SC’s 2025 legislative session starts in 1 week. What are lawmakers’ top priorities?

FILE – Police officers are the only people seen at the South Carolina Statehouse on Jan. 20, 2021, in Columbia, S.C. The Republican-dominated South Carolina House is expected to debate a bill restricting medical care for transgender minors on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

(WCIV) — In exactly one week, South Carolina’s General Assembly will gavel in a new session.

This year, for the first time in a century, Republicans will hold a supermajority in both the House and Senate.

Behind republican momentum, the legislature has the power to pass sweeping changes to the government in the Palmetto State, like amending South Carolina’s Constitution or large budget decisions.

“Anything that might have a little bit of a fracture within the parties, this is an opportunity to know that you have enough votes to even overcome that,” said Dr. Mark Owens, asst. political science professor at the Citadel.

Yet with supermajorities in both chambers, GOP leaders say they’re focused on practical issues over culture wars.

This level of control is new in the state Senate, and yet representatives in the House have pre-filed more bills per member.

“We’re thinking the senators are the ones who just got their supermajority,” Dr. Owens said. “They should be excited to work, but they’re not sure who’s going to make the first step and how they’re going to work together.”

The General Assembly is expected to pick up where it left off with legislation that didn’t make it to the governor’s desk in 2024.

“The Senate is more conservative than it’s been in the past,” said Sen. Matt Leber (R – Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester). “We do have a supermajority, the House has a supermajority, so I do think that we can take up legislation now that we probably couldn’t in the past.”

Sen. Leber said he expects the debate on a revamped ‘School Choice’ voucher program to likely be picked up first, with an energy bill and various infrastructure projects falling next in line.

“I think this session, we’re going to have a lot more sort of nuts-and-bolts issues and hopefully not get into so many of the hot-button social issues,” the senator said.

Still, ideas of a complete abortion ban, placing the 10 Commandments in public schools and abolishing the State Board of Education have made the list of pre-filed bills, backed by conservatives.

“Way too often we take up issues that are designed to energize just a very small part of that base, but they do not respond to what the majority of South Carolinians want to see,” said Rep. Spencer Wetmore (D – Charleston County).

Rep. Wetmore agreed with Sen. Leber on the idea of avoiding social wars that aren’t a priority to their constituents this session. She said the Democratic Caucus is focusing on issues that affect families, like improving teacher pay in public schools and exploring more affordable housing options.

Despite being a member of the minority party in the house, Rep. Wetmore said she always strives for bi-partisan work.

“We are not Washington, D.C. in Columbia. We actually do work together,” she said. “Every bill I sponsor is a bipartisan bill.”