House Ways And Means Committee Adopts Construction Friendly Budget

By Leslie Clark, VP Operations of the Carolinas Association of General Contractors

The House Ways and Means Committee finalized their $11.8 billion budget plan the last week of February. Positive economic winds and COVID-19 relief funding from the federal government provided the committee a considerable amount of funds to allocate. The Ways and Means budget plan provides:

$20 million to match the Governor’s funding for Workforce Scholarships (covering all tuition and books) at all 16 of the technical colleges in the state in high-demand fields, including construction and logistics.
$350 million for the Navy Rail yard construction at the SC Ports Authority
The American Rescue Plan Act and the General Fund will provide over $1 billion in funding for roads throughout the state:
$120 million in recurring funds to SCDOT for the state in federal funds that will be drawn down
$176 million in one-time rural infrastructure funding to accelerate current SCDOT projects
$250 million for CTC projects
$642,000 for the Be Pro Be Proud skilled trades mobile workshop
$296 million for capital needs across the state
$168 million for maintenance and repair needs at the state’s two- and four-year colleges

Stay tuned for more updates from this legislative session. Many thanks to Leslie for her advocacy at the State House.