The General Assembly is in COVID-19 limbo.
The state’s fiscal year ends June 30, and without action by the General Assembly, theoretically there would be a state government shutdown July 1.
The House and Senate tried in April to pass a continuing resolution which would have permitted funding in the new (2020-21) fiscal year to continue at this year’s level.
The House and Senate passed their own versions of a continuing resolution, which differed over what latitude would be granted to Santee Cooper to enter into contracts.
A further complication is that the General Assembly faces a statutory adjournment date on May 14, forcing legislators to face the prospect of coming together in an enclosed room to pass a continuing resolution.
Both the Senate and House have announced they will be in session May 12-14 which will allow them to meet the May 14 deadline as well as get a better sense of the state’s economy from the Board of Economic Advisors, which met on May 8.
The Senate, when it passed its continuing resolutions, also passed a “sine die” resolution, which will allow the House and Senate to return after the May 14 end of session to consider specific items: receipt and consideration of the General Appropriations Bill, the Capital Reserve Fund Resolution, Supplemental Appropriations Bill, gubernatorial vetoes, appointments, conference and few conference reports, among others. The House did not pass such a resolution, but must do so.
Stay tuned.