As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” In South Carolina, there might as well be another—government spending.

Over the past decade, one pattern has held constant: the General Fund grows nearly every year, typically outpacing both inflation and population growth.

The House recently advanced its version of the state budget. The proposal sent to the Senate is identical to the version approved by the House Ways and Means Committee, though changes are almost certain as the process continues.

When the governor submitted his executive budget to the House earlier this year, the proposal included a $15.8 billion General Fund—what would be the largest in state history. Federal funds totaled $14.1 billion and other funds $14.7 billion, bringing the overall budget to roughly $44.5 billion.

In a welcome development, the House reduced those totals. The chamber’s version includes a $15.4 billion General Fund, $14 billion in federal funds and $14.7 billion in other funds, for an overall budget of about $44 billion.

Historically, the budget process begins with modest growth but expands as it moves through each chamber, often emerging significantly larger in the final conference committee report.

For that reason, the House’s reduction—about $400 million from the General Fund and roughly $500 million overall—is a positive step. Still, lawmakers should not be celebrating yet. Even with the reduction, the proposal represents roughly a $300 million increase in General Fund spending compared with last year.

In short, the budget remains too large.

The General Fund consists of three components: recurring revenue, non-recurring revenue (one-time), and the capital reserve fund.

Together, these components produce a total FY27........

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