Attend Hometown Legislative Action Day on February 4
Hometown Legislative Action Day gives municipal officials a time to gather in Columbia to get involved in legislative issues and meet with members of the General Assembly. This year, the gathering will delve into the topics of local decision-making and business licensing. An HLAD preview appeared in the December issue of Uptown.
HLAD will take place at the Marriott in Columbia. Registration and hotel information are available now. The preregistration deadline is next week on Thursday, January 23.
Keep up with what’s happening
An easy way to stay up to date is to read From the Dome to Your Home. This is a weekly report during the legislative session on all legislative activity that impacts municipalities. The report also suggests action steps and takes a look at the upcoming week. Ongoing coverage of the session is also available through the City Quick Connect podcast. New episodes are released on Mondays during the session.
Bills that were introduced in 2019 are still active for the 2020 session. Many of these bills preempt local governments from making decisions at the local level on issues important to local residents. Changes to business licensing, short-term rentals and plastic bag bans are just a few. For those interested in following along with specific bills, check the legislative tracking system. The system also includes the prefiled bills for 2020 to be considered this year.