| Senate Shoots Down Sales Tax Increase |
| An attempt to raise the state sales tax
to generate about $200 million for public schools died in the Senate on Tuesday. Fountain Inn Republican David Thomas proposed a plan to raise $1 billion by increasing the state sales tax to seven percent from five percent. But Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell asked the plan to be ruled out of order because it altered permanent law. Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer last week struck down tax increase proposals, citing Senate rules that say permanent law can't be changed in the state budget. Thomas' proposal would have eliminated nearly 95 percent of local government taxes on cars and homes and generated $200 million for schools. Education Department figures show schools could face laying off as many as 6,600 teachers without $326 million in the 2003-2004 budget. |