NEWSBREAK: S.C. House members on Monday began debate on a proposed $13.2 billion state budget that includes raises for teachers and state employees. There’s a $1.7 billion surplus thanks to low unemployment and federal aid, but state agencies requested $4.7 billion. The current year budget is $13.8 billion.
House members suggested a $200 million toward raising teacher pay, which would raise the minimum salary for a starting teacher to $47,000 a year. The proposal called for state workers who make less than $66,666 a year to get a flat $1,000 raise and those who earn that amount or more would get a 1.5% pay bump. Some $107 million would also be put towards increasing health insurance premiums for state workers for the year.
Another topic discussed Monday was the amount of money used to freeze tuition for South Carolina colleges and universities, which with technical colleges collectively asked for $128 million. But the House approved $57.5 million for the year
“We’re going back to sort of normal budget levels, and with the requests, this actually ends up being a pretty tight budget year,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, said. House members return today to continue their discussions.
In other recent news:
CP OPINION: Whiting: Community newspapers share aversion to darkness. “Your Palmetto State newspapers — the small community daily and weekly papers and the larger ones that serve a broader audience alike — do, to a certain degree, compete with each other. In some cases our reader and advertising audiences overlap, which can make competition a little more fierce.”
CP ARTS: Ashley Hall to offer outdoor performances of Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, will be performed by high school students March 15 and 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bear Cave, an outdoor stage and landmark on the Ashley Hall Performing Arts campus.
City of Charleston taking new approach to fix flooding issue. The City of Charleston says it is taking a new approach to mitigating the problem, such as closing down flooded roads more quickly and adding a drain maintenance plan.
New project could help MUSC navigate flooded campus. The area around the Medical University of South Carolina is a part of the peninsula that floods the most, but a new proposed project will build a pair of elevated walkways between some of their buildings to limit exposure to Charleston’s polluted floodwaters.
Atlanta Braves to visit Charleston during spring tour. The Atlanta Braves are coming to Charleston this spring as part of its Braves Country Road Trip. The team will make a stop at the Cooper River Bridge Run Finish Festival on April 6.
Delta hikes baggage fees in Charleston. Delta has joined mega-rivals American and United and at least two others in raising what it charges passengers who need to check their luggage at Charleston International Airport.
New funding option could give more to Charleston Co. schools. A proposed funding option for the Charleston County School District, the Weighted Student Funding Model, would allow resources to be allocated to help schools in the district with students in poverty, special education or multilingual. The proposed funding option has a price tag of $30 million.
Mount Pleasant, WakeUp Carolina partnership sees decline in overdoses. The Mount Pleasant Police Department says that ever since it partnered with the nonprofit WakeUp Carolina, the number of reported cases of overdoses dropped over the last year. Meanwhile, WakeUp Carolina’s Moncks Corner facility has seen success within its first month of opening.
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