Republicans attack SC Democrat for supporting their ‘welfare to billionaires’ bill

Democratic state Rep. Heather Bauer is being accused of giving ‘welfare to billionaires’ in a series of attack ads, including billboards, mailers and a website.

At least one of these ads against Bauer was paid for by the South Carolina GOP. The ad says Bauer voted to “give corporate billionaires $400 million of your tax money for nothing in return.”

The ad cites House bill 3604, which was sponsored by Rep. Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, and Republican Speaker of the House Murrell Smith. The bill appropriated money as part of an incentive package to bring a Volkswagen-backed Scout Motors electric vehicle assembly plant to the town of Blythewood in northeast Richland County. It is expected to bring 4,000 jobs to the Midlands. The bill also included a number of initiatives such as road upgrades an an additional rail system that crosses over Interstate 77.

Bannister did not comment and SCGOP did not respond to emails for comment.

Bauer voted for the bill. As did every single Republican in the House, with the exception of Freedom Caucus members. Richland County Democratic Reps. Todd Rutherford and Seth Rose also voted for the bill.

The bill passed 100-12, with two excused absences, three abstaining and seven not voting. The bill also passed the Senate, 36-4. Gov. Henry McMaster signed the bill into law on March 20, 2023. Scout broke ground in February and is expected to open in 2027.

The incumbent Bauer is defending her seat against former Rep. Kirkman Finlay, a Republican, in the House District 75 race. The district covers portions of Columbia and sections of Richland County. Finlay held the seat from 2013-2022.

“It’s the biggest opportunity for our city and area to create great jobs, and it’s going to change this area forever and create 1000’s of jobs. So to not want to support that is insane to me,” Bauer said about the bill.

“The fact that he is calling me out for that is laughable, because it was there his party who actually wrote the bill and sponsored it,” Bauer said about the ad.