The House convened at noon on Monday to begin the budget debate, which continued throughout the week due to over 150 amendments submitted for consideration. The House adopted each section without amendments and then moved through the budget, addressing amendments one by one. After many hours of discussion, the House approved a balanced budget.

The Senate has started its budget hearings and is set to take up the budget on the floor in April.

The line items supported by the Chamber that align with the People First strategic plan and additional initiatives include:

Workforce Education

• Funding to increase teacher starting salaries to $48,500 bringing South Carolina above the Southeast average.
• $61.2million to freeze in-state tuition for current students at public colleges and universities.
• $511,666 to Trident Technical College for maintenance, renovation and replacement.
• $13.1 million to the Statewide Education and Workforce Development for portal development and maintenance. The Education & Workforce Portal will serve as the state’s central access point for education and workforce information to users as their opportunities and pathways change throughout their life. The portal will be a desktop and mobile browser friendly online resource that will provide users with tailored resources relating to workforce opportunities and pathways.
• $70 million to fund the SC Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship Program (SCWINS).
• $5 million to ReadySC for Economic Development Training.

Attainable Housing

• $5 million to the rural infrastructure fund to enhance the quality of life for residents in communities across South Carolina by providing grant and loan financing options, as well as training, technical assistance and funding coordination for qualified infrastructure projects for water and wastewater systems and stormwater drainage facilities.
• $15 million to the statewide water and sewer grant program for communities to update their water and sewer systems.
• $14.5 million to Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) to improve permitting timeframes. This is accompanied by proviso language that implements a 90-day deadline for issuing a permit DES to issue a permit decision.

Transit

• $200 million to SCDOT to accelerate bridge infrastructure improvements throughout the state.
• $160 million to County Transportation Committees (CTCs) to fund local transportation projects and improvements.

Childcare

• $1 million to fund First Steps full day 4K. 

Other Chamber Initiatives

• $81 million to LocateSC to allow South Carolina to proactively prepare sites, plan on the state and local level, support local governments with grants and ensure the state remains attractive and competitive.
• $182,000 to Military Child Education Coalition. This funding will help increase the number of Purple Star Districts across the state.
• $80 million for airport infrastructure and safety projects.
• $5 million to Military Enhancement Fund which provides grants to ensure the long-term success of military installations in South Carolina. 
• $97 million to fund the phased-in reduction of the individual income tax rate from 6.3% to 6.2%. 
• $114 million Additional income tax rate reduction.

There is a notable omission that impacts childcare – funding for the SC Boost wage enhancement program. This program has been a lifeline for the childcare workforce, helping to address a critical shortage of childcare professionals in our state. We will continue to advocate for future iterations of the budget to include this important funding to sustain and support both our dedicated childcare workforce and the families they serve daily.

We will continue to keep you updated on the latest developments in Columbia.

Have a great weekend!