The South Carolina Senate has reached a compromise after nearly five days of filibusters over the S.C. road funding bill.
WIS reports that Senators reached an agreement over a proposed Republican amendment that sends more money to fund S.C. roads without increasing gas taxes. The amendment would also give Governor Nikki Haley the right to choose all of the eight SCDOT commissioners, with final approval from the Senate.
A big issue during the filibuster involved the State Infrastructure Bank, which will be required to submit all road construction projects to the DOT commission for consent under the new amendment.
Instead of increasing the gas taxes, the amendment calls for $400 million provided in recurring revenue from the State’s General fund. According to the Senate staff, overall, $1 billion in funds will go toward road repair and maintenance.
Governor Haley showed her support for the new amendment late Thursday night on her personal Twitter account.
Speaker of the House, Jay Lucas, said, “For 323 days, the Senate has had every opportunity to show leadership and propose a real, long-term solution for road repair in South Carolina. The current Senate amendment simply kicks the can further down the road and frankly, into a pothole. The General Assembly has been using general fund dollars to slap a band-aid on roads for years with very little to show for it. I urge the Senate to give this issue the attention that it requires and rally around a proposal with a long-term solution that keeps our families safe and our economy thriving.”