Under the Dome...MASC Legislative Update
The Senate gave key approval to a controversial bill Thursday, S.1205 that will keep counties from further regulating poultry operations. The bill did not take cities ability to regulate poultry farms away. If the bill passes the House, then only DHEC will regulate poultry farms outside cities. The bill will also nullify stricter poultry ordinances in some counties that have adopted them.
A Senate Finance Committee met Tuesday to finalize a proposed property tax reform plan H.4449. The committee approved a proposal that will increase the state sales tax by 1 cent and half of the $670 million in revenue will provide relief to the school operations part of vehicle tax. About $200 million of the remainder would provide relief for school operating taxes on homes and the rest would provide for a 5% “circuit breaker”. The bill has already been set for special order on the Senate Calendar and debate will begin soon.
S.1035, Richardson, and H.4427, Cato, Worker’s Compensation Reform. The House has passed H.4427 and business leaders are concerned with the current bill because it lacks meaningful reform. Attempts to restore AMA guidelines, which would have resulted in lower rates for business failed. The bill now goes to the Senate.
S.1038, Martin, enacts the “Asbestos and Silica Victims Protection Act of 2006”, the bill would prohibit a person from making an asbestos or silica claim without first showing that a qualified physician has diagnosed the asbestos-related or silica-related disease. The bill was passed by the Senate with a procedural amendment and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. S.1163, Sheheen, is a bill that will enact the “Successor Asbestos-Related Liability Fairness Act” that will limit successor asbestos-related liabilities of a corporation. This bill also passed the Senate and will most likely be referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
H.3184, Harrison, is a bill that provides appeals from the ALJ involving DHEC may be appealed to the Court of Appeals. The bill streamlines the appeal process cutting out a second opportunity for the DHEC board to review action on permits. Debate on the bill was adjourned until Tuesday, April 18th.
If you have any questions please contact the Association Office at 800.438.7106 or 803.772.5354.
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MASC Thoughts and Prayers
Our thoughts and prayers are with Hardaway Concrete and the family of Alvin A. Smith Jr. Smith lost his life early this morning when the concrete truck he was driving overturned on I-20.