S.C. House Approves 2 Percent Raise for State Employees
Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 6:07PM
Editor

Advocates for state employees say a 2 percent cost-of-living raise in the House budget plan is helpful but not enough.

The South Carolina House voted 106-1 on Tuesday to designate an additional $17 million in its spending proposal to pay for raises beginning July 1. The plan advanced by the chamber's budget-writing committee provided 1 percent.

Ways and Means Chairman Brian White says the additional money is the best the House can do this year. It matches the cost-of-living increases the budget provides K-12 teachers.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter tried unsuccessfully to boost state employee raises to 3 percent or 2.5 percent.

Cobb-Hunter pointed to a state-funded report released in January that showed state workers are underpaid compared with their counterparts in other states and even local governments within South Carolina.

Article originally appeared on The Anderson Observer (http://andersonobserver.squarespace.com/).
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