Senator plans bill to raise $800M a year for SC roads

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A senator who has been studying how to find more money to fix South Carolina roads for more than two years plans to file a bill this week that he says could raise up to an additional $800 million a year for state roads.

Sen. Ray Cleary said Tuesday that his bill will raise the gas tax 10 cents and index the amount to inflation, raise the sales tax cap on automobile purchases from $300 to $1,400, eliminate dozens of sales tax exemptions and raise the fees for car registrations and drivers’ licenses.

The Murrells Inlet Republican’s plan would also turn over more than half of the roads maintained by the states to counties, but give them about $160 million a year to maintain them.