State lawmakers moved Tuesday to ban local governments from hiring lobbyists, allow cities and counties to cut the cost of some state-mandated programs, and end raises for new state National Board-certified teachers.

Tuesday's debate - the first day of deliberations on next year's $6.5 billion general fund budget - was dominated by questions of how to pay for public education and local government services.

But today's House Ways and Means Committee meeting promises to focus on state workers, with Democrats saying they will insist on at least a 2 percent pay raise for state employees.

"I am confident state employees will receive a raise," state Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said in an interview, adding Democrats likely would "settle for" a 2 percent raise. "It's been four or five years since state employees have gotten a raise. With what we are doing with (changing their) retirement package, I certainly think we should be trying to increase their pay."

State Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Berkeley, said there is "tremendous support" for giving state employees a raise - but only if the money is there.

"Last I checked, (Democrats) were not in the majority," said Merrill, who will lead the subcommittee that will take up the issue of state worker raises. "We still have to be cognizant of other needs to state government, and we also have to be cognizant of the private sector and the fact that not a lot of them have received much by way of raises, so we are going to try to be fair."

Members of the Ways and Means Committee met all day Tuesday to begin forming the state's $6.5 billion general fund budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The state's total budget, which includes federal dollars and fees, is much larger - close to $22 billion. But Tuesday, lawmakers were focused on the portion of the budget that comes mostly from state income and sales taxes.

Earning a National Board certificate is a rigorous process that can take between one and three years to complete. As a reward, state taxpayers had been giving more money to teachers who are National Board-certified - paying out a total of $68.5 million this year, according to Jay Ragley, a spokesman for the state Department of Education.

Also approved Tuesday:

Allowing local governments to cut the cost of some state-mandated programs. This came after lawmakers voted to not fully fund the amount of money the state is required by law to send to local governments, money that goes to support some of the programs that now will be cut. Court-related programs, including solicitors and public defenders' offices, will be excluded from local cuts.

Banning local governments from hiring lobbyists. "It is awful to ask taxpayers to fund lobbying activities," Merrill said. The proposal passed, 15-7.

A sales tax holiday for guns the weekend after Thanksgiving. The exemption would not apply to ammunition or other gun accessories.

Establishing a fund to pay part of the cost of deepening Charleston's port.