state budget

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has vetoed just $1.5 million out of the state's $13 billion budget for next fiscal year. He announced the vetoes Tuesday. The decision demonstrates an unparalleled level of cooperation between the state's General Assembly and its chief executive. Leaders in the General Assembly say they will end the 2023 session and wait until 2024 to take up the 11 vetoes. The $1.5 million is barely over 0.01% of the 2023-24 fiscal year budget or less than two months of Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney's salary. The new budget starts July 1.

This year’s session of the General Assembly officially ended this week. The Republican led legislature was able to enact a number of G-O-P priorities this session, such as a new six-week abortion law, reform of the state’s bail- bond system, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, streamlining DHEC the state’s public health agency, and approving a record-setting state budget.

June 10, 2023 — A look at the compromise reached by state House and Senate negotiators reached this week over the $13.8 billion state budget; the latest on bond reform legislation heading to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk; updates from the 2024 campaign trail; and more.

South Carolina House members and senators have reached an agreement on the state's $13 billion budget, Thursday's deal came barely 24 hours after a tense meeting where both sides appeared to be out of patience. The key sticking point — how much money to give Clemson University to make significant progress on the state's first veterinary school — went to the Senate, which set aside $102 million. The House spending plan had about $8 million.

The $100 million deadlock in South Carolina's $13 billion budget erupted into public view Wednesday as the highest ranking House Democrat accused the Senate's budget leader of "putting pets over people." House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford directed the line at Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler for insisting on money for the state's first veterinary school at Clemson University. Peeler says House members have refused to meet with senators and are threatening pay raises for state employees, teachers and state law enforcement officers over the small, petty dispute. The state won't close without a budget on July 1, but no new money could be spent without passing the new spending plan.

The South Carolina House and Senate are showing no sign of getting closer to a deal on the state's $13 billion spending plan set to start July 1. The two main budget lawmakers in each chamber insisted they weren't at an impasse at Monday's meeting. The first conference committee meeting in 18 days lasted less than three minutes. Things like raises for state employees that lawmakers have already agreed to spend with an extra $1 billion can't start if the budget isn't passed before July 1. Both chambers did pass a resolution last month allowing government to remain open without a budget.

Flush with extra money to spend, South Carolina's House and Senate still haven't reached a deal on the state's $13 billion spending plan set to start July 1. While no one is talking publicly about what is causing the delay, an obvious sign of problems came Wednesday, when House Speaker Murrell Smith presided over a nearly empty House chamber. Members were supposed to meet for a session to approve the compromise.

South Carolina has a new top accountant after a 20-year officeholder resigned amid pressure over a $3.5 billion reporting error. Brian Gaines is now the state comptroller general and will oversee an office that has received mounting scrutiny from lawmakers who want to dismantle its responsibilities. The shakeup comes after former Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom revealed the state's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report had exaggerated cash balances by double counting the money sent to colleges and universities.

The South Carolina Senate has unanimously approved its version of the state's $13 billion spending plan in an unusually short debate lacking the typical back-and-forth the upper chamber usually has over the budget. The plan raises the salary of nearly every state employee and will build South Carolina's first veterinary school at Clemson University. It will build a state juvenile jail, freeze in-state tuition at colleges and universities and help rural districts build schools.

March 18, 2023 — A recap of this week's sometimes contentious debates in the state House of Representatives regarding their state budget proposal and an incentive package for Scout Motors.