SC Senate approves budget for next fiscal year, including raises for state employees and teachers

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– At the Statehouse, the South Carolina Senate has approved the state’s roughly $10 billion budget for the next fiscal year. It includes a 2% raise for all state employees and a $1,000 raise for teachers. The state has nearly $1.7 billion to spend in the budget starting July 1, thanks to the economy doing better than predicted during the pandemic.

We spoke with the governor about what items he would like to see receive funding.

Senate and House members expect to come back in special sessions after May to decide how to spend the additional surplus and federal COVID-19 relief money.