House committee begins talks on $6.5 billion budget

COLUMBIA (AP) — State workers will see a 3 percent raise and more children would ride to school on new buses under budget plans the House Ways and Means Committee is considering this week.

The budget committee quickly found ways to spend more than $237 million the state Board of Economic Advisors added to its revenue projections last week. That’s on top of the $310 million the board added to the budget back in November.

The House is dealing with a $6.5 billion spending plan, well above the $5.9 billion spending cap Gov. Mark Sanford set in his executive budget and the $5.8 billion budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30. State revenues have grown faster than expected as corporate and personal income tax collections have surged.

Much of the extra money from the revenue projection goes to public education and state employees.

The raises alone would cost $51 million as an across-theboard increase. But Sanford has been asking legislators to allow agency heads greater flexibility in deciding which workers deserve higher — or lower — raises.

The state would also put $30.5 million into employee health insurance costs, shielding them from some rate increases, and $760,000 into raising the mileage rate paid when state workers use their own cars to 44.5 cents a mile.

All of the proposals are up for debate in the Ways and Means Committee as it works out details of the budget this week.

And it’s obvious there will be a good deal of debate on some issues.

For instance, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University each would get $4 million to offer more competitive salaries to hire new professors to replace people who are retiring or leaving.

‘‘It’s outrageous,’’ Rep. Shirley Hinson, R-Goose Creek, said. ‘‘They don’t need, nor do they use, $4 million, to replace faculty.’’

Other budget items received a better reception.

For instance, the state Education Department would get $26 million that has to be spent to buy new buses in the first year of what would become a new 15-year replacement cycle for the state’s aging bus fleet. The department also would get $26.7 million to help offset higher fuel costs.