Our 18th Annual Legislative Luncheon which will be held at the Capital City Club on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
U.S. Senator Tim Scott will join us via video conference. We will also have Candidate for U.S. Senate Richard Cash and S.C. Superintendent of Education Candidates Sheri Few and Meka Childs speaking as well.
We look forward to seeing you all on April 2nd!!
Gov. Nikki Haley signed a new bill that would active duty service members’ property tax rate on unsold homes.
The Military Homeowner Protection Act of 2014 guarantees that active duty soldiers who are required to move to fulfill orders would maintain the 4 percent property tax assessment granted to military service members who own homes and are stationed in South Carolina.
Prior to the act, military service members who moved would potentially have incurred an increase of up to 6 percent as residency status would have changed to designate their property as a second home. Service members now will keep their low property tax rate as long as they remain on active duty.
Haley said “Our military men and women are one of our state’s biggest assets and it’s only right that we provided them with the kind of common sense tax relief that works to lessen the burden of their service for them and their families,” Haley said. “This is about taking care of the people who take care of us and I thank Representative Murrell Smith for his leadership on this issue.”
The bill got unanimous support in both the house and senate. The House passed the bill (77-0) and the Senate (41-0).
Hello SCAT Members!!
Just a friendly reminder that the deadline to register for our 18th Annual Legislative Luncheon Wednesday April 2, 2014 from 11am-1pm at the Capital City Club in downtown Columbia S.C.
We will have U.S. Senator Tim Scott Speaking via video conference, along with GOP challengers for U.S. Senate
Please see the attached copy of the luncheon invitation for more details. We are quickly approaching the registration deadline for member to reply back. We really look forward to seeing you all there. This meeting is for YOU the members so please come out and join us on April 2 at the Capital City Club.
If you have any questions or concerns about the luncheon please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can be reached via email atscat1982.org@gmail.com or by phone at (803)-790-0093. Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you on April 2nd!
Best,
Rendell Stokes
Hello Members it is that time of the year again!! We will be having our 18th Annual Legislative Luncheon on April 2nd 2014. U.S. Senator Tim Scott will be speaking via video conference call. The luncheon will be held at the Capitol City Club in downtown Columbia S.C.
Click the link below to download the invitation.
We are pleased to bring to your our first quarter newsletter for 2014!!! Please click the link below to view view the newsletter.
In Lexington County the propose penny sales tax increase is not an easy sale. Many of the citizens in the county want to know how the increased tax will help or hurt them. The penny tax would increase sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent and up to 10 percent on certain prepared foods.
The sales tax money can virtually be used for any purpose, many county council members would like to see the money generated from the penny tax increase go towards road and bridge improvements throughout the county. The list of proposed project include a water recreation park in Springdale, an Irmo-area complex to train youngsters on safety, a 600-seat performing-arts auditorium at Chapin High School, a welcome center for a park in Cayce, athletic fields and recreation facilities in Dixiana, Gaston, Pelion and Pine Ridge, new town halls for Batesburg-Leesville, Cayce, Gaston, Pelion, South Congaree and Springdale, as well as regional centers for deputies, ambulances and other services near Batesburg-Leesville and in Dixiana.
Lexington County has to do something to address the issues of a growing population. Lexington County has grown by 22 percent over the past ten years making infrastructure a top priority.
The question is whether voters will agree with their proposals for the penny tax increase.
A bill that passed the Senate subcommittee last week will have hospitality tax (H- tax) dollars going to road and bridge repairs throughout the state. State law currently states local government to charge a hospitality tax on prepared food and beverages, there is a restriction on how this money can be spent though. The current law says local government can spend the money collected form hospitality taxes also called H-taxes on road repairs only if the road “provides access to tourist destinations”
The new bill S.912 would change that and allow local government to spent the money on roads that lead to
destinations contribution to tourist activities.” Sen. O’Dell, R-Abbeville said “We think all roads lead to tourist destinations and obviously, there is a need for repairs in the entire state.” He argues that this bill would give local government the opportunity to use H-tax money to make their areas more attractive to tourist.
The full story can be found on thestate.com
S.C. Rep. Bakari Sellers announced this week he will oppose any legislation to raise the gas tax in South Carolina by a Democrat or Republican. Sellers said “We don’t need a gas tax increase. What we need is a serious plan to modernize and streamline our transportation delivery system – and a dedicated source of new revenue to meet prioritized needs, not political favors,”
Sellers said in a statement. “It’s not lack of funding, or taxes that are too low that have caused our roads to fall in disrepair, it’s politicians who have their priorities out of whack. And now, instead of solving the problem they want to place the burden of fixing our roads on individuals who can least afford it along with small businesses.
“We cannot take money from South Carolinians – who already spend a disproportionately high amount of their paychecks on fuel – and throw it into an unsustainable system that isn’t meeting their needs,” Sellers continued. “What we can do is fix the system first – and then fund top priorities.” Sellers is reportedly preparing a funding plan in the coming weeks to address spending priorities across state government.
The debate over raising the gas tax continues at the Statehouse this week. A growing number of Senators are calling for a gas tax increase to help maintain South Carolina’s dilapidated roads and bridges. The argument that Senators Leatherman and Stringer make are valid stating that the infrastructure system in S.C. needs to be better maintained in order to attract new businesses and job creation in South Carolina.
However Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Larry Grooms, R-Charleston, opposes increasing the gas tax, arguing that he’d put $300 million from the state’s growing general fund into road improvements. Senator Leatherman and Cleary argue that the math doesn’t add up because their are to many demands on other funds.
Read the full business journal of Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson article by clicking below.
State Senator Leatherman (R-Florence) said Monday that he believes raising the gas tax would be a viable way to provide additional and much needed recurring dollars for improvements to roads, highways and bridges. The proposed gas tax increase is a hot topic for this years General Assembly.
Leatherman said an increase of the tax is needed to provide recurring dollars for roads, bridges and interstates. “I’m telling you at this point I will be for a gas tax increase, or user fee, that’s what I call it,” Leatherman said. “If we don’t do it, the highways will continue to crumble.”
Leatherman is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and spoke about where some of the $265 million in new recurring revenue may may be allocated to. Infrastructure he said is a concern he hears a great deal about from prospective investors in South Carolina.
“So I think we have got to address this,” Leatherman said “Highway infrastructure is the lifeblood of our state. We absolutely have got to do something about that, so those who say, ‘well, no user fee’ – I say okay, how are we going to fix the highways? ‘Well you did it last year.’ Come on, come on, our people aren’t going to buy that. They know the highways aren’t fixed.”
However Governor Nikki Haley has vowed to veto any bill that will increase the gas tax. Halley said in hear State of the State address last week that she does not support raising the gas tax.
“Raising the gas tax, forcing our people and our businesses to pay more for the simple act of getting around, is not an option for me,” Haley said in her fourth State of the State Address last Tuesday. “I will veto any bill that reaches my desk that raises taxes on gasoline.” See the full article by clicking the link below.
http://www.scnow.com/news/politics/article_f089e458-87cc-11e3-b85a-001a4bcf6878.html
South Carolina Association of Taxpayers 