SC House approves abridged bill on sales taxes

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House has approved a much smaller bill eliminating less than $11 million worth of sales tax exemptions.

The House voted 63-39 Thursday on the measure removing fewer than two dozen exemptions. The bill originally filed by House Republicans last month eliminated $220 million worth of exemptions on a list that totals $3 billion.

But many items were stripped out of the bill after legislators heard from affected businesses. Two more were removed on the floor.

The bill calls for the state sales tax to be reduced by the same amount. That reduction would be a tiny fraction of a penny-on-the-dollar from the current 6 percent tax.

House Minority Leader Harry Ott urged lawmakers to vote against the bill, saying removing exemptions represents a tax increase for somebody.