Thursday headlines: S.C. legislators pass $13.8B budget

S.C. representatives and senators passed the state’s $13.8 billion budget Wednesday, raising the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000, giving state employees a 3% raise and $1,500 bonus and putting an extra $1 billion into road repairs and expansion projects. This year’s budget is $3 billion more than last year’s spending plan, thanks to a booming economy, federal pandemic relief funds and savings from past years’ budgets. More: Associated Press, The State

In other headlines: 

Charleston County schools to test new safety measures. In the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting, schools across Charleston County are opting to test new technology that could screen weapons. The district already employs over 5,500 cameras to monitor school entrances, a team dedicated to random security checks and student screenings and more, but still finds guns every year. More: WCSC

Boeing S.C. lawyer named as 787 inspection liaison. Boeing S.C. lawyer and former elected Mount Pleasant official Mark Fava was selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as the “ombudsperson,” a position required under a legal settlement related to Boeing’s unsafe 737 MAX aircraft. Fava’s role serves as a liaison for Boeing workers who inspect airplanes. More: The Post and Courier

Heat wave continues in S.C. Temperatures are expected to hit the high 90s this week, but will feel closer to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. More: WYFF 4, WIS TV

Fed raises interest rates to combat inflation. The Federal Reserve announced the highest raise in interest rates since 1994 on Wednesday. Interest rates were raised three-quarters of a percentage point to help stabilize the economy and curb inflation, which has pushed prices up 8.6% overall in the past year. More: CNN, The Washington Post, WIS TV

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