The South Carolina House approved a $14 billion spending plan this week after intense debates and disagreement among members. The budget passed on a 99-13 vote after nearly 20 hours of discussion over two days. A small group of Republicans, known as the Freedom Caucus, sought to cut $1 billion from the budget to reduce the state’s income tax rate, but their proposed changes were ultimately rejected.
The mainstream Republicans argued that the budget was carefully crafted with input from Governor Henry McMaster and various hearings by the Ways and Means Committee. They criticized the Freedom Caucus for making campaign speeches rather than trying to run the government more effectively. The proposed changes by the Freedom Caucus, including slashing funding for various agencies and education, were all voted down.
Despite the controversy, the spending plan addresses important issues such as freezing tuition for in-state students at state universities, increasing starting pay for teachers, providing funding for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, and increasing health insurance premiums for state employees. The budget also includes a decrease in the state’s income tax rate from 7% to 6.2%, with a further cut to at least 6% in the future.
The House plan reflects a compromise between different factions within the South Carolina House, highlighting the challenges of balancing competing priorities in the state’s budget.
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