COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House quickly passed a continuing resolution which would continue to fund the government after June 30th.
The resolution allows all state agencies to continue their funding level from the current year's budget while non-recurring spending would end.
It also sets aside $180 million for a COVID-19 Response Reserve Account and $20 million for a disaster trust fund.
$15 million of the COVID-19 account is set aside for election expenses in June and potentially November as the state moves ahead with voting during the pandemic.
Representative Murrell Smith said lawmakers needed to act urgently.
“We've been through hurricanes, we've been through floods, we've been through tornadoes, but we've never been through such where we are all-- it doesn't last for a day or week or a month, it lasts for months. And so, that's why we're here today, is to make sure we pass this continuing resolution that goes forward. This crisis reminds us that there's always a recipe for disaster when we budget, and we need to always make good prudent fiscal decisions,” Smith said on the House floor.
The resolution allows Superintendent Molly Spearman to waive certain requirements, including in-class instruction days, testing, and provides some financial flexibility.
It also allows Governor Henry McMaster to appropriate some emergency federal funding related to the virus, with some oversight from the Joint Bond Review Committee. State agencies, which receive funding directly in coordination with federal agencies, will also be allowed to spend emergency federal funding as it comes in.
Across the lobby, the South Carolina Senate debated the continuing resolution over a section about Santee Cooper.
The section would prohibit Santee Cooper from entering long term deals and contracts as lawmakers consider selling or reforming the agency, which was supposed to be decided this year.
The Senate, which began at 1pm, debated until 6pm, ultimately voting on a continuing resolution that was different than the resolution that passed the House.
Governor McMaster responded to the vote on Twitter, scolding Senators for a including an amendment dealing with Santee Cooper.
There are three options moving forward. Those include the House returning and voting on the continuing resolution that was passed in the Senate, the Senate returning to vote on what was passed in the House, or they could do nothing, which would lead to a shutdown of SC government.
Lawmakers are likely to return next week.