March 13, 2024
This week the House approved their version of the budget bill, which includes a $2.6 million increase in funding for the South Carolina Arts Commission. More details below.
On Tuesday, the SC House of Representatives passed their version of the 2024-2025 Appropriations Bill by a vote of 104 to 15. The budget includes a increase in state appropriations to the South Carolina Arts Commission to continue supporting programs funded by the soon to expire ESSER money, as well as the implementation of six Arts Hub Regions throughout the State.
See how your Representative voted here >>
Here’s the breakdown of the budget:
- $600,000 in recurring funds
- $2 million in non-recurring funds
While they chose not to fulfill the full request of $3 million in recurring funds, this investment in the arts will go a long way in the establishment and implementation of the hub model, and will allow the Commission to continue its revolutionary arts learning work through Arts Grow SC. It’s especially promising that legislators prioritized recurring dollars for funding six Hub Coordinator staff positions, with an additional $2 million in non-recurring dollars for programming and grants that will be directed specifically to these hub regions.
What’s Next: The bill will now move to the Senate Finance committee, who is working on their own version of the budget. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!
