It’s year three of the gas tax hike. Under the 2017 law, the gas tax rises by two cents every year through 2022. Lawmakers promised that every penny would go toward repairing roads and bridges, but although $615.2 million has been collected since the law passed, very little has been spent.
Seven and a quarter percent.
That’s the official “assumed rate of return” for South Carolina’s retiree pension system. In other words, state officials tell us the system should expect to earn 7.25 percent on its assets for decades to come.
Followers of today’s political news are treated to plenty of fireworks, fanfare and theatrics. There’s talk of contempt charges and “constitutional crises,” of tariffs and of the emergence of socialism in American politics. Presidential candidates are making grand promises and are ratcheting up the rhetoric as they elbow for the spotlight.
There’s a lot of disappointment about the Legislature’s failure to deliver this year on its promise of transformational reform of South Carolina’s education system, particularly but certainly not exclusively among teachers.
An important new study by the nonprofit RAND Corp. should have a major impact on the public debate about the costs of health care.
Among the arguments offered by opponents of South Carolina’s recently-enacted gas tax hike was that the state’s highway maintenance spending had historically been inefficient and poorly prioritized. Why should we believe these new tax dollars would be wisely spent, they asked.
Teachers from all across South Carolina went to Columbia last week to ask the General Assembly to adopt meaningful education reforms.
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said before the event that she sees the effort by teachers as abandoning their students, so she spent the day as a substitute teacher.
Another week, another study spotlighting the inadequacy of South Carolina’s laws against drunken driving.
In January, a “bombshell” report by an online news site alleged that President Trump had personally instructed his attorney to lie to congress – a serious federal crime. Other outlets hopped right on the scoop. A media frenzy ensued, and impeachment talk swelled.
State legislators have never thought voters were smart enough to decide how to run their own local governments. For decades, senators ran the counties. They eventually allowed county councils to do this, with significant restrictions. Ditto cities.
