1 percent teacher salary raise; new crime lab in SC budget
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate has passed an $8 billion budget giving a 1 percent salary increase for teachers and building a new state crime lab.
The Senate voted 30-9 to approve the spending plan Thursday. The House was debating the measure during the second day of a special session.
The budget gives $54 million to build a new State Law Enforcement Division crime lab and about $17 million for school safety measures — mostly door locks, cameras and metal detectors.
The budget assures no public school teacher in South Carolina makes less than $32,000 a year.
Looming over the debate was a proposal removed from the plan to refuse $34 million in federal money for family planning and abstinence education.