State Sens. Glenn McConnell and Chip Campsen asked to be recorded as voting against the budget after the Senate rejected an amendment to help Charleston and Beaufort county schools address a funding problem created in the bill.

Charleston County schools are slated to lose $9.2 million -- an increase from the original $7.5 million estimate -- because of an unintentional glitch in the school funding formula. Beaufort could lose $6.5 million.

Charleston and Beaufort are the only two school systems in the state that would receive less money in this year's budget.

Public education was the top priority in the budget and received $315 million more than last year.

"There are a lot of good features to this bill, but public education in Charleston and Beaufort was cut," said McConnell, R-Charleston. "As far as I am concerned, we got singled out and shortchanged."

Campsen, R-Isle of Palms, said he is confident the money will be included when the Senate and House meet in conference committee next month.

"We have faith that will happen since it affects the Ways and Means Committee chairman's county," Campsen said referring to Rep. Bobby Harrell, the House's lead budget writer.

A variety of other Lowcountry projects will also need to be added during conference after the Senate cut them out of the House budget.

But for the most part, McConnell, Campsen and Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, were effective in restoring the major ticket items that were taken out of the House version by Senate budget writers.

The budget was amended to include $7 million for the restoration of Charles Towne Landing and $5 million for beach renourishment slated for Edisto Beach.

Grooms also included $1.8 million for the Great Swamp Sanctuary in Colleton County and $50,000 for Francis Marion Tomb restoration in Berkeley County.

But the funding for all these pet projects is somewhat uncertain. They are all on a wish list that lawmakers hope will be covered by a state surplus.

An additional $40 million to $50 million is expected in state revenues, and the wish list totals about $48 million, Grooms said. The items will be funded in order of priority, which is set by the conference committee.

It is the first time in five years the budget has yielded a surplus, and lawmakers quickly took advantage by using it for entities in their districts. McConnell remarked that "more pork was flying through the Statehouse than at a barbecue."

That's exactly what Gov. Mark Sanford has warned against in previous budgets. He brought two squealing pigs named "Pork" and "Barrel" to the Statehouse last year to reinforce his point.

The money instead should go toward funding an income tax cut and paying back trust and reserve funds, Sanford said in an editorial Tuesday. The Legislature rejected the income tax earlier in the session, replacing it with a small business tax break.

Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, said that all the surplus spending is for items that "are good for this state, for the people of this state."