By Seanna Adcox
The Post and Courier
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s 2023 legislative session was dominated by hard-right pushes to ban abortions, expand gun-toting rights and generally fight “woke” progressivism.
But there were also bipartisan wins in public safety and state spending.
Legislators in both parties called it a year of historic investments in South Carolina workers — both in boosting the pay of public employees and incentivizing the creation of thousands of private-sector jobs.
“Our economic development is off-the-charts good,” said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, specifically pointing to South Carolina scoring Scout Motors‘ $2 billion electric vehicle manufacturing plant.
The company’s first U.S. plant, expected to employ 4,000 people, was lured with a record-breaking $1.3 billion package that legislators passed quickly in March. No borrowing was necessary.
The money for a new interstate interchange, as well as other road and utility work and soil stabilization at the site, came off the top of higher-than-expected tax collections.
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