Last week was the 5th week of the 2024 legislative session. There are 13 weeks remaining before the legislature adjourns on May 9, 2024.
Here are the highlights from last week’s Senate action:
APPRENTICESHIP TAX CREDIT – The Senate amended S. 557 2023-2024 Bill 557: Apprentice tax credit, a bill that would update tax credits employers may claim for participating in apprenticeship programs. The bill was returned to the House of Representatives.
SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING FOR LICENSED COUNSELORS – The Senate passed S. 408 2023-2024 Bill 408: Suicide Prevention Training for Health Professionals, a bill that would require licensed social workers, professional counselors, and marriage therapists to receive at least one hour of suicide prevention training as part of the continuing education requirement. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives.
TUBERCULOSIS TESTING FOR LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS – The Senate passed S. 558 2023-2024 Bill 558: TB Test & and Admission to Nursing Home, a bill that would require nursing home and long-term care residents to be
tested for tuberculosis unless a treating physician certifies that the resident demonstrated no signs of TB prior to being admitted to the nursing home or long-term care facility. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA – The Senate began debate on S. 423 2023-2024 Bill 423: Compassionate Care Act, a bill that would authorize the use of medical marijuana. In explaining the bill last week, the proponents argued the bill is essentially similar to the bill the Senate passed a couple years ago. That bill would have required patients to receive a doctor’s prescription and have the drug dispensed by a pharmacist. That bill also prohibited smoking the marijuana; the medicinal use was limited to edibles. It would not authorize the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. The Senate will continue – and hopefully complete – the debate this week.
LAST WEEK’S MEETINGS
On Thursday, I attended the ribbon cutting for the new Highland Springs Middle School for students in the Belvedere and Clearwater area.
On Thursday night, I attended McCormick County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet.
On Saturday, I visited Saluda and stopped by the 10th anniversary celebration for Crouch Hardware & Farm Supply. I also sat down for a quick interview with Saluda Now radio.
CONSTITUENT INTERESTS
VOLUNTEER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY – The legislative delegation in each county is responsible for making or recommending a large number of appointments to various local and statewide positions. One of the local boards is the Foster Care Review Board. The FCRB members review the progress of some of the most vulnerable children in South Carolina, those children who are in the foster care system, and work with DSS and other child-serving agencies to identify barriers to permanent homes for those children. FCRB members are not required to be foster parents. They meet monthly, often in a virtual format, to perform their work. You can learn more here – Local Review Boards | Foster Care Review Board. In our area, the FCRB that oversees children in foster care in Edgefield, McCormick, and Saluda is in desperate need of members. If you are interested in serving in this role, please email or call me.
SCDOT ROAD PROJECTS – SCDOT has an interactive map to allow citizens to see the road and bridge projects going on around the state. You can see that map here.
How is the gas tax being used? – SCDOT’s website allows you to view a detailed revenue statement and project list that is funded by the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF). SCDOT updates this site monthly as the revenue comes in. You can see that report here.
WANT TO SEE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ACTION? – The Senate meets in statewide session on Tuesdays at 12:00, Wednesdays at 1:00, and Thursdays at 11:00. Committees and subcommittees meet Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday mornings, and Thursday mornings. You can watch live coverage of the Senate, House of Representatives, and committees here.
VOTING RECORD – If you’d like to see how I’ve voted on issues, go here. You can always check to see how I vote by going to my website, www.senatormassey.com, and clicking on the “Voting Record” tab.
SPEAKING WITH GROUPS – Several groups, clubs, and classes around our Senate district have invited me to attend their meetings and provide legislative updates. If you would like for me to come speak with your group, please let me know.
EMAIL UPDATES – If you know of people in or around District 25 who do not receive my updates but would like to get them, please email their names and email addresses to me. You can also forward this email to them and encourage them to sign up for the updates at www.senatormassey.com.