SC senators may consider DOT reorganization

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Senate may consider changes at the Department of Transportation after the agency ran short on cash to pay highway contractors and turned to a federal bailout to cover the bills.

The agency is supposed to pay its bills within 30 working days of approval. But some bills took more than twice that time to pay in June and July.

Transportation Secretary Robert St. Onge (ahnj) told the Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday that cash was short because contractors had good weather and billed the agency faster than expected. He said costs for materials like asphalt rose more than expected.

St. Onge said he’s changing how contract payments are managed and building reserves to avoid future problems.

More meetings will be held to see if legislative changes are needed.