Lawmakers in South Carolina House begin work on proposed $7 billion budget
By JIM DAVENPORT Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA - House leaders turned back every effort to make changes in the state's $7.2 billion spending plan Tuesday, including efforts to give state workers bigger raises by raiding $20 million from a college research program.

The budget received criticism from both the Republican governor and Democratic lawmakers.

House Minority Leader Harry Ott, D-St. Matthews, backed more pay for state workers to ''help them to offset the increased costs that they are experiencing on a daily basis.''

Gov. Mark Sanford spent part of his Cabinet meeting talking about the budget and state salaries, noting most government workers were only slated to get a 1 percent pay increase, while state agency heads would have an average 4.2 percent pay bump.

''Our point in a tough budget year, one ought to lead by example and that there ought to be parity with regard to everybody being in the same boat together. That's not what's contemplated now in the state budget,'' Sanford said.

Repeated attempts to put money into rural development efforts also failed. Rural Democrats spent hours on the effort, failing even to get $1 million for roads.

Sanford also criticized plans to take $105 million from a surplus in the state Department of Health and Human Services, saying the money is needed as the economy slows.

''Historically when the economy has cooled, there's been more of demand for the social safety net, for programs like Medicaid,'' Sanford said. ''So at the very time when we may have more in the way of demand we will be cutting out, in essence, a cushion.''

At the same time, South Carolina is in the midst of pilot program revamping Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor, elderly and disabled, and needs a surplus to cover unexpected costs, the governor said.

State Rep. Tracy Edge handles health care-related agency budget issues and said the agency has weathered hard times with far less than the $100 million to $167 million remaining in its reserves. ''The last thing that I would ever do is put together a budget proposal that would put people in harm of not getting services,'' the Myrtle Beach Republican said.