Guest Columnist: Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, District 86
May 1, 2025
Dear Friends,
I rarely advise my legislative colleagues. After all, we are
all elected by the people we serve. Citizens are our bosses and will hold us
accountable for our votes and actions. Today, I make an exception and provide
some friendly collegial advice.
Senators raise their pay
Unless you own a business, most folks don’t have the luxury
of raising their salary. That’s precisely what the Senate did last week. During
the Senate debate in passing their version of the state budget, an amendment
was approved 24-15, giving every legislator a $18,000 pay raise. Fifteen
Republicans, including our local senators, Tom Young and Shane Massey, had the
good sense to reject the idea.
Some of those in favor of boosting pay justified voting
themselves a hefty pay raise because they work hard and suffer a loss of income
from business back home because of the time they devote to serving. Get a grip
— you should have known the job's demands, and the puny salary when you ran for
office.
The vote would increase legislators’ monthly allotment for
“in-district compensation” from $1,000 to $2,500, from $12,000 to $30,000
annually. That’s in addition to a legislator’s $10,400 annual salary.
Right & wrong
Proponents argue a raise is needed to keep up with
inflation. That’s both right and fair.
Legislator’s base pay of $10,000 was set in 1978 — nearly
half a century ago. It was bumped up by $400 in 1990. To keep pace with
inflation, that ’78 salary would need to be nearly 400% higher, to around
$49,000. Conversely, reasonable pay in '78 is worth about $2,000 today. If you
want everyday citizens to serve in the legislature, there needs to be fair
compensation to allow them to take considerable time away from their paying job
back home and still support their families. I warn those aspiring to serve in
the legislature that it’s not a part-time job as critics contend.
The right way
I won't vote for the pay raise when the House considers the
Senate's budget.
If legislators' compensation is to be increased, independent outsiders must
determine what’s best. A commission of citizens from around the state, similar
to the one that reviews and sets the salary of statewide Constitutional
officers, should be responsible for providing an independent analysis of
compensation needed to attract everyday citizens to augment the current
legislative makeup of primarily lawyers, entrepreneurs, and retired folks, like
me.
Senate sends budget back to House
The $14.4 billion General Fund spending plan approved by the
Senate last week is similar to the version passed by the House in March.
Public school teachers scored pay raises in both plans, including a $1,500
raise in the minimum salary for teachers, a 2% raise for the state’s
lowest-paid employees, and the completion of the legislature’s 2022 law, which
phased in income tax cuts. That will reduce state revenues by more than $290
million in the fiscal year starting July 1.
House and Senate leadership paused earmarks in this year’s
budget, upsetting some legislators who view earmarks as local community
investments.
Eyes up, phone down
It took decades for Americans to abhor drunk driving. It
hasn’t taken nearly as long for people to realize that distracted driving is
deadly. It is six times more deadly, according to AAA. 85% of South Carolinians
want drivers to put down their cell phones and keep their eyes on the road.
When I first filed Hands-Free legislation in 2018, I
appropriately named it “DUI-E, Driving Under the Influence of Electronics.” The
lawyer-legislators hated that title, so the DUI-E title got dropped.
This month, the House of Representatives finally met
constituents' demands, passing the S.C. Hands Free and Distracted Driving Act
85-25. The Senate is poised to vote on it this week.
The federal government is promoting the passage of
Hands-Free. It threatens to withhold $50 million of highway funding this year,
increasing to $100 million next year, if we don’t enact legislation.
Securing S.C.’s monuments & history
Sen. Danny Verdin and I teamed up this month to protect
South Carolina’s history. We worked together to file identical bills to protect
all memorials on public property by expanding on the Heritage Act passed in
2000 to keep monuments in place. The Heritage Act gives the legislature sole
authority over whether to remove or change the name of any building or memorial
on public property commemorating American wars and Native American or African
American history.
In recent years, some cities, towns, and school boards have
removed memorials without permission. This bill strengthens the Heritage Act by
withholding state financial support from those who violate the law. It also
allows private organizations to file lawsuits to block the removal of monuments
without authorization.
Senate moves to oust state treasurer
Last week, the Senate voted to remove State Treasurer Curtis
Loftis from office for his role in a $1.8 billion accounting error that went
unreported for years.
The Senate used an obscure constitutional measure to remove
a statewide elected official from office — something never done before in our
state’s history. Customarily, the House starts with impeachment proceedings.
Legal scholars contend senators don’t have the authority to remove Loftis on
their own. The House would need to approve his removal by two-thirds, requiring
Gov. McMaster to take official action.
Loftis maintains he did nothing wrong and instead laid the
blame for the error outside his office. He argued that no money went missing,
and the investigation amounted to political theater. In his testimony before
the Senate, Lofits acknowledged that his actions may have sometimes fallen
short of expectations and promised to do a better job.
With only a few days remaining in this year's session, the House of
Representatives is unlikely to take up this issue.
Sprint to the finish
With only a few days left in this year’s legislative
session, the General Assembly has much to do. Except for the state budget,
which must be passed, legislation not sent to the governor can be held over to
next year. That would be regrettable, especially for critical issues.
We must finalize school choice legislation because parents and students are
anxiously waiting. The Senate and House have agreed on a compromise, and
hopefully, the Senate will vote to approve it this week. The bill will restore
the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program for low and middle-income
families, which the State Supreme Court nixed last fall.
Liquor liability legislation is on life support, with the
House and Senate battling over competing legislation. It is a tug-of-war
involving tort reform and the more narrowly focused liquor liability.
Currently, bars and restaurants have to pay enormous increases in insurance
premiums or close their doors, and they need help from the House bill.
Reforming our state’s progressive income tax system may be
stymied because the clock is running out. Conservatives know a flat, fair tax
is best. However, tax policy is difficult to change because the winds of
resistance are strong. While work continues to improve the bill to ensure a
majority of taxpayers benefit from lower taxes, the clock is not being kind.
Also hanging in the balance is the energy bill ensuring
South Carolina meets its future energy needs. Another House vote awaits. The
bill streamlines the regulatory process for electric utilities seeking to build
and operate new power plants.
With the fentanyl crisis ravaging communities across our
state, we must finalize the Drug-Induced Homicide Bill. This legislation would
make it a felony – punishable by up to 30 years in prison – for anyone who
unlawfully provides fentanyl that results in an overdose death.
At your service
If you enjoy catching up on Statehouse news in this monthly
column, I invite you to sign up for my weekly Legislative Updates sent by
email. It is as easy as submitting your email address at taylorschouse.com.
About the Author:
Bill Taylor represents South Carolina House District 86. He
was first elected in 2010. Taylor served as a consultant to the George W. Bush
White House in ’91-’92. He is a former television reporter, producer, anchorman
and news director and was an entrepreneur and media consultant/critic.
Bill is married to his wife Donna and raised two children together. The Taylors
live in rural Aiken County.
What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor
(Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to
say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com
