Morning Buzz: General Assembly’s closing weeks, Senate’s hitting the road

The State House’s homestretch

The General Assembly is heading into the fourth quarter of the 2015 legislative session. The crossover deadline, when a bill must pass either the House or Senate to have a good chance of winning final approval before the end of the session end in June, comes at the end of the week. The House has scheduled just a few meetings this week to get bills moved off the floor. The Legislature has some unfinished business including domestic-violence reform, state building maintenance and roads funding.

Senate’s road show

The Senate Finance Committee takes up the House’s road repair bill that includes a 10-cent state gas-tax hike. The bill also raises the maximum state sales tax on vehicles to $500 from $300 and cuts the average S.C. taxpayer’s income taxes by $48 a year. The Senate could tweak the House bill, but leaders in both chambers are committed to passing roads plan before the session ends despite a threat of a veto by Gov. Nikki Haley. (3 p.m. Tuesday, Gressette Room 105 / Watch)

Quick hits

▪  Leaders at S.C. State University, which started a $20 million fundraising campaign in the wake of a growing deficit, will announce a donation from its national alumni association at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the S.C. State House.

▪  Gov. Nikki Haley will attend a concert announcement at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. (Could it be Paul McCartney?)

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 6:28 AM with the headline "Morning Buzz: General Assembly’s closing weeks, Senate’s hitting the road."