Staff reports | The state Senate unanimously on Wednesday approved a $13 billion spending plan in what was characterized as an “unusually short debate lacking the typical back-and-forth” seen in most years.
In general, the Senate plan is similar to the one passed earlier by the House and includes state employee salary increases, a veterinary school at Clemson, a juvenile jail, a freeze to in-state tuition and help to pay for more rural schools.
The big differences with the House plan are the sizes of the state worker pay raises (the Senate plan spends $42 million more) and the Senate plan doesn’t include $200 million for bridge improvements.
In other recent news:
Quinn pleads guilty to perjury, obstruction. Longtime S.C. Republican powerhouse political consultant Richard Quinn pleaded guilty April 19 to perjury and obstruction of justice charges tied to the years-long investigation. Quinn did not admit guilt, but agreed a jury would likely convict him.
S.C. disabilities agency reaches $250K settlement. As part of the settlement between Mary Poole and the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, the department is paying Poole $250,000 to settle a 2-year-old lawsuit that accused commissioners of damaging her reputation with false explanations for her sudden firing.
Killer released early could go back to prison. A convicted killer released from prison 16 years early could go back to prison after the S.C. Supreme Court unsealed the secret order that allowed his release, according to The Post and Courier. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, who submitted a request to have the order unsealed, argued the order broke state law that requires murderers to serve at least 30 years before release. The killer served 19 years.
S.C. gets closer to lethal injection secrecy. The S.C. House gave key approval Wednesday to allow the name of a company that sells drugs for lethal injection to remain anonymous, as well as members of the execution team.
Proposed S.C. bill would cut number of state’s school districts in half. The number of school districts in South Carolina could be nearly cut in half under a proposed bill at the Statehouse.
S.C. bill seeks to keep teachers in classroom, boost contract flexibility. A bill sent unanimously on Tuesday to the House Education Committee would make a professional teaching certificate permanent, eliminating the bureaucratic hurdles involved in renewing it every five years through the state Department of Education.
S.C. effort to legalize gambling on horse racing stalls. A bill which would have funded the state horse industry by legalizing and taxing online horse race wagering, was passed narrowly in the House earlier this month but has not been taken up in the state Senate.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!