Aiken Standard in Aiken, South Carolina

Changes in 1974 budget and tax spark House Senate clash

The 1974 South Carolina budget fight centers on a $17,870 house employee pay fund and an $18,000 Senate pay line, a 4 percent newsprint tax debate for dailies, and a proposed research staff pool. The House refused to concur on Senate changes, risking a conference committee and delayed adjournment. The Senate backed a broader education funding tie but critics call it a tax increase amid a $27 million surplus. A pool system for researchers was proposed and rejected in favor of shared use.