Rep. Gary Simrill of York County has proposed that the state of South Carolina give control of some of the states 41,414 miles of road over to local county governments. South Carolina ranks 4th in terms of the largest road systems with Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia with larger road systems.

Many people see this as passing the buck to local governments and avoiding the pressing issue of fixing South Carolina roads. Simrill who is the chairman of the House special transportation committee disagrees with this notion saying that he wants give control of the less traveled roads to the counties. He is considering several solutions to fixing SC roads one of which is having SC citizens vote in 2016 to increase the current 6% sales tax by 1 cent.  He also has floated the idea of doing away with the current gas tax all together.

Since Governor Haley vowed to veto any legislation that involves and increase in the state gas tax, an increase in the states 49th lowest gas tax in the nation.

For more on this story click the link below to the State Newspaper article

http://www.thestate.com/2014/11/15/3814946_alternate-plan-emerges-for-fixing.html?sp=/99/132/312/169/&rh=1

“No New Tax” Pledge Signer Election Results 2014

Governor

Governor Haley VS Vincent Sheheen received 55% of the vote

(26 House members of 124)

Representative Bill Sandifer (H-2 Oconee) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Brian White (H-6 Anderson) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Josh Putnam (H-10 Anderson) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Samuel Rivers Jr. (H-15 Berkeley) Vs. Marian Redish In received total of 56% of the vote

Representative Dwight Loftis (H-19 Greenville) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Phyllis Henderson (H-21 Greenville) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Wendy Nanney (H-22 Greenville) Vs. Dan Ruck received total of 71% of the vote

Representative Bruce Bannister (H-24 Greenville) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Garry Smith (H-27 Greenville) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Eric Bedingfield (H-28 Greenville) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Rita Allison (H-36 Spartanburg) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Gary Simrill (H-46 York) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative James Lucas (H-65 Darlington) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Murrell Smith (H-67 Sumter) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Rick Quinn (H-69 Lexington) Vs. Robert Vanlue received 75% of the vote

Representative Kirkman Finlay, III (H-75 Richland) VS. Joe McCulloch received 53% of the vote

Representative Jimmy Bales (H-80 Richland) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Chris Corley (H-84 Aiken) Vs. Rosie Berry received 64% of the vote

Representative Chip Huggins (H-85 Lexington) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Bill Taylor (H-86 Aiken) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative James Merrill (H-99 Berkley) received total of 99% of the vote

Representative Tracey Edge (H-104 Horry) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Stephen Goldfinch (H-108 Charleston) Vs. Vida Miller received a total of 57% of the vote

Representative Mike Sottile (H-112 Charleston) received total of 98% of the vote

Representative Peter Michael McCoy (H-115 Charleston) received total of 97% of the vote

Representative Bill Crosby (H-117 Berkley and Charleston) received total of 97% of the vote

South Carolina economists estimated on Monday that the the state will have $7.5 billion dollars in its general fund for the next fiscal year. This estimate is 3.9% more than last year’s budget. This growth is helped by steady employment growth throughout the state.

Many people believe that the new money should go to South Carolina’s deteriorating roads and infrastructure system. Governor Haley announced over the summer that she will unveil a plan of her own in January ahead of the SC General Assembly coming back to the Statehouse. Governor Haley has also vowed to veto any legislation to increase the states gas tax.

As many of you know South Carolina has one of the lowest gas tax rates in the country at 16.8%, only behind Alaska at 12.4%. Many legislatures from both sides of the aisle have called for an increase in the gas tax in recent years to fix the states infrastructure system.

In the coming months we will be drafting a plan of our own addressing the need for better roads in South Carolina. We hold firm in opposing a net gas tax increase. We look forward seeing  Governor Haley’s plan and addressing the gas tax issue.

Stay up to date with SCAT and tax issues facing SC by following us on Facebook (South Carolina Association of Taxpayers) and Twitter (@scat82)

Lexington County voters closed their wallets Tuesday to a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax mainly for road improvements but opened the way to buy beer by the six-pack and wine by the bottle on Sundays.

The tax increase was crushed 2-1 despite support from community and business leaders who called it vital to keep pace with steady growth.

“Lexington County voters are willing to wait for something more palatable to come along,” said R. J. Shealy, consultant for Citizens Against the Tax Increase.

The tax was earmarked to pay for at least $268.1 million in improvements for roads, water, sewer, drainage and other projects. The increase, to 8 cents from 7 cents, would have lasted eight years, with groceries and prescription medicine exempt.

