Priorities right in state budget

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A declining economy took its toll on state spending. The damage was compounded by the Legislature's penchant for funding new and expanded programs through "growth." No area of state government has been spared of painful budget cuts.

Priorities for enhanced spending have been clear: education, public safety and health care, along with the restoration of trust funds that have been recklessly raided. To the House's credit, it adopted these common-sense priorities and directed new state dollars to these critical areas.

House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell of Charleston and House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville are to be commended for keeping House members focused on the state's most pressing needs. The reward was not only a generally sound general appropriations bill, but also one unanimously adopted on Tuesday.

Among the key elements in the House budget:

Fully funded base student cost of $2,290. This is the per pupil funding through the Education Finance Act that provides the foundation for local school budgets.

Other education increases including $18 million for school buses, $12.3 million for instructional materials and $10 million for summer schools.

A much-needed pay increase for state employees of 4 percent, with law enforcement officers getting 10 percent to make their salaries more competitive with peers in the Southeast.

New law enforcement officers, to the tune of 124 corrections officers, 118 Department of Juvenile Justice officers, 100 Highway Patrol troopers, 20 State Law Enforcement Division agents, 10 Department of Natural Resources agents and four new criminal prosecutors.

Medicaid fully funded, although at eligibility levels much tighter than imposed in many states.

Restocked trust funds depleted during earlier budget raids. House leaders said they fully funded 40 trust funds and partially restored two others, including giving $25 million to the Barnwell low-level nuclear waste site fund.

In coming weeks, bits and pieces will surface about some state funds going to pet local projects in moves that surely nurtured the spirited and historic House vote. The Charleston Post and Courier has already written about happy representatives in the Lowcountry who got money for Charles Towne Landing, Spoleto and a program for abused children.

Gov. Mark Sanford had wanted the House to restrain its new spending even more. Despite his criticism, it will be hard to find much excess in the House budget that devoted most of the new revenue to critically needed areas that have suffered during the past few years. And it will be difficult for the Senate to make many improvements.