Infrastructure investments remain a priority among legislators, and we applaud the SC House for allocating budget dollars to address our bridge network and boosting funds for county road programs.
We encourage the Senate to support these allocations as budget negotiations move forward.
The FY23-24 budget still has a long way to go before it is finalized, and we appreciate the legislature’s ongoing commitment to improving the state’s extensive road and bridge network.
Thanks to the legislature’s investments in 2022, the state has been able to move projects in the pipeline forward (sooner than they would have otherwise) and is better positioned to take advantage of federal dollars.
This year, legislators can maintain momentum by investing in local programs and, most importantly, aiding in tackling repairs and replacements to our aging bridge infrastructure.
The Budget Process & Overview to Date
The House passed its version of the budget back in March. They allocated non-recurring dollars for bridges ($200 million) and a combination of recurring and non-recurring funds for litter ($8 million). The House budget also includes a non-recurring allocation ($250 million) to boost County Transportation Committee (CTC) programs.
The Senate is debating the budget the week of April 18, and their version leaves room for negotiation on the bridge program and CTCs. They also funded a few individual projects.
Once the Senate passes their version of the budget, it returns to the House, where they will have an opportunity to amend the budget further. Changes adopted by the House will be returned to the Senate where they can either agree with the changes or insist on negotiating the budget further. The budget would then go to a Conference Committee where members of the House and Senate will work to reach a compromise on the state’s FY23-24 spending plan.
Ongoing investments in infrastructure will keep South Carolina’s people and economy moving forward.