S.C. Senate budget writers reverse themselves on voucher caps

The Senate Finance Committee voted 16-3 on April 7 to keep the state’s private school voucher program capped at 10,000 students, rather than allowing it to rise to 15,000 as current law dictates. The following day, the same panel reversed itself, with members saying they meant to support a related measure to explicitly disallow homeschoolers’ participation in the program, but not to freeze the cap.

The moves came after senators learned last month that Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver allowed voucher funds to flow to homeschoolers — something legislators say the voucher law was written to forbid. The full Senate will vote on the item later this month.

Bills that are on the move

DOGE S.C.: Multiple bills promising to cut the state workforce and the regulations they enforce have been introduced for consideration in 2026. In particular, House GOP leaders have pledged to get their “Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act” passed through the S.C. Senate this session. LATEST: As reported in this edition of Statehouse Report, the bill is currently being marked up — and amended — in a Senate Judiciary subcommittee.

Immigration: Legislation requiring local law enforcement agencies to assist in federal immigration enforcement passed the S.C. House 85-30 along party lines on April 1. LATEST: The bill is now awaiting further action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Juvenile justice: Two bills have passed the House — one making it easier to try 16 and 17 year olds as adults and another to mandate fingerprinting when juveniles come into the system. LATEST: Both bills are now in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which began considering them this week.

Taxes: Gov. Henry McMaster this week signed a bill to cut the state’s top tax rate from 6% to 5.21%. Further property and income tax cuts are advancing in both chambers. LATEST: The S.C. Senate on April 1 voted down a House bill that would have extended federal tax breaks under President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” to state taxpayers.

Concurrency: A bill by Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis that would allow local governments to limit development in areas with insufficient infrastructure was amended and advanced on March 12 by the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.

Bills in less of a hurry

Judicial selection: A bill with the support of leaders in both chambers would give the governor more power in selecting state judges. LATEST: S.C. House members passed the bill 86-25 on Feb. 11, sending it to the Senate, where it currently resides in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Rolling back affirmative action and DEI: Several bills are still currently awaiting consideration, including one to codify Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order ending affirmative action in state contracting.

Abortion: A House Judiciary subcommittee on Jan. 14 killed one bill to treat abortion as homicide and advanced another to reclassify abortion pills as Schedule IV drugs. LATEST: The S.C. House on Feb. 4 voted 81-31 to advance the abortion pill rescheduling bill to the S.C. Senate.