“S” is for South Carolina Budget and Control Board

“S” is for South Carolina Budget and Control Board. South Carolina has historically been a “legislative” state with a tradition of a “commission” approach to government. Joining legislators with the executive branch decision-makers challenged the doctrine of separation of powers expressed in Article 1, Section 8 of the modern state constitution. Act 621, passed in 1948 created the State Budget and Control Board (SBCB). The members were the governor, the chairs of the House and Ways Committee and Senate Finance Committee, the treasurer and comptroller general. Since budget preparation is an “executive” rather than a “legislative” power, legal and political challenges to the continued membership of the two legislators questioned whether the SBCB was actually an executive agency. The five member South Carolina Budget and Control Board survived until 2014 when it was abolished by legislative action.