14 January 2024
On January 13, Governor Henry McMaster released his Executive Budget Proposal for 2025-2026.
Reminder: These are just recommendations made by the Governor. They are not final, nor are they law. The Legislature writes the budget ultimately.
Arts Funding
Read the full Executive Budget Proposal >>
Recurring funding for the arts remained level in the Governor’s FY26 budget proposal at just over $10 million in statewide funds. Gov. McMaster, who has not proposed cuts to the arts in his Executive Budgets since taking office, has historically supported increases in arts funding approved by the Legislature later in the budget process. The only exception to this pattern was in 2017, where his veto was overridden by the General Assembly.
The Governor’s budget also maintains level funding for Education Improvement Act allocations for arts education ($1.1 M), and the Department of Education’s Arts Curricular Innovation Grants ($1.4 M)
Other Items of Note
The Governor once again called for reforms to earmark projects (direct state funds to individual entities) urging the General Assembly to allocate funding for these projects to special, merit-based grant programs:
“Administered by state agencies, funds would be made available only to entities which demonstrate required community support and missions consistent with the policy goals and outcomes intended by the General Assembly. Further, all applications and award criteria would be placed online, allowing for public scrutiny and total transparency.”
These line item allocations have historically supported various arts and culture related projects in certain communities through the state, but are done so at each legislators discretion.
The Governor also called for the General Assembly to fund the minimum teacher salary in South Carolina at $50,000 in 2025 — a year earlier than his original target of 2026.
Bottom Line: Funding for the arts stayed flat in the Governor’s recommended budget. The Legislature began this week and will propose their own versions of the budget. You can learn more about our legislative funding priorities by checking out our FY26 Issue Briefs.
