Businesses Support Road Bill that Proposes Gas Tax Increase

COLUMBIA, S.C (WOLO)- Leaders of businesses like Nephron Pharmaceuticals, BW Mitchum and Michelin North America say they unanimously stand behind House Bill 3516 which lays out a funding plan to fix state roads.

Michelin North America President Pete Selleck feels like the plan provides a solution for the long haul. “The house bill gives us a plan that is sufficient and sustainable in terms of the amount of money that is going to be applied to the roads and it’s sustainable over the long term. There may be other solutions as well as it goes to the Senate but that’s a tremendous place to start,” said Selleck.
If passed, leaders said this will be the first gas tax increase for the state in 30 years.

House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said increasing the tax by two cents every year for five years will not provide enough funding.

“It’s not enough. It’s clearly not enough and this is just not me saying it, the department of transportation will tell you we need more money. We’ve got to have more money. We’ve got a 40 billion dollar shortfall with our roads and we’ve got to fix them and fix them right now. We’re not doing so,” said Rutherford.

Governor McMaster requested $5 billion in federal funding for infrastructure but legislators like Rutherford and House Majority Leader Gary Simrill said our state can not afford to wait on government aid.

They hope the bill will have enough votes to pass in the house and senate soon. Leaders say that bill will be debated sometime next week.