---
title: "SC Governor Vetoes State Budget Items"
url: https://www.herenewberry.com/2026/08/20/sc-governor-vetoes-state-budget-items/
date: 2026-08-20T17:51:02+00:00
modified: 2026-08-20T17:51:02+00:00
author: "Josiah W. Fernandes"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Newberry"
attribution: "HERE Newberry"
---

# SC Governor Vetoes State Budget Items

*Source: [HERE Newberry](https://www.herenewberry.com/2026/08/20/sc-governor-vetoes-state-budget-items/) — August 20, 2026 by Josiah W. Fernandes*

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced his line-item vetoes for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 state budget. The Governor’s office stated that the final budget incorporates 92% of his executive budget proposals.

Key initiatives funded in the budget include an income tax cut, pay raises for teachers and law enforcement, a freeze on college tuition, and significant investments in conservation, education, infrastructure, and workforce development.

The income tax cut reduces the top marginal individual income tax rate from 6% to 5.21% with the passage of Act 110 of 2026. Since 2022, South Carolina has eliminated $3.72 billion in individual income taxes.

Property tax relief for homeowners aged 65 or older, those totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind will see the Homestead Exemption increase from $50,000 to $75,000.

Teacher pay has been a priority, with the budget fulfilling a pledge to ensure every starting teacher earns at least $50,000. The minimum starting salary for teachers is now $50,500, an increase from $30,113 eight years ago. The state’s ranking for average starting teacher salary, which was 47th nationally eight years ago and 22nd last year, is expected to improve further.

Funding for the School Resource Officer (SRO) grant program, administered by the Department of Public Safety, continues. This program supports public schools without an assigned SRO. The number of full-time SROs increased from 406 in the 2018–19 school year to 1,181 in the 2025–26 school year.

The budget also expands the full-day four-year-old kindergarten program in private providers for children whose annual family income is 300% or less of federal poverty guidelines. Funds are also allocated for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, allowing parents of up to 15,000 students to choose educational environments.

For the seventh consecutive year, in-state college tuition will be frozen. The budget allocates $80 million in lottery revenues for need-based grants and $20 million for the South Carolina Tuition Grants Program, which aids students attending private, independent, and historically black colleges and universities. A new initiative, the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, receives $18.7 million in lottery revenues for need-based college scholarships.

The South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarships (SC WINS) program at technical colleges receives $95 million. Since its inception in 2020, this program has provided over 150,000 South Carolinians with post-secondary or industry credentials in high-demand fields such as manufacturing, nursing, computer science, information technology, transportation, logistics, and construction.

Conservation efforts are supported with $88 million for the preservation of historic, pristine, or significant properties statewide, and an additional $7.5 million for statewide mitigation projects.

Infrastructure improvements include an additional $377 million for roads and bridges. Currently, there are almost $7 billion in active projects across the state, a significant increase from $2.7 billion in 2017, with $1.4 billion in state appropriations over four years contributing to new construction and improvements.

Law enforcement agencies will receive an additional $8.3 million for pay raises, overtime pay, and the hiring of new officers. A proviso in the budget allows retired members of the Police Officers Retirement System, after a 90-day retirement period, to return to employment and earn up to $80,000 annually without affecting their monthly retirement allowance.