Caucus Press Release: House Approves State Budget
Mar 29, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
House Approves State Budget
Job Creation, Law Enforcement, Education all Funded Priorities
COLUMBIA -- The State House of Representatives, led by Republican Speaker Bobby Harrell and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper, approved a $6.3 billion budget today that restrains spending while funding many of the state's critical priorities.
Speaker Harrell said nearly $1 billion -- one out of every six dollars -- is returned to tax payers through property tax relief or repaying all of the state's true trust funds and rainy day accounts.
"Over the past decade, the General Assembly has held government spending to 3.9 percent," he said. "While holding the line on spending this year, we have provided the people of our state with a budget that returns money to the taxpayers, encourages economic development, and stresses the importance of education."
The budget:
* provides additional funding for the Commerce Department to provide the tools it needs to bring jobs to South Carolina. This funding is a Republican Caucus agenda item.
* returns $536 million to homeowners in property tax relief.
* fully funds the Education Finance Act. The EFA is the main source of funding for the stateâs schools.
* puts more than 142 new law enforcement officers on the streets. There are 100 new highway patrol troopers, 25 officers for the Department of Natural Resources, 10 SLED vice officers and 7 nursing home abuse investigators.
* finishes replacing the final $98 million to the state's trust funds.
"The appropriations bill we approved today funds state priorities while returning more money than ever to the taxpayers," said Chairman Cooper. "I applaud the hard work of the Ways and Means Committee members and staff, and the Republican members who held the line on attempts to increase the spending further."
The budget has been commended by the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
Since taking control of the House in 1994, the House Republicans have held spending to an average increase of only 3.9 percent each year -- below personal income growth and the growth of population plus inflation.
The budget bill is scheduled to receive third reading Thursday. Splitting the budget into three parts was common until this decade, when budget cuts made supplemental bills obsolete.
Speaker Harrell added, "I thank the Ways and Means Committee and all the members of the House for all of their hard work on this years budget, they have truly worked in the best interests of our state."
For More Information:
Speaker Bobby Harrell
(803) 734-3125
Majority Leader Jim Merrill
(803) 734-3138
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Click for a PDF copy of this press release.
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