South Carolina lawmakers return to Columbia for this year's legislative work Tuesday at noon. While there are no hot-button emotional issues this year like the Confederate flag, the lottery and video poker were in past years, lawmakers will be dealing with bills that could have a much bigger impact on your life.

Gov. Mark Sanford says even though the session may not seem as exciting from the outside, it's likely to be much more important. "Whether the flag was or wasn't flying--it certainly was a heart-felt issue--at the end of the day wouldn’t have that great an impact in a person’s education, in their pocketbook, on so many things that do impact them on a day-to-day basis."

This year, on the other hand, could bring major changes to the state's tax system and to the way state government delivers services to taxpayers. 

One of the major bills lawmakers will debate would raise the sales tax by two cents, except on food and medicine. It would also eliminate all sales tax exemptions, like the $300 cap on cars, trucks, boats and planes.

While those would go up, the property tax you pay on your car or truck would be eliminated. The property tax on your home would be reduced, and state income taxes would be lowered by 15 percent.

There would also be more money for education under the plan. Sponsors say the plan would be a tax cut overall for residents, since tourists would be paying the higher sales tax.

Gov. Sanford is also proposing major changes to state government itself. His executive budget would restructure state agencies, combining some of them and reducing their number by 15. "Restructuring matters because, ultimately, it deals with your time," Sanford says. "And the one thing we don’t have any more of in life is time."

As an example, he points to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. While it has the same employees, the agency was restructured last year, and wait times that were two hours or more are down to 15 minutes.

He would also make all of the state's constitutional officers, except the Attorney General, appointed by the governor instead of elected by voters.

Since this is the second year of a two-year session, lawmakers will get to work right away. A House committee will debate Tuesday afternoon a tort reform bill that would put limits on some lawsuit awards. And Wednesday, the full House could debate a bill to eliminate the use of mini-bottles at bars and restaurants in the state.