CRMCA Legislative Update for March 2026
Compiled by Ben Homeyer, CRMCA Lobbyist for South Carolina
As the South Carolina House debates the FY state budget this week, several major policy discussions underway at the State House could directly impact construction activity, infrastructure investment, and long-term demand for ready-mixed concrete across the state. These include the annual budget debate, proposals to modernize the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), and a growing legislative conversation around large industrial energy users such as data centers.
For CRMCA members, the common theme across these issues is straightforward: South Carolina’s continued economic growth depends on sustained investment in transportation, utilities, and industrial infrastructure.
State Budget Debate
The House is currently considering the state budget, which remains the single largest driver of public infrastructure investment in South Carolina. While the final numbers will continue to evolve during the House and Senate process, several spending areas remain particularly important to the ready-mixed concrete industry.
Transportation and Freight Infrastructure
Investments in highways, bridges, freight corridors, and interchange improvements remain among the most important contributors to construction activity across the state. Maintaining strong funding for SCDOT projects and ensuring the state can match available federal transportation dollars are key priorities as the budget moves forward.
These investments support both statewide mobility and the logistics infrastructure necessary for South Carolina’s manufacturing and port-driven economy.
Economic Development and Site Readiness
South Carolina continues to recruit major industrial projects that require large-scale site preparation and infrastructure improvements. State funding that supports site readiness—including grading, drainage, road access, and utility extensions—plays a significant role in whether large projects locate in South Carolina.
These investments often translate into substantial near-term construction activity and long-term economic growth.
Local Infrastructure Needs
Beyond statewide transportation projects, the budget also supports local infrastructure such as water and sewer extensions, industrial access roads, and public facility construction. These projects frequently create steady construction demand in communities across the state.
Items included in the House Ways and Means version we will be following for continued inclusion with the full House are 100 million to local government for roads.
- Roughly 250 million for bridges
- 125 million for interstates
- 25 million for counties to buy back roads from DOT.
As soon as the budget debate is over, the House plans to take up Income Tax reform which has one version which passed the House initially, a new version which passed the Senate and has raised the cost estimate by another $150 million dollars (which the House has not accounted for in the budget) but also reduces the top Income Tax rate down to roughly 5%.
SCDOT Modernization Legislation
At the same time the budget debate is underway, lawmakers continue discussing legislation intended to modernize how SCDOT plans and delivers transportation projects. The Senate proposal focuses on improving coordination, increasing flexibility in project delivery, and ensuring the state’s transportation system keeps pace with economic growth.
Key components of the proposal include:
Improved Transportation Coordination
The legislation would establish a statewide Coordinating Council for Transportation and Mobility to help align transportation planning across state agencies and local governments. The goal is to improve long-term planning and ensure transportation investments support statewide economic development priorities.
Expanded Project Delivery Options
The proposal also expands the use of alternative project delivery methods such as public-private partnerships and phased design-build contracting. These tools can provide greater flexibility in delivering large transportation projects and may help accelerate project timelines.
Funding and Tolling Flexibility
The bill clarifies how tolling could be used for certain new-capacity transportation projects while limiting tolling on existing highways without federal authorization and legislative approval. This approach attempts to balance infrastructure financing options with legislative oversight.
System Realignment of State Roads
The legislation also proposes a review process to determine whether certain lower-priority roads could be transferred to local governments, along with funding assistance to support the transition. The goal is to allow SCDOT to focus resources on higher-priority statewide transportation corridors.
Maintenance Accountability
Additional provisions focus on improving the state’s response to road maintenance issues such as potholes and pavement failures, including improved reporting and repair timelines.
For CRMCA members, the broader takeaway is that lawmakers remain focused on ensuring South Carolina can continue delivering major transportation projects efficiently as population and freight traffic continue to grow.
Data Centers and Infrastructure Policy
A growing topic of discussion at the State House involves the rapid expansion of data centers and other large industrial energy users.
South Carolina’s strong economic development climate, available land, and competitive energy costs have made the state increasingly attractive for these facilities. Data centers often require substantial construction investment, including large building foundations, access roads, utility infrastructure, and stormwater systems.
However, their rapid growth has also raised broader policy questions related to energy demand, water use, and infrastructure capacity.
Legislators and regulators are beginning to evaluate issues such as:
- Electric generation and transmission capacity
• Utility infrastructure costs and rate impacts
• Water supply and wastewater capacity
• Local infrastructure requirements for large industrial facilities
These discussions are likely to continue as South Carolina balances economic growth with long-term infrastructure planning.
For the construction industry, data centers represent both significant development opportunities and a reminder of the importance of infrastructure planning to support growth.
Looking Ahead
As the legislative session continues, the budget debate, SCDOT modernization efforts, and infrastructure discussions tied to economic development will remain closely connected.
For CRMCA and the ready-mixed concrete industry, the message to policymakers remains clear:
South Carolina’s continued economic growth depends on sustained investment in transportation infrastructure, industrial site readiness, and the public systems that support large-scale development.
Whether the state is building new manufacturing facilities, expanding port logistics, or supporting emerging sectors such as data centers, strong infrastructure investment will remain essential to keeping South Carolina competitive.
CRMCA will continue monitoring these discussions and working with lawmakers to ensure infrastructure policy supports responsible growth and a strong construction economy across the state.
