Gas-tax questions facing SC lawmakers
To raise the state’s gas tax or not? For South Carolina that’s a billion-dollar question.
In a legislative workshop on Thursday, state lawmakers spoke to media about plans for the 2017 General Assembly and a prime topic, as usual, was potential fixes for state roads.
There are two thoughts on the issue: Raise the gasoline tax to boost funding for the department of transportation or leave the gas tax alone and completely restructure the department.
There are multiple bills pre-filed in the House and Senate to raise the gas tax. One House bill would raise the tax by two cents per year up to a 10-cent total, while a Senate bill would increase the gas tax by 4 cents a year for three years, for a total of a 12-cent increase by 2020.
Some lawmakers think the deciding factor this year will be Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster, who’s positioned to take Gov. Nikki Haley’s spot once she steps down to join the Trump administration.
“If he [McMaster] says he’ll pass something with a gas tax I think there will be enough votes to pass it,” said Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat from Camden. “If he says he will veto it I don’t think it will move forward.”
Last year Haley said she would veto any bill that raised the gas tax without giving the executive branch the ability to appoint Department of Transportation leaders.
Sen. Tom Davis, a Beaufort-area Republican, has been a vocal opponent of a gas tax increase and sides with Haley in that regard. He said no more money should go to the Department of Transportation until there’s system reform.
“What we always do in the General Assembly is settle and settle and accept half-loads. We settled again last year and had fake reform,” he said. “We don’t have a restructured DOT. It’s still controlled by the legislature. We not only appropriate the money, we also want a say in how’s it’s spent, and that’s why we’re behind in so many areas as a state.”
Sen. Sean Bennett, a Democrat from the Dorchester area, said there’s no reason both issues can’t be tackled together.
“We have to deal with both issues,” he said. “Most people agree that we need more resources to our DOT and we have to start talking now about how we can do that in the right way.”
Lawmakers estimate that at least one-third of the people who pump gas in South Carolina come from out of state. Some are suggesting alternative funding options, like tolls along interstates.
Sen. Shane Massey of Edgefield, the Senate Republican majority leader, said lawmakers are in a better position now than ever to pass a comprehensive bill.
“Outside the Statehouse, it appears that very little progress has been made, but the points of disagreement have been narrowed and now I think we’re fairly focused,” Massey said. “We’ve learned a lot about some of the structural deficiencies. I think there will be a renewed conversation between the House and Senate this year and I think here’s a better chance for success now.”
This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Gas-tax questions facing SC lawmakers."