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Democratic leader tells ‘other side of the story'

"We have to make sure the ports are secure and in this new age of terrorism ... somebody has got to make sure they are doing background checks. If we don't have the right people, something can slip in that will put South Carolina at risk and the whole nation." — Rep. Harry Ott

S.C. House Minority Leader Rep. Harry Ott of Calhoun County championed property tax relief and answered a variety of questions about state and local issues during a televised press conference on Tuesday.

Ott made the case for Lexington County as a site for the State Farmers Market, advocated greater security at the Port of Charleston, was cautious in support of seat belt legislation and backed shorter legislative sessions.

Tuesday's press conference, sponsored by ETV and the S.C .Press Association, is a part of a 17-week series "This Week in the House," featuring Republican David H. Wilkins, speaker of the S.C. House. The series invites leaders of the S.C. General Assembly to a forum to discuss upcoming issues.

As the Democratic leader in the House, Ott said his primary goal is to tell the "other side of the story" to state leadership and to represent the Democratic Party position in a Republican-controlled House and Senate.

"You can mash a pancake, but when you turn it over, there are always two sides," Ott said.

Farmers Market

Ott expressed his agreement on the State Farmers Market's relocation and emphasized the need for the state to receive the maximum dollar value for the market.

"We believe that in Calhoun and Lexington county, we have a better site that is close to the intersection of I-26," Ott said. "It is on high ground, has access to water and sewer, and with the ability to have good roads. When you look at the access from farmers, we believe (the) Calhoun County and Lexington site is better."

Ott said he recognizes Richland County has the front-running position in site location, but don't forget Lexington and Calhoun counties, he said.

"We want to be sure that we have an alternative site if anything goes wrong at the Richland site," Ott said.

The Calhoun County Democrat also has support from Calhoun Council Chairman David Summers.

Summers weighed in with Lexington County officials making presentations during a meeting of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee a week ago.

The proposed Lexington County site is 200 acres off Interstate 26 near Dixiana Road.

Property taxes

Regarding a proposed gradual income tax reduction from about 7 percent to 4.5 percent, Ott said he and the party, while not necessarily opposed to income tax relief, are fighting for property tax reduction.

Gov. Mark Sanford thinks lowering the state's income tax rate over several years is a good way to draw wealthy retirees to South Carolina and help small business owners statewide. The Republican governor says the move will boost the state's lagging economy and create jobs.

Ott said the governor's plan would reduce state revenue by $1 billion at a time when the state is reneging on its commitment to fully reimburse school districts for the money they lost because of property tax relief.

Ott said traveling around the state, especially in Orangeburg County, has revealed individuals are mostly interested in property tax reduction.

Reducing it the right way is what Ott says is important.

"We need to spread it out to all homeowners to get property tax relief, not just the top 10 percent" of the tax bracket, he said.

Ott also echoed his concerns that a state income tax reduction would force school districts to raise property taxes.

House Majority Leader Jim Merrill of Charleston County, who also sat in on the forum, reminded Ott that Republicans have worked toward tax relief for residential homeowners for many years.

"It has received overwhelming bi-partisan support," he said.

Port security

The issue of Port of Charleston security is currently under discussion.

The issue was brought to the forefront when a port worker was killed Feb. 12 after he was hit by a container-hauling truck while directing traffic at the Wando Welch Terminal at the port.

According to court records, the vehicle operator had at least 24 convictions for moving violations in South Carolina, along with an armed robbery conviction and several drug convictions. His driver's license has been suspended since June because of a conviction for possession of LSD and cocaine.

Authority officials have said they support new federal security mandates that would require extensive background checks on anyone who works on the docks.

Commenting on proposed legislation to conduct a degree of background checks of Port of Charleston employees, Ott acknowledged the need to improve security.

"We have to make sure the ports are secure and in this new age of terrorism ... somebody has got to make sure they are doing background checks," Ott said. "If we don't have the right people, something can slip in that will put South Carolina at risk and the whole nation."

Seat belt legislation

A seat belt bill that will allow police to stop adult drivers who are not buckled up is currently up for debate in the House.

The law passed the Senate earlier this month.

The bill gives police authority to stop adult drivers for not wearing seat belts. Under current law, adult drivers not wearing seat belts can be cited only if they are stopped for another offense or if children in the car are not properly restrained. The seat belt bill and the current law allow fines of $25.

Seat belt offenses can't be reported to insurance companies, shared with juries weighing fault and compensation in courts or end up on driver records.

These are points Ott said he wants to be assured of before supporting the bill.

"As long as we have the assurance that this (bill) will not be used by insurance companies to raise premiums on the average person across the state," he said.

If the bill reaches Gov. Sanford's desk and wins his signature, South Carolina would join 21 states, including Georgia and North Carolina, that have primary seat belt enforcement laws. Experts say those laws have reduced highway deaths.

Shortened session

A possible amendment allowing for shorter legislative sessions is also on the table this week.

As proposed, a session will commence in February instead of January and end in May instead of June.

The shortened session is deemed as necessary because of the often-times low workload and bills on the table.

"I have supported this (a shorter session) every year since I came up here (House)," Ott said. "We waste a lot of time up here. We can conduct a session easily and work harder and longer on days when we are in session."

Ott said shorter sessions may also encourage more individuals to participate in the gatherings as well.