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Senate panel holds tax reform plan
A quick spin around the State House
“How do you think I found out how to do it? We found out from the experts.”
Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, discussing an amendment that would alter state procedures to allow heart surgeries at Lexington Medical Center. Knotts said he cribbed the language from previous efforts in Aiken and York counties.
NEXT WEEK AT THE STATE HOUSE
For a complete list of legislative meetings, go to http://www.scstatehouse.net/ and click on the “Meetings” link.
IN THE HOUSE: Convenes at 10:30 a.m. Monday, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
IN THE SENATE: Convenes at noon Tuesday, 2 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. Thursday.
A QUICK SPIN AROUND THE STATE HOUSE
A Senate subcommittee failed to reach an agreement Thursday on a plan to raise the state sales tax in exchange for reducing property taxes on owner-occupied homes.
A plan outlined this week would raise the state sales tax by one-half percentage point, and use two-thirds of the $300 million generated to pay much of the county operations portion of property tax.
The rest of the money, a so-called circuit breaker, would be targeted to homes whose owners pay more than 5 percent of their income in property taxes.
The subcommittee did not know the cost of the circuit breaker and delayed final approval. The group will meet again Tuesday.
FULL PLATE IN HOUSE
House leaders aim to stay in session as long as it takes next Wednesday, even working into Thursday morning, to complete key work on the next state budget.
Members will be in session at 10:30 a.m. Monday in a rare early week session. Leaders want to be finished with all work on the main spending bill by Thursday afternoon.
The full House must approve a base plan by March 31 or the legislative session will be extended by one day for every day past the deadline. That means passing the main spending bill that includes essential services.
RAISING THE FLAG
The House unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the State Budget and Control Board to fund the purchase of Revolutionary War battle flags at a New York auction.
Flags of the fledgling United States were captured by the British during the Battle of Waxhaws in 1780 in Lancaster County, about five miles south of the North Carolina state line.
As a resolution, it is nonbinding and does not earmark dollars for a purchase. The banners are expected to cost $3 million to $6 million at a Sotheby’s auction June 14.
In other news:
• Legislation requiring the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus to enroll at least 4,000 freshmen, 80 percent of whom would have to be in-state students, died in a House subcommittee.
SCHMOOZING
Where and from whom state lawmakers will be able to get free food and drinks:
• Breakfast: 8 a.m., 221 Blatt Building, hosted by Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School.
MORE ON THE WEB
What you can find online at thestate.com.
• YGA Today, midday news from inside the State House, is updated several times each legislative day.
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