Tax proposals abound in election year

COLUMBIA - Legislators have filed more than 170 bills in this election year to change the state's tax code to reduce some levies and increase others.

Gov. Mark Sanford has made several tax cut proposals, including two last week that would give parents breaks when they send their children to private schools and that would cut income taxes.

"There are two things you can expect in an election year: long speeches and tax cut proposals," said state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, who said he doesn't expect many of the proposals to reach Sanford's desk.

This week, the House takes up two bills that limit local governments' ability to increase tax collections by reassessing real estate values. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to approve Sanford's plan to cut the state's top income tax rate to 4.75 percent from 7 percent.

Other bills that could come up later in the session include plans to cut or eliminate levies on homes and cars by increasing the sales tax. Although they aren't getting as much attention as last year, there still are several plans to increase cigarette taxes.