Copper Dome Chronicle: December 2025 Meetings and Activities
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity.
This post will preview the month of December 2025. Any meetings or relevant activities by the General Assembly will be chronicled on this page, which will be updated as needed.
The 2026 regular session of the 126th South Carolina General Assembly begins January 13, 2026. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
State Tax Revenues Growing Faster Than Expected
On November 18 the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) met to review state tax revenue data and certify the first official revenue estimate for FY27. The BEA estimates the General Assembly may appropriate an additional $733.9M in recurring revenue and $1.714B in non-recurring revenue. This is the estimate Governor McMaster must use for his FY27 Executive Budget. The total general fund estimate is just over $15B; for comparison the general fund in FY22 was just shy of $10B.
Judicial Merit Selection Committee 2026 Cycle
As we have opined many times, after the annual appropriations act, the second most important - and political - process in the General Assembly is the election of judges. The Judicial Merit Selection Committee (JMSC) has begun its work for the 2026 cycle. Public hearings were held November 17-20. The draft report and recommendations will be published January 28, 2026 and become final February 10, 2026. Judicial elections are tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
This cycle will be the first conducted under the new requirements enacted in Act 219 of 2024. The marquee race will be Seat 2 on the South Carolina Supreme Court. Incumbent Justice John Few faces Court of Appeals Judge Blake Hewitt (a candidate for the 2024 Supreme Court seat won by Justice Letitia Verdin), former Speaker of the House Jay Lucas, and perennial candidate Judge Ralph K. Anderson III.
One new issue raised during the public hearings for the Supreme Court was a novel position taken by Speaker Lucas that the mandatory retirement age of 72 doesn’t apply if a judge does not accept judicial retirement. Speaker Lucas stated he would not participate in the judicial retirement system and therefore is not subject to the mandatory retirement age.
Out of 40 candidates, four were found "Not Qualified." All State Supreme Court candidates were found qualified. There are 6 contested elections as of December 1, 2025.
There is a growing effort that more reform is needed, including legislation that would give the Governor the authority to appoint all JMSC members, and prohibit sitting lawmakers and their immediate family members from serving on JMSC.
Legislator In-District Compensation Struck Down
On November 12 the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down Proviso 91.13, which provides legislators a monthly in-district compensation ostensibly meant to pay for legislators’ expenses while in their district and during the offseason. This means until legislation is introduced and enacted to rectify the matter, legislators will receive only their annual salary of $10,400 plus per diem when in session.
2025 Special Elections
Special elections in Senate District 12 and House Districts 21, 88, and 98 were held in October and November. These elections will not change the margins in either chamber: Republicans will hold super majorities in both chambers. The House Freedom Caucus will, at a minimum, remain at 19 members but may grow to 21 members if new members officially join the caucus.
Senator Lee Bright will return to the State Senate to represent District 12. Sen. Bright served two terms between 2008 and 2016. He has said he was “Freedom Caucus before there was a Freedom Caucus” so it remains to be seen if Sen. Bright becomes joins with the House Freedom Caucus to create a bicameral caucus. Senator Bright will join the Senate Judiciary Committee, among other committee assignments, once the Senate reconvenes.
Dianne Mitchell won the Republican Primary to represent House District 21 and will be officially elected after the December 23, 2025 special general election. She was supported by members of the House Freedom Caucus and it is generally assumed she will join that caucus.
John Lastinger won the Republican Primary to represent House District 88 and will be officially elected after the December 23, 2025 special general election. He was supported by members of the House Freedom Caucus and it is generally assumed he will join that caucus, though Lastinger has said he hasn’t made any decision yet.
Greg Ford won the Republican Primary to represent House District 98 and will be officially elected after the January 6, 2025 special general election. While Ford’s messaging aligns with the House Freedom Caucus, it isn’t clear if he will join the caucus. He was endorsed by DOGESC, which espouses the same limited government messaging as the House Freedom Caucus but has different legislative priorities.
Committee Schedule
If a livestream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means livestream is not available. Additional meetings may be added during the week and while 24 hours notice is generally given, it is not always possible to provide such notice.
Joint Meetings
Joint Bond Review Committee
December 2; 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: JBRC will meet for the sixth and final time this year.
The proposed 2026 JBRC meeting calendar is as follows: January 28 (10am); March 25 (10am); June 9 (1pm); August 11 (1pm); October 6 (1pm); December 1 (1pm).
Public Utilities Review Committee
December 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will screen candidates for four seats on the Public Service Commission.
Senate Meetings
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee
December 11, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.110 (prohibit geoengineering), H.3931 (coastal tidelands and wetlands permits), and H.3967 (bioenergy forest products).
House Meetings
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
December 2, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold its eighth meeting and receive presentations from the Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs and the Department of Transportation.
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Organizational Review Subcommittee
December 2, 2:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will receive a presentation from the Department of Transportation.
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Future Needs Subcommittee
December 3, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will receive a presentation from the Department of Transportation.
House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
December 3, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will hold its eleventh meeting on the study of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Revenue and Financing Subcommittee
December 3, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will receive a presentation from the Department of Transportation.
House Ethics Committee
December 9, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will consider fine appeals and rules amendments.
House Legislative Oversight Committee
December 10, 11am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will meet to discuss studies on the Tuition Grants Commission and the South Carolina Conservation Bank.
House Insurance Rate Review Ad Hoc Committee
December 10, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will receive public testimony.
House Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
December 11,1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The ad hoc committee will hold its seventh meeting of the calendar year.
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
January 13, 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold its ninth meeting.
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
January 15, Immediately upon adjournment; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold its tenth meeting.
2025 Key Dates
July 19-23, 2025: Southern Legislative Conference (Birmingham, Alabama)
July 25-26, 2025: National Governors Association Summer Meeting (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
August 4-6, 2025: NCSL Legislative Summit (Boston, Massachusetts)
September 25, 2025: BEA meeting on FY25 closeout and FY26 first update.
September 26, 2025: Agency budget requests submitted.
November 18, 2025: BEA forecast for FY27 Executive Budget.
December 10, 2025: Senate Prefiled Legislation Day.
December 16, 2025: House Prefiled Legislation Day.
2026 Key Dates
January 13, 2026: Session Convenes
January 28, 2026: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published (TBD)
January 2026: State of the State
March 4, 2026: Judicial elections
March 9-13, 2026: House floor budget deliberations (projected)
March 16, 2026: Candidate filing opens (All statewide constitutional offices, federal offices, SC House of Representatives)
March 30, 2026: Candidate filing closes
April 20-24, 2026: Senate floor budget deliberations (projected)
May 14, 2026: Session Adjourns
