State budget (arts funding!) heads back to House

Full Senate gives final approval to its own plan

South Carolina’s FY23 budget is heading back to the House to make revisions (or not) to its version after the Senate made a version with a different pot of money.

The Hub told you last week that the full Senate would vote on its $12.4 billion version of the budget this week, and yesterday it granted final approval to its plan for SCAC funding by a 45-1 margin before passing the entire package 42-4.

Here’s how each chamber sized up the SCAC’s portion of the budget:

House plan

  • $2 million increase in recurring funds for grants
  • $3 million of one-time funding for grants
  • $500,000 in one-time funding for rural pilot programs
  • which became

Senate plan

  • $1 million increase in recurring funds for grants
  • $500,000 in one-time funding for rural pilot programs

As noted previously, the SCAC budget request includes a $5.5 million increase.

    • $5 million increase in recurring funds for grants
    • $500,000 in one-time funding for rural pilot programs

The difference in the House and Senate version is that between House approval and that of the Senate Finance Committee, lawmakers signaled broad support of an income tax reduction for S.C. citizens. That would lower the amount of money available for recurring funding. The House has a chance to work with the Senate’s pot of money in a budget bill dubbed “H2.”

The current legislative session expires on May 12. That’s six legislative working days for the House to decide on its course. If they adopt the Senate version, it goes to the governor to sign or veto. If they pass a different version, a conference committee comprised of an equal number of members from each chamber will (probably) work past May 12 to reconcile the differences in how much money will ultimately land with each state agency.

As always, let the South Carolina Arts Alliance keep you updated.


Past updates