South Carolina Lawmakers Reach Budget Compromise

South Carolina lawmakers have finalized a $13 billion spending plan that includes funding for road and bridge improvements, raises for teachers and state employees, and income tax cuts. The budget compromise also entails accelerating an income tax cut, increasing teacher and state employee salaries, and allocating more funds to prisons. Social issues like banning cellphone use in schools and specifying bathroom use based on birth sex are also addressed in the budget. Tax cuts, shifting from property tax rebates to reducing the income tax rate, are central to the fiscal plan for the upcoming year, with a focus on infrastructure projects.