How (and how not) to cap government spending

If the last few legislative sessions prove anything, it’s that almost nothing can compel state lawmakers to exercise spending restraint. A report released by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) revealed South Carolina increased state spending by 26.5 percent from 2010-11. The most recent budget is a little under $22 billion, making it [...]

Strings Attached: How State Lawmakers Invite Federal Control

Every year, South Carolina becomes more dependent on the federal government, and every year the state loses more control over its own affairs to Washington DC. The federal government has its hands in education, social services, economic development – and just plain waste. So who’s responsible? State lawmakers say they can’t do anything about it. But the South Carolina Code states that “no agency may receive or spend federal funds” that are “not included in the appropriation act.” In short: Just because the federal government offers money doesn’t mean state lawmakers have to take it.

When writing the state budget: Follow the law

For decades, South Carolina lawmakers have cobbled together the state budget with little input from anyone but lobbyists and bureaucrats. Except for vetoes on the back end, the governor had almost no influence on the budget.

The South Carolina state budget is a mystery. What can be done about it?

In South Carolina, the law requires the governor to submit the state budget to the legislature at the beginning of each legislative session. Yet what happens in practice, as SCPC reported recently, is that legislators spend the entire six-month session cobbling together a massive, incoherent hodgepodge of spending items.

2011 South Carolina Budget Request Update

Section 11-11-20 of the S.C. Code of laws stipulates all state agencies submit their budget requests for fiscal year 2012 – 2013 on or before November 1st. Now that the information is in and posted on the Office of State Budget’s website, a few questions have arisen.

The South Carolina Citizens’ Guide to Following the State Budget

The South Carolina Citizens’ Guide to Following the State Budget

Writing the South Carolina State Budget – by the Law

For decades, South Carolina lawmakers have cobbled together the state budget with virtually no input from the governor. The state’s spending priorities were largely dictated by members of the General Assembly – and especially by the chairmen and members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. The governor’s only formal input into the budget process was limited to (a) general guidelines summed up in the State of the State address, and (b) budget vetoes. Governor Sanford broke with tradition by submitting detailed executive budgets, but these were almost totally ignored.

The 2011 State Budget: Seven Things That Make Us Cringe

The Legislature has sent the state budget to the governor’s desk. As expected, it’s wasteful, irresponsible, and displays a poor sense of priorities. There are scores of examples to choose from. Here are seven.

Budget Watch 2011: The Spending Train Returns

Government spending grew every year from 2002 to 2009. In 2010, the overall budget decreased by less than a half of 1 percent – not because lawmakers cut spending, but because revenues dropped. This year’s budget continues down the same path…

Budget Watch 2011 – Fiscal Sanity Alert

Legislators are almost finished with the state budget. Here’s a taste of what’s in it …