Gov. Henry McMaster will offer the State of the State address on Wednesday.Staff reports | S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster will deliver the annual State of the State address 7 p.m. Wednesday at the state capitol.
It is expected to tap many of the themes outlined in his recent 2024-25 executive budget proposal, including:
- $500 million in surplus funds for replacement and repairs to some of the state’s almost 9,000 bridges.
- $386 million for education to raise teacher pay, expand full-day kindergarten and boost spending on classroom materials.
- $133 million for the state health plan, and employee recruitment and retention.
- $100 million for need-based college financial aid.
- $99 million for an additional income tax cut to drop the top rate to 6.3%.
- $95 million for Workforce Industry Needs Scholarships
- $54.3 million for the state’s rainy day fund for unanticipated costs.
- $50 million to freeze college tuition for in-state students.
You can watch the address live through SCETV.
Also in recent headlines:
Haley heads to N.H. after Iowa. Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, who many thought would edge Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, got 19% of the vote, compared to DeSantis’s 21%. But next week in New Hampshire’s primary, DeSantis has all but bowed out as he spent months campaigning in Iowa. The big question now is how Haley will do in New Hampshire compared to frontrunner Donald Trump, who still leads in polling. But Haley’s appeal to Democrats and Independents in the “Live Free or Die” state seems to be making the race more competitive than expected.
New bill proposes merger of 6 S.C. health agencies. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is already planned to split into two new agencies over public health and environmental services in the summer. But now, lawmakers are pushing to merge the six separate state health agencies into one, forming the “Executive Office of Health and Policy.”
S.C. Senate passes bill to stop pension fund from investing in ‘woke’ causes. The S.C. Senate unanimously passed a pair of bills Wednesday covering state pension funds and investment in liberal causes that critics now find acceptable since amendments had assuaged their concerns.
New Sunday liquor bill sales could boost sales for N. Charleston distilleries. The new bill proposes Sunday liquor sales via referendums in counties and municipalities. It would also allow micro-distilleries, which are defined in the bill as manufacturers that ferment and distill on-site, to sell liquor on Sundays without needing to pass a referendum.
State officials push to have Juneteenth established as a state holiday. Juneteenth is already a federal holiday in the United States and commemorates the end of slavery. Lawmakers say making it a state holiday will help memorialize and teach history.
S.C. lawmaker pushes to remove marijuana odor as probable cause. The second annual “S.C. Cannabis Supporters United” rally was a push for what supporters called “sensible decriminalization” of marijuana, according to Bob Chapman, executive director of the S.C. Cannabis Coalition. S.C. Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston showed support with a referral to the Senate Committee on Judiciary on Jan. 9 to remove marijuana odor as a probable cause.
Hall to retire; Powell to take over S.C. Transportation Department. S.C. Transportation Secretary Christy Hall will retire after nearly 30 years with the state’s Department of Transportation after serving 10 years since her appointment by then-governor Nikki Haley. On Thursday, the S.C. Transportation Commission appointed the agency’s chief operating officer, Justin Powell, as new transportation secretary.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
Let’s just hope his “dog won’t hunt” phrase slips from his vocabulary this year.