South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster mentioned a $1.8 billion surplus in the state’s budget during his State of the State address on January 29. However, this amount was previously found to be nonexistent after an audit uncovered an accounting error in the state’s budgeting system. When asked for clarification, the Governor’s Office stated that the surplus in the upcoming budget and the $1.8 billion in the audit are not related. The surplus in the budget is due to new recurring revenue and non-recurring revenue available for the 2025-2026 budget year. The amount of new recurring revenue is $650.7 million, while the non-recurring revenue is $1.19 billion, totaling $1.849 billion. This year’s surplus is a coincidence compared to the previous year’s surplus of $1.64 billion. In contrast, the audit confirmed that the $1.8 billion in funds do not actually exist. This clarification came in response to questions raised by viewers after noticing the consistent $1.8 billion figure. The Governor’s Office emphasized that the surplus and the audit discrepancy are separate issues.
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