By admin 
South Carolina’s state employees waiting for an expected 2% raise now have an idea of when it might finally kick in.
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A six-member budget conference committee on Wednesday came to an agreement on a $15 billion state spending plan for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Because a final budget has yet to be passed by both chambers and signed by Gov. Henry McMaster, a continuing resolution has been in place, keeping spending levels the same. It also meant state employee raises, including step increases for state law enforcement, have not kicked in.
The budget also includes money to increase every cell in the state’s minimum teacher salary schedule, which bases teacher pay off of education level and years of experience, by $2,000 and brings the starting teacher pay to $50,500 a year. With school set to begin in the Columbia area next month, the pressure would have grown to get a deal in place.
“(The budget) takes care of a lot of things that are important to members. It’s takes care of the tax cut. Take care of the teachers. It takes care of law enforcement,” said House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister.
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Both chambers are expected to return to Columbia in the next week or two to vote on the final spending proposal.
After approved by the chambers and sent to the governor’s office, McMaster will have five days, not including Sunday, to sign the budget and issue any line-item vetoes.
Presuming McMaster doesn’t veto the state employee pay raise, raises will kick in and be retroactive to July 1. A retroactive amount dating back to July 1 will be in the first paycheck after the budget goes into effect. Future paychecks will then reflect the general increase, the Department of Administration said.
“Upon the signature of the governor, when this bill passes, the CR will be lifted, and will be back with all the rights and benefits of July 1,” Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler said. “I’m so happy. I can tell everybody that you will be paid, get your raises, so forth and so on. Just like it’s July the first.”
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