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Article published Jan 5, 2005
Sanford budget: Lower income taxes, more student
spending
The Associated
Press
COLUMBIA — Gov. Mark Sanford wants lawmakers to spend about
$7 million on cutting state income taxes and about $400 more per student in
education funding, according to senators who have seen his executive
budget.Sanford briefed lawmakers Wednesday morning on his spending priorities
for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. He planned to release his executive budget later
in the day.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman,
R-Florence, said the $2,200 dollars per student that Sanford proposes spending
is still less than the more than $2,300 per student that a state formula says is
needed.
The governor’s plan also includes about $7 million more dollars
for the state Corrections Department. State Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, said
that would be used to hire more guards.
“Having more guards — that’s
probably the single most important thing that can be done,” said Fair, chairman
of the Senate committee on prisons.
Leatherman said it will take time to
analyze the governor’s proposal, which includes cutting about $1.4 million from
an incentive program that encourages teachers to become nationally certified and
reducing funding for student assessment programs by $2.7 million.
The
governor also would use an additional $8 million in lottery revenues to buy
school buses and add $20 million to funding for schools that are deemed
unsatisfactory or below average.
The General Assembly reconvenes next
week. The process of writing the budget begins with the House Ways and Means
Committee and debate on the spending plan usually begins in the spring.