All National Taxpayers Union members should applaud and note the herculean effort by Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) to prevent a massive gasoline tax hike that would have hurt South Carolina’s businesses and citizens.
Over the last year, the drum beat from special interests clamoring for a gasoline tax hike to fund road maintenance and repairs grew increasingly loud in the Palmetto State. In the three weeks preceding the end of the regular legislative session, however, Senator Davis launched a courageous filibuster to defend South Carolina’s taxpayers. In the end, Senator Davis ran out the clock on the bill.
Though the General Assembly will reconvene in a Special Session to finish the budget, a capital reserve bill and a transportation network companies bill, the gasoline tax increase is not included in the Sine Die resolution. Therefore, the bill has died the unceremonious death it deserved.
While most South Carolinians understand the need to adequately maintain the state’s roadways, legislative efforts were focused exclusively on raising the gasoline tax, rather than holistically fixing a broken transportation system. In addition, the General Assembly’s plans did nothing to truly address an unaccountable and politically driven Transportation Commission, which oversees the Department of Transportation.
The defeat of the gas tax proposal coupled with the recent defeat of the cell phone tax made this legislative session a net positive for taxpayers. Make no mistake, however: corporate interests will redouble their efforts to pass gas and cell phone tax hikes on hardworking South Carolinians. NTU remains committed to working diligently in defense of Palmetto State taxpayers in the next legislative session.