Introduction The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce is committed to keeping our region competitive and improving the business climate. Through the legislative process, the Chamber works on behalf of its members to advocate for policies that contribute to the growth and prosperity of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. This year, we focused on the following key areas at the State House: Infrastructure and Transportation Economic Development Talent Military Base Retention and Expansion The 2015 session is the first of a two part session that will continue in January 2016. While our number one issue permanent funding for infrastructure did not pass this year, we will continue to work between July and January to convince legislatures to pass the infrastructure bill waiting on the Senate calendar. The Chamber s advocacy efforts at the State House are led by Chamber Lobbyist George Ramsey. George works each day the legislature is in session, advocating on behalf of the region s business community. For more information or to view the full agenda and Guiding Principles, visit www.charlestonchamber.net. Contents INTRODUCTION CONFEDERATE FLAG REMOVAL S.0897 INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION H.3579 H.3525 H.4230 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT H.3702 TALENT H.3414 S.377 MILITAR BASE RETENTION AND EXPANSION S.391 H.3154 H.3156 H.3548 S.153 H.3324 H.3547 ADVOCAC TEAM LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD 1 2 4 6 7 8 11 12
CONFEDERATE FLAG REMOVAL The tragic events on the night of June 17 at Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston resulted in the loss of nine lives, one of which was a tricounty Senator, Senator Clementa Pinckney. While we mourn the loss of those nine lives, this tragedy brought about the renewed call for the permanent removal of the Confederate Battle flag from the State House grounds. The Chamber s support of removing the confederate flag dates back to 1999, when the Chamber announced its position against the flag and urged regional businesses to encourage the General Assembly to remove the flag from the top of the South Carolina State House. After many months of putting pressure on state representatives, the flag was removed from the top of the State House dome and a smaller flag was placed on the lawn on a monument.
S.0897 Following the tragedy on June 17, the call for the removal of the flag from the State House lawn became a topic of heavy discussion not just in the state of South Carolina, but across the entire country. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce was one of the first organizations in the Charleston region to announce its stance on the issue: it was time for removal from the State House grounds entirely. After tireless lobbying efforts and pressure from the Chamber and many other local and state businesses and organizations, the efforts to take the flag down were successful on July 9, 2015. The Senate voted 37-3 and the House voted 94 to 20, with 18 of the 19 Charleston region House members and all Charleston region Senators voting to take it down. 7-9 - 2015
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION Regional Senate Members on Finance Committee: Paul Campbell Ray Cleary Larry Grooms John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Regional House Members on Ways and Means: Chip Limehouse Jim Merrill Leon Stavrinakis H.3579 Support a comprehensive infrastructure funding plan that increases the motor fuel user fee and indexes the fee for inflation. The SC Department of Transportation estimates there is more than $42 billion needed to repair and address South Carolina s road and bridge infrastructure. Chamber members consistently point to infrastructure as one of their top priorities and the Chamber s Infrastructure Visioning Task Force has identified 19 infrastructure priorities for our region. Despite an intense effort by the South Carolina s largest metro chambers and alliances, including the South Carolina Chamber, the South Carolina Trucking Association, South Carolina Alliance to Fix our Roads, among others, to pressure the General Assembly to identify a new, dedicated funding stream to address the $42 billion need, the Senate again adjourned without substantial debate of the House H.3579, Senate Finance or Senate Republican Caucus plan due Senator Tom Davis three week filibuster to run out the clock for the year. A measure to fund the states infrastructure needs will remain a top priority for the Chamber in 2016. 4 Regional Advocates for Infrastructure Funding in South Carolina Senate: Sean Bennett Ray Cleary Paul Campbell Larry Grooms Chip Campsen Marlon Kimpson Regional Advocates for Infrastructure Funding in South Carolina House: Robert Brown Chip Limehouse Joe Daning David Mack Wendell Gilliard Peter McCoy Stephen Goldfinch Jim Merrill Jenny Horne Chris Murphy Joe Jefferson John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Paul Thurmond Samuel Rivers Mike Sottile Leon Stavrinakis Mary Tinkler Seth Whipper
