By Representative Jackie Hayes
House members have been very productive during the past two weeks, approving a slew of measures, including bills that would improve the safety of children and other state residents. Members also have been gearing up for a debate on the $6.5 billion general fund budget that was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee on February 23. The budget proposal, which is slated to reach the House floor in mid-March, would fund state programs during Fiscal Year 2012-13, which begins July 1.
Overall, the committee’s budget document is an improvement over last year’s committee proposal. However, the proposal falls short in some areas and fails to adequately fund public education, some Medicaid programs and the Local Government Fund for counties and municipalities. Unlike last year, when the state faced a budget shortfall of $850 million and deficits at some state agencies, the Board of Economic Advisers has projected a surplus of nearly $1 billion for the coming fiscal year.
The budget would include a 2 percent pay raise for all state employees, including teachers and school district employees such as cafeteria workers, janitors and support staff, who work behind the scenes to keep our public schools functioning. However, state employees may not be happy with the proposed requirement that they pay more for state health insurance and a greater percentage into the state retirement fund. You can expect to see amendments offered on the House floor to increase the state employee raise from 2 to 3 percent.
Some bright spots in the budget would increase funding to allow 80,000 additional children in our state to be covered by Medicaid health insurance; provide for a five percent raise for law enforcement officers at the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole Services; add funding to hire more than 50 State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) officers; and set aside ten percent of the revenue surplus, or about $100 million, for the state’s Capital Reserve Fund, to help the state better prepare for the uncertainties of a constantly shifting economy.
Other provisions would set aside $180 million for deepening the Port of Charleston; and include a tax free weekend for gun purchases the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
An additional $150 million for public education would raise the base student cost from the current $1,880 per pupil to $2,012 a student.
This amount is higher than Governor Nikki Haley’s recommendation but falls short of $2,790 per student, required under a funding formula set by state law. The base student cost, one of the major mechanisms used to determine school funding, is, broadly speaking, the average expenditure per student in kindergarten through high school.
Unfortunately, the budget would not fully fund the “Local Government Fund,” which is distributed to cities, towns and counties to help pay for services such as police protection and garbage pickup.
State law requires the state to contribute to the “Local Government Fund” at an amount equal to 4.5 percent of the state’s general fund revenue from the previous year. Using the required formula, the Local Government Fund for the FY 12-13 budget year, should receive $70 million more than last year, but the committee proposal did not include the additional funding. The fund has been reduced from $280 million in 2008 to $183 million in the current budget.
Expect to see amendments on the House floor to increase local government funding. One amendment expected on the House floor would transfer to the Local Government Fund some $30 million allotted to county transportation committees for road repair.
Other controversial budget provisions would eliminate Medicaid coverage of emergency adult dental care and close the National Board Certification teacher bonus program to new applicants, although teachers that are already board certified and those now going through the process would still qualify for the annual salary supplements.
In other action, the full House approved and sent the Senate the “Jason Flatt Act” (H 4690), which would require middle school and high school teachers to undergo two hours of training in youth suicide awareness and prevention, as part of the 120 credit hours they must earn for re-certification.
The bill is named after Jason Flatt, a 16-year-old from Tennessee, who took his own life in 1997.
According to the S.C. Children’s Trust, 100 students nationwide take their lives every day.

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The Legislature meets in Columbia on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from January to mid-June.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 803-734-3099, at 333D Blatt Building, P.O. Box 11867, Columbia, S.C. 29211, or call me at home at 843-774-6125, at 240 Bermuda Road, Dillon, S.C. 29530.
My e-mail address is JackieHayes@ schouse.gov.