By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | State legislators gathered this week for a special session to override 25 of Gov. Henry McMaster’s 28 budget vetoes.
The number of budget vetoes was scant in comparison to previous years — accounting for less than half a percent of state spending.
Notable overrides included state money for outside expertise on elections in Richland County (estimated at about $50,000), and $2.7 million in state money to sink the Cold War-era submarine the U.S.S. Clamagore to create an offshore fishing reef.
The three sustained vetoes were:
- A proviso requiring the S.C. Department of Education to continue to operate a bus shop in Lee County;
- A proviso dealing with a decade-old sewer line project; and,
- A proviso allowing the Fort Mill School District to use impact fee funds to pay down debt, a move outside their original impact fee agreement.
Lawmakers also overrode McMaster’s veto of H. 3601, which allows conditional discharge for first-time offenders charged with public disorderly conduct. The General Assembly is not expected to reconvene again until January 2020.
S.C. continues to rank low for kids
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report has ranked South Carolina 39th for conditions for children — a drop in rankings from 38th the year before. But all economic well-being indicators and all family and community factors have improved for the state:
- There are fewer children in poverty (245,000 children, representing 23 percent of children, down from 26 percent). There also are fewer parents lacking secure employment, fewer children living in high cost burden housing, and fewer teens not in school or not employed; and,
- Among the most improved factors is the teen birth rate per 1,000 births; that rate fell to 22 teen births per 1,000 births, down from 43 teen births per 1,000 in the previous year.
The state fared worse on other indicators:
- More eighth-grade students are not proficient in math — 74 percent, up from 70 percent; and,
- Moreg children ages 3 and 4 are not in school — 53 percent, up from 50 percent; and,
- There were also more child and teen deaths. The rate was 33 per 100,000, up from 32 per 100,000 the previous year.
- Read the full state profile here.
In other recent news:
Higher gas tax takes effect July 1. The state tax on fuel will increase from 20 cents per gallon of gasoline to 22 cents per gallon on July 1. This is the third year of raises, which will continue until 2022.
Senators to meet on education reform. A subcommittee of the Senate Education Committee will meet on the comprehensive education reform package 10 a.m. July 8 in room 105 of the Gressette building. Read the agenda here.
Economist says economic future uncertain. Clemson economist Bruce Yandle released a report this week that says the United States’ economic future faces uncertainty from federal policy battles over trade, deficits, immigration and foreign affairs. All of that creates an unknown future despite the nation’s low unemployment rate, rising wages and GDP growth, he said. Read the report here.
Lawmakers push for Santee Cooper to pay $15M. S.C. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, said in a letter to Santee Cooper’s leadership that the state-owned utility could be asked to foot a large part of the costs for at least two outside firms evaluating privatization and management of the utility. Read more.
‘Tax the Rich’ event in Columbia June 29. Tax March will hold a press conference 10:30 a.m. June 29 at the Statehouse in Columbia as part of the “Tax The Rich National Bus Tour,” calling for the repeal of the GOP tax reform. Learn more.
Looking ahead
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