H.3525 Support transportation network companies legislation allowing more transportation options for our residents and visitors. (Uber Bill). The Chamber was successful in helping to lobby for H.3525 providing new transportation network companies, such as Uber, the rules and regulations needed to allow them to remain in South Carolina. Uber is a transportation network company that develops and operates the Uber app on smartphones. Users can submit a trip request which is routed to the nearest driver giving citizens more transportation options. As of May, Uber was available in 58 countries and 300 cities worldwide. INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION Regional Members on Senate Finance Committee: Paul Campbell Ray Cleary Larry Grooms John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Regional House Members on Ways and Means: Chip Limehouse Jim Merrill Leon Stavrinakis Key Legislators for H.3525: Sean Bennett Larry Grooms Leon Stavrinakis 6-24 - 2015 H.4230 The General Assembly did direct $214 million in surplus funds to be distributed using the current funding formula to the County Transportation Committees. Funding can only be used for maintenance of existing secondary roads. Current estimates for resurfacing costs is approximately $.5 million per mile. 7-7 - 2015 5
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Regional Senate Members on Finance Committee: Paul Campbell Ray Cleary Larry Grooms John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Regional House Members on Ways and Means: Chip Limehouse Jim Merrill Leon Stavrinakis H.3702 Support of the Aeronautical Enterprise Campus at Trident Technical College to expand the aerospace industry cluster in South Carolina. The SC General Assembly approved $20 million in 2015 for the funding of the $79 million training campus in the Capital Reserve Fund H.3702. In 2014, the South Carolina Legislature appropriated $10 million, Charleston County Council approved $18.75 million and the City of North Charleston $1 million. Trident Technical College will be seeking the final $16 million for the project from the General Assembly in 2016. The 215,000-square-foot training hub would provide training in aircraft assembly, aircraft maintenance and avionics. It also would expand the two-year college s aeronautical curriculum. Trident Tech currently offers four airplanerelated degrees or certificate tracks - aircraft maintenance technology, aircraft assembly technology, avionics maintenance technology and basic industrial work skills. All of the programs are operating at capacity with waiting lists for students to enter the programs. The recent announcement that Boeing will bring all of the assembly work for the 787-10 to North Charleston and the growing aeronautics cluster in South Carolina illustrate the urgency of the training campus to provide the needed skilled workforce.the college s new facility is planned to be housed on part of 25 acres adjacent to its main campus on Rivers Avenue. 7-7 - 2015 6
H.3414 Support legislation to grant the University of Charleston a comprehensive research university in order to provide advanced degrees. H.3414, and its companion bill S.377 in the Senate, was this year s bill to add a research university to the language of the University of Charleston. The bill was introduced by Representatives Merrill, Stavrinakis, Southard, Daning, Sottile, Mack, McCoy, Gilliard, Whipper, Brown, Limehouse, Murphy and Rivers in the House and Senators Grooms, Campbell, Thurmond, Bennett and Campsen in the Senate. However, the bills did not receive a hearing in their respective committees. Both bills were placed on the backburner this year in light of the issues at South Carolina State University that consumed much time in legislative bodies, as well as last fall s ruling by the Commission of Higher Education granting approval to the University of Charleston to change its mission statement by adding Research University to its charter. TALENT Regional Senate Members on Education Committee: Ray Cleary Larry Grooms John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Paul Thurmond Regional House Members on Ways and Means: Chip Limehouse Jim Merrill Leon Stavrinakis We expect the legislation to begin moving through the committee process in the South Carolina House when the legislators return in January. A comprehensive Talent Demand Study, initiated in 2014 by the Chamber, shows the region will create an additional 25,000 new jobs within the next five years. The study also shows significant skill gaps exist in the region in the areas of IT/Computer Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing as well as specific higher education degree gaps. S.377 Companion bill to H.3414 7
