Legislative eNews-fEBRUARY 6, 2007
LOCAL
Beaufort County to Collect Sales Tax in May 2007 After Legislative Fix
The local legislative delegation led the efforts on a special legislative fix to correct a reporting error on the November sales tax referendum for roads. The error could have delayed the collection of the tax until May of 2008. But, the House approved a bill on Wednesday, following Senate approval, which allows Beaufort County to collect the 1-cent sales tax increase effective May 1, 2007. The Department of Revenue will now send notice to business owners on the collection of the tax.
Highway Commission Post Not Filled
Senator Scott Richardson moved to bring his colleagues together this week in Columbia to discuss the status of the 2nd District seat on the SC Highway Commission. The seat is open after a recent court ruling determined that, under SC law, the sitting commissioner had served in excess of his statutory term. By law, the counties within the 2nd Congressional District (which include all or part of Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Beaufort, Calhoun, Hampton, and Lexington Counties) rotate representation on the commission. With the last commissioner from Richland County, the Beaufort Legislative Delegation and the local business community would like to have a commissioner from Beaufort County.
Bluffton Road Updates
Six new miles of Bluffton Parkway stretching from Simmonsville Road to S.C. 170 should open to traffic by May.
On Tuesday, the Beaufort County Council's Public Services Committee unanimously recommended spending an additional $4.9 million to widen the Buckwalter Parkway to four lanes from the new Bluffton Parkway interchage to Hwy 46. Construction is already well underway to widen the parkway from U.S. 278 to Bluffton Parkway. The widening project also will include pathways on both sides of the expanded road and a second turn lane from U.S. 278 onto the Buckwalter Parkway. The full Beaufort County Council will consider the additional spending recommendation at it meeting on February 12.
STATE
Property Insurance
This week the House Insurance Subcommittee of the Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee considered several bills to address rising coastal insurance premiums and the loss of policies from several major insurance underwriters. Numerous bills have been introduced to expand the wind pool to cover more policyholders, to establish a hurricane damage mitigation program, and to provide for a state fund to cover losses in the case of a catastrophic storm. This follows Governor Sanford’s call for a private-sector catastrophe fund, personal catastrophe savings accounts and tax breaks for storm damage mitigation. More legislative action is likely in the next few weeks.
FEDERAL
Senate Passes Minimum Wage Increase with Small Business Tax Breaks
On Thursday, the US Senate voted 94-3 to increase the federal minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade by raising the wage from to $7.25 an hour from $5.15 over two years. But the Senate added small-business tax breaks worth $8.3 billion over 10 years coupled with a proposal to raise taxes by a similar amount on corporations, their chief executives and other highly paid workers. The Senate also adopted an amendment to ban companies that hire illegal immigrants from receiving government contracts for 10 years. The small business tax provisions and immigration amendments were not included in the House bill. House and Senate conferees will meet to try to find a compromise between the two bills before the minimum wage is increased.
