the House concurred in Senate Scorecard on the basis that the body of work in 2015 was insufficient bill in 2016.