MILITAR BASE RETENTION AND EXPANSION Regional Senate Members on Finance Committee: Paul Campbell Ray Cleary Larry Grooms John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Regional House Members on Ways and Means: Chip Limehouse Jim Merrill Leon Stavrinakis S.391 Support legislation that enhances the value and mission of the military installations and the military personnel in the Charleston Metro region and throughout the state. The Chamber serves on the South Carolina Military Base Task Force s Executive Committee. Each year, the Task Force identifies legislation to support the military and their families as one way to demonstrate to the Department of Defense South Carolina s strong support of the state s four military communities. Key Legislator for S.391: Paul Thurmond 5-7 - 2015 Several bills were introduced this year and a number were passed. One of the most important was S.391; in-state tuition for military veterans. The bill allows military veterans, or their dependents, in-state tuition as soon as they become residents waving the requirement that someone must live in South Carolina for one year to receive in-state tuition. This bill applies to those who were honorably discharged. The bill needed to be passed this year or veterans attending college on the GI Bill would lose their benefits July 1. The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. The next two pages list notable passage of legislation dealing with military retention and expansion: 8
H.3154 Uniform Military and Overseas Voting Act. MILITAR BASE RETENTION AND EXPANSION Key Legislator for H.3154: Seth Whipper This bill simplifies the process of absentee voting for U.S. military and their families serving overseas. The Act applies to all elections statewide, local and federal, for primary, runoff and general elections. 6-11 - 2015 H.3156 Military Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act. This bill addresses the complicated issue of the custody of children and visitation that arise when a parent is serving overseas. Key Legislator for H.3156: Seth Whipper 6-4 - 2015 H.3548 Notification of Military Officials Regarding Abuse or Neglect of a Child of Active Duty Personnel. This bill requires the County Department of Social Services to notify designated military officials when an alleged abused or neglected child is an active duty family member. The bill further allows Social Services to share and grant access information and records collected concerning the child and the active duty service member who commits these acts. 6-4 - 2015 9
MILITAR BASE RETENTION AND EXPANSION Key Legislator for S.153: Chip Campsen S.153 Disabled Veteran s Vehicle Exemption Extended to Surviving Spouse. 6-1 - 2015 Key Legislator for H.3324: Wendell Gilliard 5-7 - 2015 This bill simply extends the vehicle tax exemption to the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran for the spouse s lifetime or until the surviving spouse remarries. H.3324 Joint Resolution to Establish a Committee to Study Veterans Issues in South Carolina. The resolution appoints a committee to study issues affecting veterans in South Carolina and make appropriate legislative recommendation for improving veterans services in our state. The committee will be comprised of the members of the Joint Legislative Veterans Issues Study Committee, three members appointed by the Governor and three members appointed by the Adjutant General. H.3547 10 5-7 - 2015 Reemployment rights of the National Guard. This legislation extends reemployment rights to those who are employed in South Carolina but are a member of another state s national or state guard.
CHARLESTON METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVOCAC TEAM The Chamber s business advocacy team is your voice in the halls of government, representing you at the local, state and federal levels. Our professional team, including our full-time state lobbyist, George Ramsey, has strong relationships with all our elected officials, from the school board to the United States Senate. They are working every day to ensure our operating climate is supportive of your business. Mary Graham Chief Advancement Officer 843.805.3043 mgraham@charlestonchamber.org George Ramsey Business Lobbyist 843.805.3116 gramsey@charlestonchamber.org Christina Fraser Business Advocacy Manager 843.805.3075 cfraser@charlestonchamber.org 11
Key: voted with us N voted against us did not vote /A did not vote excused absence SENATE H.3702 S.391 Conference Report H.3154 H.3154 Conference Report H.3156 Sean Bennett Paul Campbell / A / A Chip Campsen Ray Cleary / A / A / A Larry Grooms / A / A Marlon Kimpson John Matthews Clementa Pinckney Ronnie Sabb Paul Thurmond HOUSE Robert Brown Bill Crosby Joe Daning Wendall Gilliard Stephen Goldfinch Jenny Horne / A Joe Jefferson Patsy Knight / A Chip Limehouse David Mack Peter McCoy Jim Merrill Chris Murphy Samuel Rivers Mike Sottile Eddie Southard Leon Stavrinakis Mary Tinkler Seth Whipper
H.3548 S.153 H.3324 H.3547 H.3579 H.4230 Conference Report H.3525 H.3525 Conference Report / A / A / A / A / A / A N N / A N / A / A / A N N / A / A / A N N N
4500 Leeds Avenue, Suite 100 N. Charleston, SC 29405 843.577.2510 mail@charlestonchamber.org www.charlestonchamber.net