S.C. House carves out $100 million for gas tax plan

State Rep. Scott Talley says a plan to suspend the state's 16.75- cents-per-gallon gasoline tax for three months is a good way to give money back to the taxpayers.

Sen. Glenn Reese says it's election year posturing by Gov. Mark Sanford.

Billy Whiteside says he doesn't care what they call it as long as he gets some help at the pump.

The House on Wednesday amended the state's $6.5 billion budget to carve out about $100 million to pay for the plan. Under the House proposal, the tax would be suspended from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

"This is a national problem, and with the revenues we've got coming into the state it's responsible for us to return it to the taxpayer," said Talley, R-Moore. "The rising cost of gasoline is hurting our citizens, and this is a way to do something about it at the state level."

The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded in the Greenville-Spartanburg area on Wednesday was $2.67, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The average was $2.71 statewide and $2.89 nationally.

While the idea of suspending the state tax had been discussed in the House and Senate, Sanford held a news conference Wednesday afternoon calling on both bodies to suspend the tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He said the measure would save the average family about $63.

Talley said the timing of the House plan would give the relief to South Carolinians rather than tourists.

"I would hate to give hard-earned dollars from the people of this state to people just passing through," Talley said.

Reese, D-Boiling Springs, said he believes the governor got into the act because he hears footsteps from Oscar Lovelace, Sanford's opponent in the June 13 Republican primary.

"I think (Sanford) has been checking the polls, so he'll try to get attention by dropping taxes," Reese said. "It's a good strategy, but I think most people will see through it."

Reese wasn't the only one who said Sanford was playing politics. Rep. Skipper Perry, R-Aiken, also questioned his motives.

"St. Mark couldn't be doing this as an election year ploy, knowing that we vote against it at our peril, could he?" Perry said.

Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer brushed aside the criticism.

"This is literally the smallest tax cut the governor has offered since he's been in office," Sawyer said. "It's an effort to provide some type of tax relief to the people of South Carolina this year, and as usual people who don't have solutions find an excuse to attack the governor when he does."

Reese said he's concerned that the rising gasoline prices could damage the economy. If people are spending more on gasoline, they have less to spend on other items.

Still, Reese said that the proposal would be a tough sell in the Senate with just nine days remaining in the session.

"If we're going to do it, it needs to be well thought out," Reese said. "There probably needs to be a threshold -- a certain price for a certain amount of days -- before the suspension kicks in."

Whiteside, 55, of Spartanburg said he didn't care if it was political gamesmanship as he filled his tank Wednesday evening.

"I don't care why they're doing it as long as they save me some money on gas," he said.

Whiteside paid $34 to pump about 12 gallons into his car at an East Main Street station. He would have saved about $2 if the taxes were removed.

Whiteside said the savings would add up because he drives about 60 miles a day on his job.

"It would help a lot of us out," he said.

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.