Copper Dome Chronicle: 2026 Session Week 1
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 January 13-15, 2026, is 1,475 words or a 6 minute read. The first day of the 2026 regular session of the 126th General Assembly is Tuesday, January 13. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
New for editions this year: an weekly AI-generated image created by Advocatus USA.
Resources
Senate Budget Calendar (TBA)
FY 2026-2027 Agency Budget Requests
Week 1 Preview
The House will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (2pm), and Thursday (10am). The House has ten bills (six on the contested calendar) eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. There is one Senate bill on the calendar: S.136 (dismissal of pending firearms charges), which was vetoed by Governor Henry McMaster and is now before the House for a veto override decision. The Senate overrode the veto 44-0 in May 2025.
Two House bills are in the posture of Senate Amendments, which allows the House to accept the amendments or amend the bill again:
The Senate will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (1pm), and Thursday (11am). The Senate has 29 bills (26 are contested), eight joint resolutions (one contested), and one concurrent resolution (one contested) eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. The three bills that are not contested:
S.288 (development rights transfer)
S.59 (penalties for driving without a license)
H.3569 (domestic violence victims and rental agreements)
A priority for the Senate to start the session will be S.76 (criminal gang and anti-racketeering), which is in the posture of second reading. The committee report has not yet been adopted and more amendments are anticipated. Another priority that is in the posture of third reading is S.454 (charter school & authorizer accountability), which a motion to permit amendment on third reading is expected to be adopted. Both bills happen to be priorities for Senate Education Chair Greg Hembree.
FY27 Executive Budget
Governor Henry McMaster will release his FY27 Executive Budget (document to be uploaded after press conference) on January 12. The Governor has released a proposal for $1.1B in new money for roads, interstates, and bridges. Gov. McMaster has been steadfast in his budget recommendations for many years in areas such as increasing the starting teacher salary to at least $50,000, increasing investment in land preservation and conservation, supporting law enforcement agencies, and freezing college tuition for in-state students to name just a few.
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. The total general fund estimate is just over $15B; for comparison the general fund in FY22 was just shy of $10B.
A large looming question for this session is whether or not community investment projects (CIPs), sometimes called earmarks, will return to the budget process. The Senate Finance Committee version of the FY26 budget eliminated earmarks and the House followed suit. Many local governments and nonprofit organizations are preparing requests and having conversations with lawmakers in the event CIPs return.
Another large looming question is legislator in-district compensation. 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.
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. Two bills, which are nearly identical, were prefiled: H.4755 (JMSC reform) and S.696 (JMSC reform). The House bill has the support of the entire House Republican leadership as well as many House Freedom Caucus members. However, the Senate bill sponsors do not include Senate President Thomas Alexander, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, or Senate Judiciary Chair Luke Rankin.
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.
House Ways & Means Budget Subcommittees (8 budget hearings)
Constitutional; January 13, 2 hours after adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Public Education & Special Schools; January 13, Call of the Chair; Agenda; Livestream
Healthcare; January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Public Education & Special Schools; January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Criminal Justice; January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Constitutional; January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Economic Development; January 14, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Constitutional; January 15, immediately upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Senate Meetings
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
January 13, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.52 (DUI) and S.192 (DUI blood draw).
Senate Finance Property Tax Subcommittee
January 13, 30 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.508 (monuments and memorials) and an unfiled bill regarding the homestead property tax exemption.
Senate Judiciary Committee
January 13, 2pm or 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.52 (DUI) and S.192 (DUI blood draw).
Senate Finance Sales and Income Tax Subcommittee
January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4216 (income taxes) and an unfiled bill to enact a budget continuing resolution, which the General Assembly has passed on an annual basis for several years as a backstop to prevent a state government shutdown.
Senate LCI Regulatory and Local Government Subcommittee
January 14, 11am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three regulations on the agenda from the three boards under the Department of Labor, Law and Licensing. Three boards are Accountancy, Auctioneer, and Real Estate Agents.
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee
January 14, 12pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3924 (hemp-derived consumables). The subcommittee held several hearings during the offseason on this legislation.
House Meetings
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
January 13, 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold its eleventh meeting after holding ten hearings in the offseason. No legislation is listed on the agenda.
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Subcommittee
January 14, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are ten regulations on the agenda: one from Board of Financial Institutions and nine from the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee
January 14, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will receive presentations from the Department of Agriculture and the Forestry Association of South Carolina.
House Judiciary Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, & Special Laws Subcommittee
January 14, 10:45am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4756 (Student Physical Privacy Act).
House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee
January 14, 12pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4760 (ban abortion-inducing drugs) and H.3537 (fetal personhood).
House SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
January 15, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold its twelfth meeting after holding ten hearings in the offseason. No legislation is listed on the agenda.
House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee
January 15, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.4669 (municipal elections), S.38 (special elections), H.3643 (voter party registration), and H.3310 (closed party nominating contests).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Subcommittee
January 15, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There four regulation on the agenda, all from the State Board of Education.
Joint Meetings
Joint Bond Review Committee
January 28, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not yet been posted.
Joint Bond Review Committee
March 25, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not yet been posted.
Joint Bond Review Committee
June 9, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not yet been posted.
2026 Key Dates
January 13, 2026: Session Convenes
January 28, 2026: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 28, 2026: State of the State Address
February 12, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update
March 4, 2026: Judicial elections (unconfirmed)
March 9-13, 2026: House floor budget deliberations
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
April 20-24, 2026: Senate floor budget deliberations (projected)
May 14, 2026: Session Adjourns
May 19, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update
