S.C. Chamber Tells Senate to Do Job or Return Salaries

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce is calling for state senators to take a vote on a roads plan, and wants a penalty if they don’t. “In the business community, you don’t get paid if you don’t do your job,” says Ted Pitts, president of the state Chamber. “So today, what I’m calling for is I want every South Carolina senator to start returning their paycheck back to the taxpayer on a daily basis for every day they fail to start voting on the amendments on the desk.”

He says senators have had a roads plan on their desks for 321 days, so it’s past time for them to vote. The reason they haven’t is because several senators are filibustering to block a vote. Spartanburg Sen. Lee Bright currently holds the floor. “This bill has a tax increase in it, as it came over from the House,” he says. “My concern is even if the Senate strips the tax increase it goes back over to the House, House puts the tax increase back on and the next thing you know you put a burden on the taxpayer. We’ve got the existing funds to fix the roads if we just prioritize road funding.”

Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, filibustered for the final weeks of the session last year and continued this year until Sen. Bright took over. Both say the $1.3 billion in additional money the state has is enough to take care of road needs without a tax increase.

Other lawmakers argue that most of that $1.3 billion is needed for other needs like education, health care, and law enforcement.