Legislative eNews-jANUARY 26, 2007
LOCAL
Bluffton to Proceed on Collecting Impact Fees
The Town of Bluffton and Beaufort County finalized a deal on Tuesday to collect higher impact fees on new development. Developers will pay the impact fees upon approval of building permits effective this week. The revised impact fees were in effect in unincorporated Beaufort County already, and negotations continue with the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Beaufort County Committee Reorganization
The Beaufort County Council moved to consolidate the number of standing committees from 11 to 7. The committees for 2007 are Community Services/Public Safety, Grants/Minority Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Economic Development, Land Management, Public Services, and Finance. You can view more information on the new committee structure at www.bcgov.net.
STATE
Government Restructuring
On Wednesday, the State Senate turned down a number of state government restructuring bills that would allow the governor to appoint a number of constitutional officers instead of holding statewide elections for their seats. All of the restructuring bills were sent back to the Senate Judiciary Committee, except one, which addresses appointment of the South Carolina Comptroller General.
Other state government restructuring issues being discussed include proposed changes at the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), consolidation of the state's health agencies, and creation of a division of administrative services under the governor's office from functions previously administered by the South Carolina Budget & Control Board.
Workers’ Compensation Legislation
This week, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee studying workers' comp reported out a bill that is a good beginning for debate and a first step in comprehensive reform of the system. The legislation includes some positive steps related to the Second Injury Fund (SIF), including the elimination of arthritis as a SIF reimbursement. Eliminating arthritis as a SIF reimbursement would reduce expensive SIF payouts by approximately 80 percent and put South Carolina closer in line with other states.
Beaufort School Funding Legislation
State Senator Scott Richardson took the lead on legislation to address the huge shortfall that Beaufort County took in education funding from the state last year. Beaufort County was faced with over a $15 million in school funding loss last year from the state because of a complex funding formula based on property value, student composition, and other variables. Senator Richardson, with the support of other local elected leaders, is trying to find a solution to last year’s shortfall and working for a solution that puts Beaufort County on more equal footing in the future. One solution is to require that each school district receive at least 25 percent of the per student base allocation from the state each year, while another is to require the formula to include other factors including poverty and the average wage base. We appreciate the efforts of the legislative delegation on this critical matter for the citizens of Beaufort County.
FEDERAL
Minimum Wage Delayed in Senate by Immigration and Tax Amendments
The Senate bill to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over 26 months was delayed when an amendment was added to the bill, by a vote of 94-0, that would ban federal contractors caught hiring illegal immigrants from government work for up to a decade. The ban would not be subject to appeal in court, but the federal government could waive it for national security reasons.
The Senate minimum wage bill slowed earlier in the week over a dispute on whether to include tax breaks for small businesses to offset the impact of the wage increase.
Additional votes on the minimum wage bill will not be considered until next week. The House has already passed a minimum wage bill with no additional amendments.
