|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
South Carolina’s free-spending, results-challenged legislative branch of government agreed to terms on a 2026-2027 state budget on Tuesday afternoon (August 11, 2026) – six weeks after the fiscal year began.
Their compromise proposal now heads to the desk of status quo governor Henry McMaster, who is not expected to initiate any substantive cuts despite having the ability to line-item veto the document.
The massive $42.7 billion spending plan represented a $3.53 billion (9%) increase over the previous year’s budget – and included all manner of wasteful spending on non-core functions of government. Basically, lawmakers just funneled more money into the same antiquated, dysfunctional bureaucratic silos – while providing little more than a pittance in tax relief.
Both chambers of the S.C. General Assembly are controlled by ostensible “Republican” supermajorities – and the governor’s office and every statewide elected position is occupied by either a “Republican” or a GOP appointee.
Has that translated into fiscally conservative governance? Hell no…
***
For weeks, FITSNews argued state senators should simply refuse to concur with the budget proposal approved by the left-leaning S.C. House of Representatives – which would have kept state spending at current levels and freed up nearly $4 billion for tax relief in the coming fiscal year.
“Hold the line,” our media outlet repeatedly urged senators.
Sadly, they failed to do so… “surrendering to the House’s escalating fiscal liberalism.”
The compromise approved last month marked a “major defeat” for Palmetto State taxpayers… far too many of whom are struggling to make ends meet as their so-called “conservative” leaders blow virtually every penny of new money on bloated, ineffectual bureaucracy and dubious economic development deals.
There was one silver lining in the spending plan approved this week, though – the removal of approximately $378 million in pork barrel expenditures contained in previous iterations of the budget. That money will remain unappropriated and available for tax relief in the coming fiscal year.
***
RELATED | BMW TROUBLES COULD IMPACT S.C. JOBS
***
Senators also pumped the brakes on a controversial $150 million corporate welfare handout for crony capitalist Scout Motors – which has already received a whopping $1.3 billion in incentives from Palmetto State taxpayers. If state agencies wish to route any more funding to this command economic misadventure, there must first be a legislative audit on the prior expenditures – with any new money coming via a separate appropriation.
While senators and representatives agreed on the budget, it was abundantly clear there was no love lost between the two chambers.
“You are not my enemy – you are occasionally my political opponent,” state representative Stephen Frank told House ways and means chairman Bruce Bannister. “The Senate is my enemy.”
“I agree with that,” Bannister replied, before ripping state senators Greg Hembree, Josh Kimbrell and others for allegedly hiding earmarks in the state budget.
***
???#SCBudget debate is getting heated ?
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) August 11, 2026
State representative @StephenFrank to @BruceBannister: "You are not my enemy – you are occasionally my political opponent. The Senate is my enemy."
Bannister: "I agree with that."
Bannister then proceeded to accuse state senators… pic.twitter.com/JSY0VuIwEH
***
State representative James Teeple was even more outspoken in his criticism of senators, who rejected an appropriation that would have funded cancer treatments for firefighters.
“They do not care whether firefighters live or die,” Teeple said of the Senate. “We will have the empty boots of 500 dead firefighters because of (their) inaction.”
“You don’t give a DAMN about our first responders,” Teeple continued, claiming senators’ ego over limited House expenditures had left them with “blood on their hands.”
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we continue to track the fiscal machinations of South Carolina’s increasingly dysfunctional, decreasingly effective GOP supermajority.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
