SC House on Road Bill Amid Warnings to Not Alter Senate Plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The Latest on the South Carolina House’s road funding debate:

3:05 p.m.

Republican senators say the House changed a roads bill to deliberately kill the proposal to change how South Carolina’s road agency is governed.

The House voted Wednesday to have both senators and House members confirm the governor’s appointments to the Department of Transportation board.

Currently, the governor appoints the DOT director and one board member, while legislators get to pick the other seven members by U.S. congressional districts.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and Sen. Larry Grooms say the measure is now likely dead and House leaders were told that before they voted. Gov. Nikki Haley urged the House to accept the Senate version.

If the bill dies, South Carolina roads likely will still get extra money. The House has put an additional $400 million for roads into its budget.

1:30 p.m.

The South Carolina House has changed the Senate’s road bill, likely setting up an end-of-the-session showdown over road funding and the operation of the state’s highway agency.

The amendment allowing the House and Senate together to approve the governor’s appointments for commissioners to the Department of Transportation’s board passed 113-6 on Wednesday.

Currently, the governor appoints the DOT director and one board member, while legislators get to pick the other seven members by U.S. congressional districts. The Senate bill allowed only senators to approve the appointments.

Gov. Nikki Haley says the House will kill the bill by changing it. The Senate is unlikely to accept the House’s changes.

The House’s budget this year does provide an additional $400 million for roads.

11:40 a.m.

The South Carolina House has started debating a bill to get more money for state roads.

The House on Wednesday is considering a bill passed by the Senate that sends an extra $400 million to roads through the general budget fund. That money would have to be set aside each year.

House leaders have spoken for more than a year about getting a permanent revenue source for roads. South Carolina’s gas tax has not been raised for nearly 30 years.

Rock Hill Rep. Gary Simrill offered an amendment to allow the entire Legislature to approve the governor’s appointments to the Department of Transportation’s board.

Gov. Nikki Haley has warned she thinks the road bill will die for the year if the House changes the Senate plan.