Abortion Takes Center Stage in Legislature

Members of the SC House returned this week for a special session to take up abortion legislation. Democrats made it clear they weren't going to support any aspect of the bill, which increased pressure on Republicans, who entered Tuesday's debate divided on the proposed legislation. 

Numerous amendments were offered throughout the afternoon, including several related to exceptions and even one to put the matter to a statewide referendum. All of which were voted down. Shortly after 4:00 p.m., no amendments were left on the desk, and it came time to vote on the bill. This prompted a motion to recess for some last-minute negotiations among the Republican Caucus. 

After nearly two hours, legislators returned to the chamber for a game of procedural chess. The bill was voted down; however, motions to reconsider the vote and adopt a new amendment were successful. The bill was amended to include exceptions for rape and incest (a key sticking point among Republicans) and passed the chamber by a mostly party-line vote of 67-38.  

The bill received third reading on Wednesday and now moves to the Senate. Senators plan to return next week to take up the legislation.

SCDOT Receives $190 Million in Additional Federal Road Funds

SCDOT announced this week that it would receive access to an additional $190 million of federal funding for the coming year for road projects in the state. Due to continuous planning, a robust project pipeline, and recent investments, South Carolina was well positioned to receive these federal dollars.

As we previously reported, there were discussions during the SCDOT Commission August Workshop that there was a record amount of federal funding available for redistribution this year. Dollars that other states and federal programs could not use during the year are reallocated by the USDOT in August (annually) to states that can put the money to work.

This $190 million allocation is a record amount for South Carolina. Historically, SCDOT has received approximately a third of this amount. SCDOT was prepared to take on the funding because it has qualified projects already planned and has state funds in place to match this federal funding.

View the official press release here.

2022 has been a winning year for South Carolina's infrastructure. Ensuring state leaders continue to deliver favorable policies and sustainable funding mechanisms for our roads and bridges must be a team effort.

Please make plans to join us for our 2022 Annual Meeting. The agenda is in the works; however, we encourage you to take advantage of the sponsorship opportunities available. 

Confirm your sponsorship early to receive maximum exposure as we promote the meeting. Sponsorship and registration details are linked below. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Patterson via email at jennifer@scfor.org or phone at (803) 417-6256. 

SCDOT Wins Regional Transportation Award for Bridge Project in Beaufort County

SCDOT won a regional 2022 America’s Transportation Award for “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Medium Project” for the U.S. 21 Harbor River Bridge Replacement Project in Beaufort County.

SCDOT’s winning project consisted of a 3,353-foot long fixed-span Harbor River bridge to provide uninterrupted access for shrimping and sailing vessels along the river below as well as improved safety for motorists. The new bridge replaced a deteriorating swing-span bridge that required ongoing repairs and maintenance.

To keep the road open during construction and to minimize environmental impacts, the SCDOT project team used an innovative construction-staging scheme, which involved using connectable barges to create a wide access road across the salt marsh and open water.

As a regional winner, SCDOT’s project will be considered for the competition’s “Top 12,” which will be announced on September 7. These 12 projects compete for two top prizes which will be announced in October.

America’s Transportation Awards are sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

SCDOT Launches Public Information Meeting for I-95 Widening Project: Savannah River to US 278

The I-95 Widening: Savannah River to US 278 project intends to improve capacity, mobility, and operations along this 10-mile corridor of I-95, which extends from approximately one mile into Georgia at the Savannah River to mile marker 9, just past US 278. The project will address operational deficiencies for interchanges and bridges within the corridor.

Please visit https://www.scdoti95widening.com/ to learn more about the project and to submit comments.

In addition to the virtual public meeting, an in-person public information meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 15, 2022. Click here for details on the in-person meeting. 

Comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically by September 30, 2022.

Georgia’s “Temporary” Fuel Tax Suspension Extended (Again)

On Thursday, Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order extending the state’s motor fuel tax suspension through October 12.

Thursday’s action marks the fourth extension. You will recall that Georgia passed a law back in March to suspend the state’s gas tax through May 31. Since then, Kemp has signed additional extensions in May and July.

Kemp’s Democratic opponent in the November election, Stacey Abrams, has repeatedly called for a suspension of the tax through the end of the year.

The price tag on this game of political gimmicks is more than $150 million per month. Kemp is backfilling the lost revenue using state surplus dollars.