By RICK BRUNDRETT Gov. Henry McMaster plans to spend $20 million in state surplus money in response to the coronavirus outbreak in South Carolina, but it’s not for more testing, treatment or protective gear such as face masks. Instead, those funds will be spent on tourism marketing – most of it going to five tourism […]
Tag Archives: Joint Bond Review Committee
Gas-tax-hike law at 3 years: Completed jobs still lag way behind collections
August 13, 2020

By RICK BRUNDRETT In the first three years of the gas-tax-hike law, the state collected more than $1.3 billion in revenues – enough to pay for almost all of the identified road and bridge projects statewide – yet is sitting on nearly half of the money, newly released records show. As of June 30, the […]
S.C.’s massive debt load partly based on misleading state finance report
March 15, 2019

By RICK BRUNDRETT When it comes to debt, the state of South Carolina is swimming in billions of it. Yet an important report on the state’s finances, issued by Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom – the state’s chief accountant – and considered a key document by credit rating agencies in evaluating state debt, according to an […]
Powerful legislative chairman profits from state-funded groups
November 2, 2018

Update: S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, on 12/4/18 informed White that he would be removed from the Ways and Means Committee, according to a prepared statement from White on 12/5/18. White was transferred to the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, was appointed to replace White as the Ways and […]
S.C. tourism agency worked secretly for months to buy Ted Turner’s island
April 5, 2018

By RICK BRUNDRETT South Carolina’s tourism department for months kept secret from the public its plans to buy an island owned by billionaire Ted Turner for what the agency director touts will be a “premium experience” for tourists. Beaufort County and school district officials joined in the secrecy surrounding the taxpayer-funded, approximately $5 million […]
October 9, 2020
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