South Carolina Legislative Session Closes with 749 Bills Passed, Economic Growth Surges in Orangeburg and Laurens Counties

South Carolina remains in legislative recess as the 126th General Assembly wraps up active bills from 2025, with over 2,200 introduced and 749 completed, according to LegiScan. Key measures passed include tax exclusions for tips and gratuities from gross income, optometry volunteer licenses for out-of-state professionals, and a timber casualty loss credit tied to Hurricane Helene recovery, as detailed on the South Carolina Legislature site. Prefiling for the 2026 session surged in December, with lawmakers submitting 327 bills on topics from ICE partnerships at jails to chemtrails debates and school upgrades, Statehouse Report notes. Locally, WHHI-TV highlighted headlines like declining hotel occupancy rates leading the South, no Powerball winner, and a failed sexual predators detention center.

Economically, the state shines as a high-growth engine, with Mission Critical Interior Solutions investing $7.4 million in Orangeburg County for 49 jobs in data center manufacturing, South Carolina Commerce reports. Meiden America Switchgear expanded in Laurens County with $9.2 million and 43 jobs, while PRET Advanced Materials committed $18.5 million in Johnsonville. Over $12 million in CDBG funds bolstered 27 communities.

Education and infrastructure advance steadily. The South Carolina Department of Education allocated about $7 million for charter school planning grants starting July 2025. Major projects include Greenville's 3-million-square-foot mixed-use redevelopment, Pendleton High School's 240,000-square-foot campus set for 2026-2027, Fox Creek Middle School's $21 million North Augusta build, and Legacy Traditional School-Columbia under construction for fall 2026.

No major recent weather events dominate headlines, though Helene recovery lingers in policy.

Looking Ahead: Watch the 2026 legislative session kickoff, Upstate construction booms like Greer facilities, and budget debates on educator pay and taxes.

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