SC lawmakers approve $13 billion state budget pending McMaster vetoes - wpde.com

CONWAY, S.C. (WPDE) — Lawmakers returned to Columbia on Wednesday for an array of votes including approval over the conference committee report and changes to the 2024 Fiscal Year budget.

The roughly $13.8 billion dollar budget will result in pay raises for state employees as well as new teachers with what are called 'Step' increases for tenured teachers.

Last week, lawmakers broke out of an 'impasse' over university funding. Now the budget deal will send $102 million to Clemson University to build the state’s first veterinary school. Budget writers agreed to send $55 million to the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus, which includes money for STEM programming in high-demand areas and the school’s science and technology center.

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Colleges and universities will receive $124 million for tuition mitigation and inflationary costs to freeze tuition rates for in-state college students for the fifth year in a row.

State employees will receive a pay raise of $2,500 or 5%, whichever is greater. While starting teacher pay increases by $2,500 to $42,500.

In the Pee Dee and Grand Strand, hundreds of millions have been earmarked for roads, community improvements, and public safety.

We break down some of the earmarks by county below.

Horry County

• $5 million for Public Safety Enhancements
  
• $30 million for SC 22 elevation over Waccamaw River
• $5 million for Highway 90 improvements and expansion
• $5 million for SELL permitting and engineering
• $2.4 million for Conway Crabtree Greenway Greenway Expansion
• $677,000 Conway Carolina Bay Construction
• $900,000 Conway Rec Center Expansion
• $1 million Old Loris High School Redevelopment
  
• $5 million Myrtle Beach Downtown Revitalization
  
• $1 million for Aynor Community Rec Center
  

Georgetown County

• $10 million Murrells Inlet Dredging
  
• $250,000 Pawleys Island Sea-level rise adaptation plan
• $1 million Port fo Georgetown Dredging
• $1.5 million in reserves from Port Authority Transfer
• Ramsey Grove wildlife habitat management associated with SCDNR Budget

Darlington County

• $2,264,000 Darlington County Humane Society - Education and Adoption Center
  
• Funding for Florence-Darlington Technical College
• $300,000 City of Darlington - Darlington African American Museum
  

Florence County

• $10 million for Florence County - Poyner Building Renovation
  
• $397,500 for the City of Florence Police Department Automatic License Plate Reader
• $600,000 for the City of Florence Police Department Camera Updates
  

Dillon County

• $865,000 for Dillon Police Department - Equipment and Facility Repairs
  
• $440,000 for the Dillon County Sheriff's Office
  
• $500,000 for Marion-Dillon Habitat for Humanity
  
• $195,400 for Town of Latta - Infrastructure Upgrades
  
• $84,707 for Town of Lake View - Community Center Upgrades
  

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SC lawmakers approve $13 billion state budget pending McMaster vetoes - wpde.com
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