Familiar Tax Cuts, New Bonuses In SC Governor’s Budget

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Henry McMaster’s suggestion for how South Carolina spends billions of extra dollars contains some familiar requests he hasn’t got in his five years in office — like cutting income taxes.

But the governor is sprinkling in some new proposals, such as $2,000 bonuses for school bus drivers, $3 million to expand election audits and $100 million to South Carolina’s aging health lab.

McMaster released his budget request Monday.

The General Assembly controls what gets spent, but lawmakers have had a good relationship with the governor.

At the top of McMaster’s budget is cutting the income tax rate from 7% to 6% over five years, costing $177 million a year.