Legislators have last chance to pre-file proposals

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina senators are pre-filing proposals for the legislative session that resumes in January. Tuesday is the last day for senators to potentially give their ideas a head start for 2014. House members’ last pre-filing deadline was a week ago. Their 82 pre-filed bills include a proposal by Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter of Orangeburg to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour. Republican Rep. Jenny Horne of Summerville offered a bill overhauling the way the state funds public schools. Legislators for years have touted the need to revamp the decades-old funding formulas but made no progress. Gov. Nikki Haley has pledged to offer her own plan in January. Democratic Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden introduced a bill to make 4-year-old kindergarten available for all children in the state.