Copper Dome Chronicle: 2026 Overtime Week 14
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus USA. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity.
This week’s edition, covering August 17-21, is 1,318 words or a 5 minute read. The second regular session of the 126th General Assembly adjourned May 14, but a special session began on May 15. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
FY 2026-2027 Agency Budget Requests
2026 Candidate Tracking Portal
Overtime Week 14 Preview
As of August 15 neither the House nor the Senate have announced any statewide floor sessions for this week. The Senate will meet in perfunctory session on August 19 under the unanimous consent agreement made on June 25 to consider magistrates and resolutions expressing congratulatory messages or sympathy. Governor McMaster’s budget vetoes are due on August 17; it is anticipated there will not be many, which has been the case for the last several budgets.
The are two bills in the status of a conference committee:
The conference report for H.4377 has not been considered by either chamber. The conference committee on H.3570 hasn’t met.
Overtime Week 13 Review
Both the House and Senate held floor sessions on August 11. The conference report for H.5126 (FY27 Budget) was adopted by wide margins in both chambers. However, the agreement to consider community investment projects (CIPs or earmarks) in separate legislation fell apart, though the two chambers disputed during the floor debates whether or not there ever was such an agreement. For now, the taxpayer money that could have been appropriated for CIPs will simply sit in the state bank account. If it isn’t spent in this fiscal year it will roll over to the next fiscal year and be available for appropriation.
There are eight bills in the status of a conference committee or had some action taken during floors sessions held on June 25 and August 11:
H.4300 (judges retirement & retirement age) - Enacted. On June 25 the Senate amended the bill and it received a second reading. It passed both chambers on August 11 and was signed by the Governor on August 13. The bill raises the mandatory retirement age to 74 years old from 72 years of age.
H.4337 (LAC powers & private organizations) - Pending. The conference committee adopted a report on June 16 and is awaiting action by both chambers.
H.3570 (economic interests disclosures) - Zombie (neither alive nor dead). The conference committee hasn’t met on the bill.
H.4042 (ivermectin over-the-counter sales) - Dead Life-resuscitation in progress. The House recommitted the bill to the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee on June 25. However, on August 11 Rep. Justin Bamberg made a motion to reconsider the vote to recommit the bill. A motion to table failed on a recorded vote 43-51, with the many members of the House Republican Caucus joining the House Freedom Caucus and a few House Democrats to defeat the tabling motion. If and when the House returns before November, the motion before the House will be a straight up-or-down vote Rep. Bamberg’s motion to reconsider the June 25 vote to recommit the bill.
S.922 (governor appointments) - On life support. On June 25 the House nonconcurred in the Senate Amendments. Technically the Senate could recede from its amendments, which seems very unlikely, or request a conference committee. But at this late stage a path forward seems unlikely.
S.52 (DUI) - Probably dead. On June 25 the House didn’t vote on it after the Senate rejected a free conference powers motion and seems unlikely another version will be adopted as an alternative.
H.3924 (regulate hemp-derived products) - Dead. The Senate adopted the conference report on June 25 but the House overwhelmingly rejected it. Hemp-derived products will remain almost entirely free from state regulation and available for sale. However, law enforcement has made arrests and raids on wholesalers and retailers of these products despite no specific state law.
H.4763 (Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction “HALO” Act) - Zombie (neither alive nor dead) Dead. On June 25 the Senate adopted free conference powers and the conference report, but the House motion to adopt free conference powers failed on two separate votes, the first time by a single vote (needed 83 votes; received 82 votes with 15 excused absences). On August 11 the House did not take up the bill. Sen. Jeff Zell, a supporter of the bill, posted on social media that the bill was dead for the year.
The House took no action on the motion to reconsider the vote on the conference report for H.3924 (regulate hemp-derived products) on August 11. Rep. Dennis Moss had made the motion during the June 25 House floor session.
Senate Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence
President Alexander announced the formation of a Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence. The committee has been charged with examining state laws and policies regarding the use of AI in the following areas: state agencies, K-12 public education, public higher education, and law enforcement. Areas not expressly named were healthcare, insurance, or environmental permitting. It has a long runway: issue a report by September 2028.
President Alexander in his letter writes:
"I am asking the Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence to examine the current and anticipated use of artificial intelligence by state agencies, in public K-12 and higher education, in law enforcement, and the impact AI will have on our state's citizens and businesses. Further, I request that the committee in performing its work, review existing state law and policies to determine whether statutory changes are necessary and to recommend best practices to guide the responsible and secure use of artificial intelligence by public entities."
Below is the roster of Senators and current Senate committee assignments. We stress “current” because there will likely be at least one new member of the Senate, and likely two new members of the Senate, due to the November election.
Sen. Wes Climer is strongly favored to win a seat in Congress. Sen. Climer serves on Finance so his seat will be available for a Republican, given the chamber partisan composition. Sen. Climer has already submitted a resignation letter effective November 3, so his replacement will be elected at the November election and be seated when the Senate holds its organizational session.
Sen. Mike Reichenbach is elected as Lt. Governor should Attorney General Alan Wilson defeat Rep. Jermaine Johnson for Governor, which Wilson is strongly favored to win. Sen. Reichenbach serves on Banking & Insurance so his seat will be available for a Republican, but it will not be filled until sometime in 2027 upon his election as Lt. Governor and resignation from the Senate.
Committee Roster
Sen. Tom Young, Jr. (R) - Education and Finance.
Sen. Michael W. Gambrell (R) - Banking & Insurance and Finance.
Sen. Richard Cash (R) - Education.
Sen. Jason Elliott (R) - Education.
Sen. Matt Leber (R) - Banking & Insurance. Primary sponsor of three bills in the AI/tech space: S.896 (Protecting Children from Chatbots Act); S.920 (AI and prior authorizations); S.963 (Consumer Protections in Interactions with Artificial Intelligence Systems).
Sen. Josh Kimbrell (R) - No education, insurance, or budget committees. Co-sponsor of S.896 (chatbots).
Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine (D) - No education, insurance, or budget committees. Co-sponsor of S.920 (AI and prior authorizations).
Sen. Jeffrey Graham (D) - No education, insurance, or budget committees.
Sen. Ed Sutton (D) - No education, insurance, or budget committees.
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.
Conference Committee Meetings
As of August 15 no conference committee meetings have been scheduled.
Senate Meetings
As of August 15 no committee meetings have been scheduled.
House Meetings
House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
August 20, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will hold its fourth meeting on the study of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Joint Meetings
Joint Bond Review Committee
August 18, 2pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has been posted.
Joint Bond Review Committee
October 6, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not been posted.
Joint Bond Review Committee
December 1, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not been posted.
2026 Key Dates
January 13, 2026: Session Convenes
January 28, 2026: Judicial Merit Selection Commission draft report published
January 28, 2026: State of the State Address
February 12, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update
March 4, 2026: Judicial elections
March 9-13, 2026: House floor budget deliberations
March 16-20: House furlough week
March 16, 2026: Candidate filing opens (all statewide constitutional offices, federal offices, SC House of Representatives)
March 30, 2026: Candidate filing closes
April 9, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update (cancelled)
April 6-10: House furlough week (confirmed)
April 20-24, 2026: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 14, 2026: Session Adjourns
May 19, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update -
