Domestic budget writers adopt a conservative approach

COLOMBIA, SC – The South Carolina House budget drafting committee approved its nearly $ 10 billion spending plan, which includes small increases for teachers and law enforcement officials.

The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Murrell Smith, says that further increases and other delayed projects may end up in the plan because tax revenues are well above projections.

But Smith says that for now budget writers want to take a conservative approach and wait to see how much money the state actually collects in taxes by the mid-April deadline.

Smith says they also want a few extra months to track trends in what remains an unstable COVID-19 economy before approving additional spending.

New abortion law remains on hold under judge order

COLOMBIA, SC – A new South Carolina law that prohibits abortion will be on hold after a judge’s order to extend a temporary restraining order. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis issued the extension on Friday.

It runs until March 19. Your original order was set to expire at midnight on Friday.

On Monday, Lewis will chair a hearing on Planned Parenthood’s request for an injunction suspending the law altogether while a lawsuit seeking to overturn it is resolved.

The law requires doctors to perform an ultrasound scan to check for a fetal heartbeat, which can usually be detected about six weeks after conception.

If detected, abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or if the mother is in danger.

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