ROADS/BRIDGES: SC Senate passes $400M roads plan, awaits House approval

The South Carolina Senate approved a $400 million roads plan that does not include an increase in the state’s gas tax. The Senate bill is being sent to the S.C. house for final approval.  The S.C. House passed a roads-funding bill that included a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax and a slight cut in the state income tax.

The Senate proposes to use $400 million of the $1.2 billion of excess tax revenue on roads.

Both bills give the governor control of the S.C. Department of Transportation, now controlled by lawmakers.

It is up to The House to either pass the Senate plan or negotiate a new bill. However, some members of the House are concerned that the Senate’s proposed plan will be just another short term fix.

House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington said the Senate proposal was not a solution to the state’s multi-billion-dollar roads needs. The Senate plan "kicks the can further down the road and into a giant pothole,” Lucas said. “It's not really a new idea, and it's not a solution."