The South Carolina Legislature adjourned on Thursday, May 12.

Passed bills included early voting procedures and expanded access to birth control.

The Legislature will meet again in a special session scheduled to be held June 15 focusing on the state budget and any bills vetoed by the governor.

The South Carolina Legislature is set to convene a special session in early December to address redistricting.

The House will convene on December 1, while the Senate is set to convene on December 6.

On May 12, the South Carolina Legislature met to approve a resolution allowing the state to continue to spend money until the budget can be addressed later this year.

In addition to the budget and any potential legislation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Legislature may take up any legislation that has passed either the House or the Senate during the fall session.

As of May 14, the Legislature stands recessed until September 15

The South Carolina Legislature is set to return on April 8 for a single day.

The session is being called to consider a continuing resolution concerning state funding.

Additionally, lawmakers will consider a resolution allowing the Legislature to adjourn sine die.

State Sen. John Courson resigned from the South Carolina Legislature on Monday, June 4, after pleading guilty to willful misconduct and agreeing to cooperate with ongoing ethics investigations.

Courson, a former Senate president pro tempore who served 33 years in the state Legislature, was indicted last year on multiple corruption charges stemming from his conversion of campaign money for personal use.

A special election will be called to fill the District 20 seat.

State Rep. Jim Merrill resigned from the Legislature last week, just prior to appearing in court.

He has been suspended from office since December, when he was indicted on two counts of misconduct in office and 28 counts of violating state ethics laws. While many of the charges are misdemeanors, he could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Merrill is the second legislator to resign amid recent corruption charges. Former state House Speaker Bobby Harrell plead guilty in October 2014 to ethics-related charges and resigned.

Similar charges are currently pending against Rep. Rick Quinn and Sen. John Courson. Both remain suspended while awaiting trial.

South Carolina lawmakers scheduled a three-day special legislative session before adjourning the regular session on May 11. The special session is expected to begin today.

Because state law requires it, House Speaker Jay Lucas will gavel it in but then likely adjourn an empty chamber.

He encouraged House members not to return for the session because there is no budget compromise to consider. He plans to call House members back when the budget panel, consisting of members from both chambers of the Legislature, has taken the time to complete its work and reach an agreement.

The 46 members of the Senate are expected to be present for the special session, as Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman has not indicated anything to the contrary.

The second regular session of the 121st South Carolina General Assembly adjourned Thursday, June 2.

The Legislature is expected to return for a special session on Wednesday, June 15, and may continue in statewide session, if necessary, until not later than June 22.

Prior to adjournment, both houses were working to reach an agreement on an ethics reform bill requiring complaints against legislators to be independently investigated. Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin is optimistic a compromise can pass during the upcoming special session.