Category: South Carolina

South Carolina Officials Plotting Next Steps for $1.8 Billion Balance

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South Carolina Politics

South Carolina state officials are determining how to proceed with a $1.8 billion balance discovered in a state account and Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has given leaders a July 1 deadline to chart a course forward.

On Oct. 31, 2023, South Carolina Comptroller General Brian Gaines sent a letter to South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis, directing Loftis to research the account’s origins. It marked the start of a months-long Senate investigation that exposed what a Senate Finance Committee Constitutional Subcommittee report dubbed “financial irregularities” in the state treasurer’s office.

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South Carolina Senate Poised to Consider 2024-25 Budget

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South Carolina Capitol

South Carolina senators will soon consider a fiscal 2024-25 budget for the state, a plan that includes nearly $100 million to speed up a personal income tax reduction.

Last week, the Senate Finance Committee gave the thumbs up to its version of a state budget, H.5100, and a Capital Reserve Fund, H.5101, sending both to the full Senate for consideration.

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Feds Send $1.2 Million to South Carolina for Transit Development Study

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Charleston Bus

The federal government has awarded a $1.2 million grant to a three-county planning council in the Charleston area to study transit-oriented development tied to a bus rapid transit line slated to open in five years.

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments will use the federal tax dollars for the third phase of a TOD study. The study will focus on implementing affordable housing strategies along the proposed 21.3-mile-long Lowcountry Rapid Transit line.

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Georgia, South Carolina Port Operations Could Be Affected by Baltimore Collision

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South Carolina Port

While the discussion continues following the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, several opportunities to improve operations and processes have emerged.

Officials at Georgia’s and South Carolina’s ports have vowed to help however they can.

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South Carolina Senate Fails to Advance Tort Reform Measure

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South Carolina Capitol

The South Carolina Senate did not pass a measure aimed at stemming lawsuit abuse, likely killing the push for the legislative session.

Senate Bill 533, the South Carolina Justice Act, would have amended the South Carolina Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act and moved the state toward a model in which a defendant is financially liable based on their percentage of fault. Proponents say this would reduce excessive damage awards in civil cases.

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South Carolina’s Evette Heads Up GOP Lieutenant Governors’ Committee

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Pamela Evette

South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette is chairing the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association’s 2024 Executive Committee.

Utah Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson will serve as the vice chair, while Nevada Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony will serve as the group’s finance chair. Florida’s Jeanette Nuñez, Indiana’s Suzanne Crouch, Iowa’s Adam Gregg, Ohio’s Jon Husted and Oklahoma’s Matt Pinnell will also serve on the committee.

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McMaster Signs Bill to Help Improve South Carolina Student Reading

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South Carolina Reading

Gov. Henry McMaster signed a measure to help ensure students read at their appropriate grade levels.

S. 418 builds on the Read to Succeed measure lawmakers passed a decade ago and requires the South Carolina Department of Education to implement a “scientifically based reading instruction” approach to reading education. The program includes professional development, administering universal screeners and summer reading camps.

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South Carolina House Approves Measure to Expand Education Scholarships

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School Work

The South Carolina House of Representatives signed off on a measure to expand the Education Scholarship Trust Fund.

Lawmakers voted 69-32 in favor of H.5164 on its second reading.

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Analysis: South Carolina Teachers Earn Less than Two Decades Ago

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Teacher with Students

A new report shows that schools nationwide, including in South Carolina, are having trouble filling teacher positions, with salaries being a primary cause.

An analysis from MyElearningWorld.com found that new teachers nationwide earn nearly 20% less than they did about two decades ago, taking inflation into account. South Carolina’s findings align with the national findings, with Palmetto State teachers earning 22% less.

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More than 5,000 South Carolina Families Apply for Education Scholarships

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More than 5,000 families from all 46 South Carolina counties have submitted applications for the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund.

The state is accepting applications until Friday.

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