Senate Roads Bill Passes Second Reading

Columbia, S.C. (AP)–After nearly a year of debate, the South Carolina Senate has passed a road funding plan supported by Republicans.

The 30-15 vote Wednesday afternoon doesn’t end the road debate. The Senate plan doesn’t raise gas taxes, while the plan passed by the House last year does increase the sales tax on fuel. The differences likely will need to be hashed out in a conference committee later this year.

The Senate proposal takes $400 million out of general budget funds for roads.

Senate Democrats say roads need a steady stream of money from a source like raising the state’s gas tax, unchanged for three decades. They introduced more than two dozen amendments, but all were rejected on party line votes.