Legislative Update - And So It Begins

Merry Christmas to all. With the New Year here, preparation has begun for the second part of the legislative session. What immediately becomes apparent is that the number of “held over” bills that remain in House or Senate committees is staggering. Keen observers of the state political process point to a general “unwillingness to compromise” as the chief reason for this state of ineffectiveness.

I have written many times about the regional influences and biases that currently masquerade as “debate” on important issues. Whether the topic is roads and infrastructure, drilling for oil or education funding, the chasms that exist are very real and must be overcome if anything of substance is to be achieved in 2016.

Naturally, the propensity for “not in my back yard” policy-making is rampant, and to some extent, expected. But what is consistently missing from the discussion is the extent to which each part or our state influences the others. The Port of Charleston is a perfect example.

Our state port is inarguably an invaluable asset to our economy. The dual goals of expanding market share and acquiring a 52-foot harbor depth for the purpose of handling post-panamax ships is roundly embraced. This unanimity is because much of the cargo that flows through the port is headed for the midlands, the upstate or elsewhere in the southeast. What goes unacknowledged is the impact that the port has on quality of life for residents in and around the Lowcountry.

It was stated during a recent debate that much of the road funding in South Carolina has “gone to Charleston”. In raw dollar amounts that indeed may be true. But what is unstated is that the vast preponderance of funds went to the Ravenel Bridge and the port access road. The bridge was built to a certain height and scale so that ships could pass beneath. The access road is necessary for trucks to exit the new port and transport goods to other destinations. Most locals will never place one tire on the port access road.

To declare road dollars that were spent on projects for the benefit of the entire state as a Lowcountry “money grab” is unfair and disingenuous.

Furthermore, the coast (Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Beaufort/Hilton Head) is home to many of South Carolina’s most significant economic stimuli … tourism, manufacturing (Boeing, Volvo), military installations, the port, beaches, golf, restaurants, etc. In most cases the taxes generated along the coast help sustain other counties within the state.

In short, we generate a ton of money and don’t receive our fair share in return.

For years I have introduced legislation that would allow each county to keep its accommodations tax at home. Why in the world should revenue generated by hotel stays in one community be doled out to a different community? Imagine what could be accomplished locally with those funds if there was no Robin Hood Principle in effect.

That is why we must be ever vigilant when confronted with new funding and distribution formulas. The recently discussed road funding bill was one such misleading issue. Sure, there would have been a slight increase in immediate funding. But what was left unsaid is that a new precedent would have been established for distribution where each county of the state receives an equal amount of new dollars.

I ask you, on what planet should a county with a couple thousand people receive the same amount of funds as Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester … each of which has hundreds of thousands of residents? That kind of formula is “fools gold” if ever there were such an example.

The next session will be fraught with similar “revisions” and it is our responsibility to discern what is advantageous for the long-term stability of our region and state. I firmly believe that the economic health and quality of life on the coast is the key to economic prosperity for all of South Carolina and should be treated as such!

Committee work for the next session is in full swing. Personally, I have been serving on the ad hoc committee gathering information on general obligation bonds. I am convinced that our state needs to begin investing in infrastructure and capital improvements; and as our current debt obligations roll off it is a proper time to support a new bond bill. But as always the devil will be in the details.

Also, the Higher Education subcommittee (for which I am chairman) has begun to meet and will be hearing from the state’s colleges and universities. We took positive steps last year (not the least of which was addressing the SC State situation), and I am confident we will continue that progress in the next session.

The new legislative year begins on January 12 and will continue for three or four days a week through June. I am hopeful that our General Assembly will realize that the time for petty politics is done and that our citizens want and deserve a deliberative body that is willing to make difficult decisions.

Thank you for the privilege of representing you and happy holidays to you and your family.

Rep Jim Merrill is the former Majority Leader of the SC House of Representatives and represents District 99, which is comprised of Hanahan, Daniel Island, Cainhoy, Goose Creek and Mt Pleasant.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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