ORANGEBURG — Black lawmakers say they aren’t sold on the property tax relief plans that are percolating in either body of the General Assembly.

“We want a system that assures tax relief for those of upper- and moderate-income levels,” said Rep. David J. Mack III, D-Charleston, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus.

“When we come back (in January), it’s not clear that the Legislative Black Caucus is going to fall in with either plan.”

The black caucus’ annual, two-day retreat ended Friday at Orangeburg Technical College. Like in years past, education, health care and economic development will take up most of the 32-member group’s attention in 2006, Mack said.

Proposals in the House and Senate seek to raise the statewide sales tax by 2 cents, while eliminating the sales tax on food.

The House proposal would eliminate property taxes on owner-occupied homes and give the state greater control of schools and local services such as police protection.

The Senate proposal would cut property taxes by about 50 percent on primary and secondary homes, cars, boats, motorcycles and some businesses.

Black lawmakers say both plans concern them.

“We don’t want to be part of a notion that this is an election year, so let’s pass something that’s a sound bite on tax relief,” Mack said. “We want to find a legitimate way to provide tax relief to working individuals.”

Poverty and working South Carolinians of all races are the Legislative Black Caucus’ two underlying concerns, Mack said.

Several black legislators are calling for a redistribution of lottery proceeds, to target the state’s poorest students.

“Most of it goes to people who can afford to send their children to college,” said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg. “What we have done with the lottery in South Carolina is to waste our resources on a population that does not need it.”

In health care, Mack said Gov. Mark Sanford’s Medicaid waiver “is of great concern” to the black caucus. He said the caucus fights each year to fully fund Medicaid and has fought for years to put money into prevention.

Smoking cessation and HIV-AIDS prevention and education will again be focuses in 2006, but Mack said the caucus also will pre-file a bill promoting testing for kidney disease.

The Education and Economic Development Act is another concern for the caucus. That measure, passed this year, reorganizes school curricula around career clusters, aimed at curbing dropouts and getting students into careers.

“It can be a benefit or a curse,” Mack said, noting that educators, administrators, parents and students must ensure that black students aren’t funneled into dead-end curricula that leaves them stranded with no futures.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Matthews, D-Orangeburg, said he has garnered support for pilot legislation that extends school hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., making tutorial sessions and other resources available to students.

“The 8 to 3 model is no longer a workable concept,” Matthews said. “We know that from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. is the most dangerous time of the day for African-American kids. We invest too much in our school buildings to close them down at 3.”

Cobb-Hunter said she is working with the state Department of Education to make a GED in Spanish available in the state.

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398 or rburris@thestate.com