McMaster signs supplemental spending bill directing $9.2 million to Golden Strip projects

Gov. Henry McMaster signed H. 3305, the supplemental appropriations act, on Sept. 1, releasing one-time state dollars for hundreds of local projects across South Carolina, including more than $9.2 million for Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn.

“Earmarks have long been part of the budget process, and we have worked over the years to make the process for reviewing them more transparent and accountable to the taxpayers of South Carolina,” McMaster said. “That has been an ongoing process, and we have continued to strengthen the review of proposed earmarks before taxpayer dollars are committed.”

Mauldin leads the Golden Strip

Mauldin accounts for the largest share at $7.3 million. The act appropriates $6 million through the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for a multipurpose stadium, $500,000 through the Department of Transportation for sidewalk safety improvements and $500,000 through aid to subdivisions for city hall improvements. Another $300,000 flows through the Department of Education for an SME Prime manufacturing partnership with Mauldin High School.

Simpsonville and Fountain Inn awards

Simpsonville receives $915,000 for infrastructure improvements. Fountain Inn receives just over $1 million, split between $502,000 through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for a Canebrake Fire Department water tanker and $500,000 for the city’s municipal complex.

Where the money comes from

The money comes from nonrecurring revenue left over from the fiscal year 2026-27 general appropriations act. Under the terms of the act, that balance became available once the comptroller general closed the state’s books on fiscal year 2025-26.

Strings attached

Lawmakers wrote several conditions into the legislation. The appropriations are listed in priority order, and each item must be fully funded before money moves to the next, though an individual item may be partially funded if revenue runs short. The state treasurer is directed to disburse the funds by Sept. 30. Unspent money may be carried forward into later fiscal years and used for the same purposes.

Before any dollars are released, recipients must be verified as registered businesses, nonprofits or charitable organizations with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office. Governmental entities and organizations created by statute are exempt. Once verification is complete, the funds must be transferred to grant recipients within 10 business days. The Executive Budget Office may shift items between state agencies after consulting the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

From free speech bill to spending bill

The bill’s path to the governor’s desk drew attention at the Statehouse. H. 3305 was introduced in January 2025 as the South Carolina Public Expression Protection Act, a measure aimed at curbing lawsuits filed to silence public participation. It passed the House 112-0 in March 2025 and cleared second reading in the Senate that May, then sat.

When the General Assembly returned to Columbia in late August, senators amended the bill on Aug. 25, stripping its original contents and replacing them with the negotiated list of community investment projects. The House agreed to the Senate amendment the same day on a 96-15 vote, and the measure was ratified Aug. 26. Statewide, the package totals roughly $350 million spread across some 450 projects, with the bulk of the larger awards going to infrastructure, public safety and higher education.

Debate over the process

The projects had been left out of the $15 billion state budget after House and Senate budget writers deadlocked over how much to spend on them, leaving more than $377 million unappropriated when the spending plan passed Aug. 11. Members of the House Freedom Caucus objected to reviving the projects through a separate bill, arguing the approach sidestepped the normal budget process. Supporters countered that every project on the final list had already been approved by one chamber or the other.

Other Greenville County awards

Other Greenville County awards in the act include $5 million for Greenville Arena Special Purpose District renovations, $4 million for hangar development at Greenville Downtown Airport, $2 million for a Greer fire and police training facility and $2 million for a Greer public safety training center.

What comes next

Legislative leaders said the agreement also includes a commitment to pass a continuing resolution early in the 2027 session and to fold community investment projects back into the House version of the fiscal year 2028 budget.