The SC Legislature wrapped up its work on the FY2020 state budget (begins July 1) on May 21. The House and Senate each had their version of the budget, and the Conference Committee (3 members of each body) inked out a compromise which went before legislators on Tuesday.
The House version of the budget included an $865,000 increase for the arts – which was the request made by the SC Arts Commission and also pushed for by advocates during Arts Advocacy Day. The Senate version however cut that down by $250,000, recommending a $615,000 increase instead.
The Conference Committee ultimately agreed on the Senate version, giving the arts a $615,000 increase in grant funds.
Next Steps: We await the Governor’s vetoes. However, the Governor’s staff was involved in the Conference Committee’s budget deliberations, and the entire budget process, so there are not expected to be many, if any, major vetoes. The Speaker has already said that unless there is something major, he doesn’t expect the Legislature to take up vetoes until January.
Stay tuned for information regarding potential vetoes!
