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S.C. and stimulus: 'Questions, no answers' |
State lawmakers are still trying to figure out how $5 billion in a federal stimulus bill will impact their plans to draft a state budget this week.The federal bill, which President Barack Obama is expected to sign today, contains money for health care, education, school construction, highways, bridges and more. Many of those areas have been hard hit by more than $1 billion in state budget cuts.But House leaders said Monday they are still studying the 1,074-page bill to determine what rules are attached to the money. The money will be paid out over the current and next two budget years.“All I have are questions, no answers,” said House Ways and Means chairman Dan Cooper, R-Anderson. “We’re waiting to see what it says about what you can and can’t do.”Early versions of the bill, for example, would have required the state to meet certain funding levels to be eligible for K-12 education and higher education money.
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