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2020 Legislative Recap
September 30, 2020
Last week the South Carolina legislature wrapped up a two week special session, marking the likely end of this year's legislative session. The 2020 legislative session at the State House was a bit different than most years, but despite the shortened session and other issues dominating the conversation, there were still several important conservation accomplishments this year.
Defending the ability of local governments to fight plastic pollution: At the beginning of the session, S.394, a bill that would prevent local governments and municipalities from banning plastic bags and other single use plastic containers, had already passed out of committee and was on the Senate floor. Several Senators objected to the bill, and it didn't move any further, preserving the ability of local governments to fight against plastic pollution.
Resilience: Last week the legislature passed S.259, a bill that creates an Office of Resilience, establishes a Resilience Reserve Fund, and requires local comprehensive plans to include a resilience element. Read more about the resilience bill in this article from the Post & Courier.
Native Turtle Protections: The legislature also passed H.4831, a bill that establishes protections for native turtles and amphibians to prevent illegal wildlife trading.
You can read more about the bill in this article from The State Newspaper.
State Water Plan: The legislature hasn't passed a new state budget for this fiscal year, but they did pass a continuing resolution to keep government running. While State Water Planning
activities are underway, it is unclear if there will be additional funding allocated for water planning this year. We will continue to advocate for funding this critical effort when the legislature returns in January.
