April 14 - 18, 2008

Senators Protect Base Funding for the Conservation Bank
This week the Senate debated the FY 2008-2009 Budget and unanimously voted to maintain the base funding for the Conservation Bank, which is projected to be approximately $12-14 million. The Bank's base funding was in jeopardy of being diverted to other state needs since its enacting legislation required all Conservation Bank funding to cease in years that the state has severe budget shortfalls. Since the state is $180 million short this year, by law the Bank could not receive ANY funds the next fiscal year unless the General Assembly suspended this clause. Thankfully, our great Senate leaders--Senators Campsen, Courson, Drummond, Leatherman, McConnell, McGill, Peeler and a host of other sponsors--ensured passage of a budget proviso that will suspend the law this year. This is a huge victory, so please click here to thank your Senator for supporting full funding for the Conservation Bank. This proviso must also be approved by the House during budget conference committee deliberations, so we will work to secure support in the House as well.

To ensure the Bank’s base funding will not be in jeopardy in future years, Senator Chip Campsen and 25 Senators have sponsored a bill, S. 1302, to permanently eliminate this harmful language from the law. S.1302 will be considered next Wednesday in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, so we are working hard to ensure the Committee approves the bill.

Good Energy Efficiency Construction Bill Gets Stamp of Approval
This week the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Real Estate Subcommittee, Chaired by Chip Huggins (R-Lexington) approved H.4892 by Nikki Haley (R-Lexington) and others. H.4892 creates the “Energy Independence and Sustainable Homes Act” to provide a $1,000 tax credit to builders of homes that are certified built to Green Globes, LEED, or another comparable energy efficiency standard as approved by the State Energy Office. The tax credit is available for eight years beginning July 1, 2008 through July 1, 2016. The Subcommittee also adopted a good amendment to ensure that homeowners associations and local governments could not impose greater requirements upon a person who wants to install a solar heating or cooling system than would be required for standard heating or cooling systems. The full Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee is expected to consider H.4892 next week.

Energy Efficiency Bills will be Heard in the Senate
Next week the Senate Finance Sales Tax Subcommittee, chaired by Senator Billy O’Dell (R-Abbeville), will reconsider several energy efficiency bills from Senator Glenn McConnell’s (R-Charleston) “Energizing the Future” package. Last week the Subcommittee did not approve the bills due to concerns the state could not afford to offer additional rebates, sales tax relief, or tax credits due to South Carolina’s recent economic downturn. However, Subcommittee members, recognizing the importance of this legislation to South Carolina, have agreed to reconsider the bills with amendments to address their concerns over the fiscal impacts.

• S.1141 would establish an incentive program for the purchase of ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes in South Carolina by providing a $750 rebate payment and a sales tax exemption to consumers.
• S.1142 provides a state income tax credit equal to 20% of the federal credit for qualified expenditures on photovoltaic, solar and fuel cell property and provides a sales tax exemption for the purchase of equipment that produces electricity from a renewable energy source.
• S.1143 provides two one-month sales tax holidays for the purchase of energy efficiency appliances, ranging from water heaters to programmable thermostats during October, National Energy Efficiency Month, and April, National Earth Month.

Also next week, the Senate Agriculture Committee will consider S.1140, by Senator Glenn McConnell. The bill would establish energy efficiency and renewable energy goals for state government, and direct our state’s agencies to procure energy efficient products and to require all state agencies to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs by July 1, 2011.

Students One Step Closer to Healthier Meals
This week the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved the “South Carolina Farm to School Program Act.”H. 4833 by Representatives Dan Cooper (R-Anderson), Laurie Slade Funderburk (D-Kershaw) and others will foster relationships between SC farms and schools in order to provide schools with fresh and minimally processed foods in their school meals. The bill will also help develop healthy eating habits, improve farmers’ incomes and direct access to markets, and to provide students with hands on learning opportunities.


Feel free to circulate this update to anyone else you feel may be interested in conservation issues. Many thanks for your interest and support!

Until next week,
Your CCL legislative team,
Christie, Heather & Patty

For more information about anything in this e-mail, please contact Heather Spires at heathers@scccl.org.

To find individual legislators or committee listings go to:
http://www.capwiz.com/scccl/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=statedir&state=SC