House Budget Includes Money for Roads, Farmers

A $7.5 billion budget proposal heading to the House floor provides $40 million to flood-devastated farmers, cuts income taxes by $130 million and designates $250 million for road projects.

The Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved its spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The plan also includes an additional $375 million for kindergarten-through-12th-grade education. A $130 per-pupil increase in the "base student cost," boosts that main funding source for schools by $218 million.

The spending plan also forgives $12 million in loans to South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. But the historically black university must meet certain conditions, including a yearly increase in enrollment and have a balanced budget.

Republican Rep. Jim Merrill says that will help SC State keep its accreditation and stay open.