S.C. Politics Today: Senate rejects immigration bill

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A billion dollars is a start.”

— Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, on a proposal to divert up to $100 million in sales tax on cars to help build and maintain roads. Through bonds, that revenue could provide a $1 billion influx of money for Transportation Department needs. A road industry group estimated the state has $22 billion in road and bridge needs over the next decade.

S.C. PRIMARY

Days left until the June 10 primary: 26

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Days left until the Legislature adjourns June 5: 21

CAPITOL CONNECTION

• Senate rejects immigration bill

The S.C. Senate, on a 26-20 vote, rejected an illegal immigration bill that creates new rules on how S.C. employers verify the residency of employees and includes fines for businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said the bill heartily endorsed by the House and Gov. Mark Sanford is “unworkable.” McConnell argued portions of the bill that would fine businesses and put their business licenses at stake would not withstand a court challenge.

McConnell also revived an earlier illegal immigration crackdown and offered amendments to it to send to the House.

The bill the Senate rejected would have required employers to verify the immigration status of all workers either through an electronic system or by a valid S.C. driver’s license.

FARMERS MARKET

Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday vetoed funding — nearly $21 million — to build up to 10 regional mini farmers markets across the state, saying in a letter to the Senate such spending would be “financially reckless” as state revenues stagnate.

Sanford allowed the $22.5 million for a new state market near Cayce to stand.

A public-private partnership aims to move the 55-year-old market from Bluff Road and build a new state Agriculture Department headquarters at a 174-acre market along U.S. 321 in Lexington County.

RELIGIOUS LICENSE PLATES

A South Carolina House committee has approved two measures that would offer religious license plates to the options offered to drivers in the state.

The tags that show the image of a cross and the words “I Believe” were approved Wednesday by the Education and Public Works Committee. The panel also gave a nod to the tags in a bill that would create tags that honor Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

Both bills started in the Senate, but amendments to them mean they’ll likely head back to the Senate if the House approves them next week.

The American Civil Liberties Union has questioned the state’s role in putting faith on display with a tag. The organization says people can do that already with bumper stickers.

CIGARETTE TAX

House leaders are working on a cigarette tax plan that would spend all the revenue raised on tax cuts for small businesses to buy health insurance.

The House has sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee to work out the details, but House Speaker Bobby Harrell said he opposes using the money for Medicaid.

Harrell said any program funded — including smoking cessation — should be a tax credit, and he favored allowing all businesses to apply for the tax credits regardless of how much the employee earns.

A Senate bill limited the health insurance premium assistance to those earning less than twice the rate of poverty, or about $21,000.

House leaders also are uncertain on the size of the tax increase. The Senate approved a 50-cent-per-pack increase. Last year, the House approved a 30-cent-per-pack increase.

BUDGET

South Carolina Senate and House members are beginning to hash out the final version of the state’s $7 billion budget.

Three members from each chamber started work Wednesday to combine the House and Senate versions of the bill. A second meeting was held in the afternoon.

The lawmakers agreed on pieces of the budget that matched in both versions, but they won’t start discussing areas of disagreement until Monday.

The Senate cut $180 million from the budget last month, and the House approved most of those cuts. But there are big differences in how the state would pay for public school programs. The House included plans for tourism grants and projects related to college research, but those were cut by the Senate.

Contributing: Staff writers Leroy Chapman Jr., John O’Connor, Gina Smith and The Associated Press