SC Senate and House passes $14.7 billion budget
Share this @internewscast.com

South Carolina state legislators recently approved a $14.7 billion budget that addresses a variety of priorities including infrastructure improvements, disaster relief, and salary increases for teachers, state employees, and even the legislators themselves.

Upon reconvening at the State House, the lawmakers assessed the final budget as prepared by a Conference Committee consisting of three Senators and three Representatives, which managed compromises over the previous week. Notably, despite an additional $1 billion, this year’s budget does not allocate funds for local community projects.

“Halting earmarks is a challenging task… nearly all of you are worried about the lack of earmarks, but it must be done… it has spiraled out of control,” stated Senator Harvey Peeler (R – Cherokee).

Another topic in the budget are lawmaker pay raises. Governor Henry McMaster said it is justified that lawmakers will be getting a raise because it is used for in-district expense, which means they will receive more money to spend on legislative duties.

“Inflation is there and there are legitimate expenses that they need to have in these offices, and they’ve estimated that’s what they need,” McMaster said.

But not everyone agreed with this. Before the Senate’s vote Senator Wes Climer (R – York) said the way this was brought up was unconstitutional. He asked the chamber to vote against the budget because he believed they needed to discuss this further.

“Regardless of whether you believe it is merited, inflation adjustments, so on and so forth in this session, you cannot possibly believe that this is the right way to do it. “

Representative Joe White (R – Newberry) agreed and urged the house members to vote no.

“Think about your constituents and think about your taxpayers, and vote this up or down, based on what you believe right now.”

Also, in the House several members of the extremely conservative group called the freedom caucus said the state needs to spend less money on bridges and more on a tax cut.

Governor Henry McMaster will have the chance to veto parts of the new budget, but as of now it is set to go into effect on July 1st.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

100 Years After a Man Was Convicted for Teaching Evolution, the Debate on Religion in Schools Continues

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A century ago, a public high school educator faced…

Live Stream: Forest Service Chief Provides Testimony to the Senate

National Forest Service (NFS) Chief Tom Schultz on Thursday will testify before…

Georgia Teen, 17, Detained in Connection with Parents’ Murder

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. () – On the morning of February 20th, 2025,…

Tragic Loss: Hiker Succumbs to Extreme Heat After Leaving Grand Canyon Trail

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A 67-year-old Texas man died Tuesday at the Grand…

Six Secret Service Agents Suspended Without Pay After Attempted Assassination on Trump

The Secret Service has put six individuals on unpaid suspension following an…

Denver Dinosaur Museum Discovers Major Fossil Find Beneath Its Own Parking Lot – ‘A Moonshot Discovery.’

DENVER – A museum in Denver, renowned for its dinosaur exhibits, has…

McCormick County Schools Unveils New Transparent Backpack Rule; Join Us for Registration Day this Thursday

McCORMICK COUNTY, S.C. – The McCormick County School District is introducing a…

Twin sisters in Texas Generate $10,000 for Camp Mystic by Selling Lemonade

() Nine-year-old twins who attended summer camps devastated by recent flooding have…

Senate Panel Votes to Halt Trump’s FBI Headquarters Relocation

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved an amendment to the annual…

Delta Travelers Spend the Night Stranded on a Remote Mid-Atlantic Island

A Delta aircraft encountered engine difficulties during its planned trans-Atlantic journey, resulting…

New Data Reveals Detention Centers Exceeding Capacity Limits

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A recent report indicates that migrants detained…

Study Reveals Florida’s Most Despised Insect

A new survey conducted by pest management software provider PestPac has identified…