The South Carolina Senate approved a $15.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which includes raises for state employees and teachers, more funding for road improvements, and a planned income tax cut. However, the budget sets up a potential showdown with the House as it does not include the House’s $500 million property tax rebate. A group of lawmakers will need to resolve the differences between the two chambers.
One controversial provision added to the budget requires students to use the bathrooms of their sex assigned at birth and stay in rooms of the same sex during overnight field trips. All Republicans supported the proposal, while Democrats expressed concerns about legal challenges and taxpayer money being wasted in defense of the provision. Another issue debated by senators was the misuse of state funds by charter school operators, leading to a limit of 2% on the amount schools can use for administration.
The Senate also approved an amendment prohibiting universities from spending state money on conference-related fees or expenses. This comes after Clemson University sued the Atlantic Coast Conference over an exit fee, sparking concerns about how universities use state funds. Furthermore, county libraries are now required to provide plans to prevent children from accessing inappropriate material or risk losing state funding. Republican Senator Josh Kimbrell emphasized the need for libraries to certify their plans to safeguard children.
Instead of the House’s proposed $500 million property tax rebate, the Senate’s budget allocates $100 million to reduce the income tax rate from 6.4% to 6.2%. The remaining funds will be directed towards infrastructure improvements, including roads, bridges, and water systems. Differences in state employee raises between the House and Senate plans also need to be reconciled, with the Senate proposing a higher raise for employees making less than $50,000 compared to the House’s plan.
Both chambers agreed on allocating $200 million for teacher raises, increasing the minimum salary for starting teachers to $47,000 a year, and allowing teachers to receive yearly raises for their first 28 years. The lengthy debate over the budget even led to senators taking a dinner break before continuing discussions. Despite the differences and controversies surrounding certain provisions, lawmakers are working towards finalizing a budget that addresses various funding priorities in the state of South Carolina.
