The State: S.C. Budget Delayed Until After June Primaries
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 9:31PM COLUMBIA, SC - The state of South Carolina will get a budget only days before its fiscal year starts July 1 — well after the state's voters cast ballots in the June 12 primaries.
The delay is because S.C. House and state Senate budget negotiators were unable to hash out a compromise this week on the state's $8.2 billion general fund budget.
In a joint statement Wednesday, S.C. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brian White, R-Anderson, said further meetings to reach a budget deal will be postponed.
"The differences that the conferees (budget negotiators) face are numerous and complex," the two said in a statement. "These will take time to analyze ... and to reach a consensus on how to move forward and best serve our people."
- How much to raise teacher pay; the House proposes a 2-percent raise while the Senate proposes a 1-percent raise.
- A one-year law added to the House budget that loosens a cap on rooftop solar power in South Carolina, allowing expansion of solar energy.
- $54 million in the House budget for a new forensics lab for the State Law Enforcement Division.
- $20 million in the Senate budget for deferred maintenance at state colleges and universities.
- Questions about how the state should spend profits from the S.C. Lottery; the House proposes to use some of those dollars for school safety measures, including metal detectors.
- A proposal to remove the $10,000 cap on earnings for state retirees who want to remain — or return — to their jobs.
Budget negotiators had expected to finalize a deal by Thursday, sending it to lawmakers' desks before a final vote in a special two-day session next week. Instead, they agreed Wednesday to have a budget ready for lawmakers when they return to Columbia on June 27 to complete any unfinished legislative business.
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