With no budget in sight, House members told not to return

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – House Speaker Jay Lucas is encouraging House members not to waste their time and taxpayers’ money by returning to Columbia on Tuesday, since there is no budget compromise to consider.

Before the regular session ended May 11, the Legislature created a three-day special session starting Tuesday to take up the budget and potential compromises on differing versions of other bills passed by both chambers.

The expectation was that a six-member panel of Senate and House members would craft a compromise this week between the chambers’ roughly $8 billion spending plans. But they’ve yet to do so.

House Clerk Charles Reid told representatives in an email Friday “there is no need” to attend until there’s a budget to vote on.

No similar message has gone out to senators.