Governor Henry McMaster has announced his line item vetoes for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 state budget, which incorporates a significant portion of his executive proposals. The budget includes measures such as an income tax cut, increased funding for school resource officers, and teacher pay raises.
During his time in office, Governor McMaster has maintained a cooperative relationship with the General Assembly regarding state budgets. This collaboration typically results in minimal vetoes; this year, only 11 were issued.
“South Carolina’s booming economy is the envy of the nation,” said Gov. McMaster. He highlighted investments in education and infrastructure while emphasizing transparency in spending taxpayer dollars through an upcoming executive order.
The governor’s funded priorities include substantial income tax cuts, maintaining college tuition freezes, increasing teacher salaries to $48,500 with a target of $50,000 next year, and banning cell phone use by students at school to reduce distractions.
Additionally, all public schools will have a full-time school resource officer funded by the new budget. Other initiatives include continued support for early childhood education and the Education Scholarship Trust Fund to aid low-income families in choosing suitable educational environments for their children.
Gov. McMaster also noted that lottery funds would increase financial aid availability through debit card purchases instead of cash or credit cards. Investments are planned for healthcare restructuring and infrastructure projects across South Carolina.
“The Department of Transportation has made tremendous progress,” stated Gov. McMaster regarding road construction efforts. Furthermore, law enforcement officers will receive additional pay raises following previous increases aimed at retaining talent within the state’s agencies.
Funding allocations also cover disaster relief efforts related to Hurricane Helene and conservation projects statewide.
