The New State Property Tax South Carolinians Won’t See Coming
In 1976, voters passed a constitutional amendment amending legislators’ ability to provide for state borrowing. The ballot question was general, vaguely worded and failed to spell out what was arguably the most important part of the amendment: the creation of a new, automatic and limitless state property tax that could kick in with no warning […]
What’s coming in the 2019 legislative session
The recurring themes in the over 700 pieces of prefiled legislation this year are more spending, more legislative control, and eroding individual rights. Here is a broad overview of what lawmakers are proposing in the new session, focusing on the areas of utilities, roads, education, taxes, and governmental accountability and transparency. Utilities One of […]
The Budget Process: A Quick Primer
The budget process spelled out in state law is a thorough, deliberate process, designed to inform citizens at every stage and to maximize their input into the spending of taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, lawmakers consistently flout this law in favor of a process that centers key decision-making in the hands of a few powerful lawmakers. Here’s […]
What the Data Warehouse Could Mean for You
The new data warehouse – created by last year’s law and this year’s budget proviso – poses serious threats to the privacy of South Carolinians, especially if lawmakers override the Governor’s veto of the budget proviso containing the details of how the data warehouse would operate. According to the proviso, the intent behind the data […]
What is Tax Conformity, and What Does It Mean for SC Taxpayers?
UPDATE 10/5/18: The Senate’s version of the tax conformity bill passed both houses this week and was signed by the Governor. Lawmakers left one major question unanswered when they left Columbia earlier this year: How will the South Carolinian’s state income tax be calculated next year? The General Assembly will address this when they […]
Where does S.C. Stand on School District Consolidation?
Each year, the state spends millions on duplicative administrative positions that could be used in the classroom. Instead of overhauling South Carolina’s antiquated school district model, lawmakers have historically taken little action towards true reform. One small step in the right direction was a proviso inserted this year’s budget allowing the Superintendent of Education to […]
Fact Sheet: Lawmakers’ Data Warehouse for Individual Information
Download the PDF version here » Lawmakers created a statewide data tracking system via proviso in this year’s budget. The Governor vetoed it, but lawmakers could override the veto when they come back later this summer. Here’s what you need to know about this proposed data warehouse. State government could gather data on anyone for any […]
Major Takeaways from the Governor’s Vetoes
On July 5, the Governor vetoed 42 items and roughly $40 million from the state budget passed by lawmakers in the June special session. Most significantly, the governor vetoed the statewide data warehouse and a proviso that would have moved billions in higher education funds off-budget. Here are the major takeaways from the Governor’s vetoes. […]
What’s in The Conference Committee’s Budget?
UPDATE: The conference budget passed the House (84-28) and the Senate (30-9) on Thursday, June 28. The budget goes to the Governor’s desk next for line-item vetoes. HERE’S WHAT IS GOING TO THE FLOOR FOR A FINAL VOTE Late Tuesday night (and only days away from the beginning of the next fiscal year), the legislative […]
Lawmakers Move $3.7 billion Off-Budget
The South Carolina budget process has been eventful this year: Overall spending has continued to climb; lawmakers have once again refused to follow the transparent budget process mandated by law; and both the House and the Senate have inserted unconstitutional budget provisos, which range from separate bills that failed to pass on their own, to […]