Opponents attacked the plan as flawed. calling it a political Christmas spree for inclusion of a handful of walking paths, sports fields, civic centers and parks in communities where traffic isn’t a problem but facilities for families are lacking.

Greenville County voters on Tuesday decisively rejected a 1 percent sales tax to pay for road improvements, leaving no clear plan for improving the county’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure.

With 79 percent of precincts reporting at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday night, the sales tax plan was losing 65 percent to 35 percent.

A majority of Greenville County Council saw the tax plan as the only realistic option for improving roads in the wake of indecision in Columbia and voted to put the question to county voters in Tuesday’s referendum.

The tax would have lasted eight years or until a little more than $673 million had been raised to pay for a long list of improvements compiled by a special citizens committee.

County residents such as Greenville retiree Joan Gilley had different ideas, however.

Gilley said she voted against the plan because groceries would have been subject to the tax.

“Until I know that’s taken out, I will not vote for it,” she told The Greenville News shortly after casting her ballot at Hampton Park Baptist Church.

Read the full story by clicking the link below

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/04/county-voters-bury-sales-tax-plan/18502641/

Rep. Finley won his first re-election bid on Tuesday as he defeated democratic challenger Joe McCulloch. This race for House District 75 was a rematch of the even closer 2012 race were Finley only defeated McCulloch by just 300 votes.

District 75 – Richland

Joseph McCulloch (D)        47.5%             4,814

Kirkman Finley, III (R)       52.56%          5,343 (Winner)

The S.C. Association of Taxpayers board members  would like to congratulate Rep Finley (a No New Tax Pledge Signer) on winning another term in the S.C. House of Representatives!!

Chris Corley took home 64% of the vote against his democratic opponent Rosie Berry who received 35% of the vote. Chris Corley who won his  Republican primary this summer this summer  will represent Aiken in the S.C. House of Representatives in district #84. Corley  signed SCAT’s No New Tax Pledge prior to the primary, vowing to not raise taxes if elected to office.

The South Carolina Association of Taxpayers board members would like to thank Chris Corley on a hard fought campaign and for his willingness to stand up on behalf of the taxpayers of Aiken County and South Carolina as a whole. Please join us in congragulaing newly elect S.C. Rep Chris Corley!!!!!!

A proposal on several ballots across South Carolina could change the debate for maintaining state roads. The two big referendums to watch are in Lexington and Greenville Counties but there have been similar projects voted on or proposed in about 15 different counties across South Carolina. Lexington County has a penny tax on the ballot that would not just look at roads but some capital improvements. Greenville County’s is only for roads and infrastructure. One study by the county found it would take the state 83 years just to go through the normal paving cycle for one road.

Read the full article by clicking the link below.

http://www.wistv.com/story/26818020/county-ballot-proposals-to-fix-roads-could-change-funding-debate

You can expect slow, steady growth in the S.C. economy in the short run, economists said Wednesday. “We’re in the sixth year of economic recovery, and our forecast continues to call for slow and steady growth,” Board of Economic Advisors chairman Chad Walldorf said after that board heard from five regional economists. Some growth is expected in personal income – either because of higher wages, more workers in the state or a combination of the two.

The economists expect personal income to grow about 3.75 percent in the state’s current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2015. They expect personal income to strengthen — increasing by 4.1 percent to 4.5 percent — next fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2015.

The majority of S.C. voters oppose increasing the state’s gas tax, according to a new Winthrop Poll.But with more facts, S.C. voters might be open to paying more at the pump to repair the state’s crumbling roads and bridges, a pollster says. In questions asked exclusively for The State, the Winthrop Poll found 52.3 percent of likely S.C. voters oppose increasing the state’s 16.8-cent-a-gallon gas tax.

“People just want to back away from taxes,” said Winthrop University political scientist Scott Huffmon, who directs the Winthrop Poll. “They’re not popular.” About four in 10 of those surveyed – 43.5 percent – said they favored increasing the state’s gas tax. The rest – 4.2 percent – either were not sure or refused to answer.

South Carolina’s roads are in poor shape. But paying to repair those roads and build new roads to handle added traffic and other transit needs will cost nearly $43 billion that the state does not expect to have over the next 26 years.What’s the state to do? One proposal suggested has been to increase the state’s gas tax, one of the lowest in the nation, by 2 cents a gallon each year for the next decade.