Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell said earlier this week that the House of Representatives is ready to tackle the issue of maintenance of the state’s roads and bridges as the sixth point in a seven-point agenda for this legislative year.

          Speaking Wednesday April 1 on SCETV’s “This Week in the House” Harrell said House Bill 4549 is now on the House calendar. H.4549 would phase in revenue from the existing sales tax on vehicles to the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank to fund new projects, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for the purpose of maintaining roads and bridges that receive no federal aid. Approximately 27,000 miles of the state’s 42,000 mile highway system do not qualify for federal funds.

          Harrell said this plan is better than raising the state gas tax or eliminating the sales tax exemption on fuel. “This measure diverts an existing revenue stream into the maintenance of our highways without raising taxes and putting an additional burden on our taxpayers,” said Harrell.

          House District 98 Representative Annette Young also appearing on “This Week in the House” said that the SCDOT Restructuring Act passed last year is working to make the agency more accountable and credited Transportation Secretary H.B. “Buck” Limehouse Jr. for turning SCDOT around. Young said, “Buck Limehouse understands the real need is getting the money out on the roads.” She pointed to a recent State of SCDOT report that Limehouse made to a legislative committee that showed he had reduced costs and cut waste for a present total of $18 million. Young said that Limehouse has clearly made SCDOT more accountable, and the time is right for the funding provided in H.4549.

          Speaker Harrell pointed to Secretary Limehouse’s moves to eliminate Washington lobbyists, increased use of less expensive inmate labor and limiting travel by SCDOT staff as some of the savings that have taken place at the agency.

This entire April 1 edition of SCETV’s “This Week in the House” can be seen in streaming video on the SCETV web site:

http://www.myetv.org/television/streaming/state_house_today/2008_state_house_coverage/harrell.cfm

Details concerning additional funds for SCDOT proposed in H.4549 can be found here:

http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/web_bh10.exe

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