A coastal caucus within the General Assembly is a good idea if it works on the right things.

South Carolina's coastline has long been unappreciated for its positive impact on state revenue and the state's economy. Tourism has surpassed textiles as the state's leading industry, and the state as a whole should do more to meet coastal needs.

Soaring property values on the coast are bringing new attention to the state's system of taxation, and the heavy dependence on the property tax for schools and local governments. Coastal legislators should look out for property owners, but also look out for local services the public demands. They must endorse a way to deal with rising property taxes in a way that is fair to all landowners, not only those with the highest-priced property.

Growth along the coast also helped show the pothole the state faces in highway funding. Coastal legislators could flex more muscle in bringing about change if they worked together.

Environmental laws and regulations must be strengthened, not watered down, as growth puts a great strain on coastal natural resources. The Council on Coastal Futures produced a long list of recommendations last year that are needed for sustainable economic growth on the coast. Coastal legislators should be shouting from the rooftops that if isolated freshwater wetlands are filled, if stormwater runoff is not controlled, if muck dredged from marinas is dumped into sounds, if bridges are built to every little island and if environmental protections are not enforced vigorously, the state will face an enormously expensive cleanup problem. The state's economic engine will sputter if the natural resources that drive it are compromised.

A coastal caucus should be a champion of Home Rule. Coastal legislators should know that their communities -- because of rapid growth and environmental sensitivity -- face problems much of South Carolina does not. Local governments should have more freedom to address local issues and never should the legislature take away that freedom. The notion that no local regulations can be more stringent than state regulations should be fought by a coastal caucus.

Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Beaufort County legislators face many challenges that impact the full state and a strong voice in Columbia is needed.