With South Carolina gas prices exploding past $4 a gallon this week, Palmetto State political leaders are reaching  for the nearest lever to try to give angry consumers a break — a temporary suspension of the state’s 28-cents-per-gallon gas tax.

GOP candidate for governor Alan Wilson opened the bidding on Monday, calling on state lawmakers to give Gov. Henry McMaster the authority to lift the tax for up to 120 days, using money from state reserves to offset losses to the highway fund.

“South Carolina families don’t have the luxury of waiting on Columbia to go through a lengthy legislative process when they’re getting crushed at the pump,” said Claire Brady, Wilson’s deputy campaign manager. “Alan Wilson believes the governor should have the ability to respond quickly and temporarily suspend the gas tax when extraordinary circumstances are driving fuel prices to unsustainable levels.”

In a separate proposal, S.C. Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Berkeley, chair of the uber-conservative House Freedom Caucus, floated a plan to rebate the gas tax by refunding up to $300 on state income tax returns. Pace said the $500 million plan could be paid for by eliminating earmarks and reclaiming leftover funds in agency budgets.

Meanwhile, at the national level, 7th District U.S. Rep. Russell Fry called on Congress to suspend the 18-cents-per-gallon federal gas tax — an idea that also has the support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Annie Andrews.

“This moment demands an all-of-the-above approach and all hands on deck to bring down costs for South Carolinians,” Andrews said in a release.

Nevertheless, significant concerns about the proposals remain — particularly regarding any plan that could impact S.C.’s highway fund.

“That’s where most of the state money comes from to build roads,” McMaster told reporters this week. “So, if we reduce that tax, we’ll be cutting into that money. I don’t think that’s a good idea, because roads are long-term (and) this shortage, I hope, is short-term. I hope it’ll be over soon.”

According to Brown University, regular gas prices are up about 50% since the start of the Iran War in February.

In other recent news

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S.C. Supreme Court to decide if McMaster overstepped with Guard’s D.C. deployment. A legal challenge over Gov. Henry McMaster’s decision to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., could test the bounds of the governor’s power as the state’s commander in chief, attorneys argued to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.

New ACLU report is critical of S.C. juvenile justice system. Child advocates say the South Carolina juvenile justice system is failing the children who it is supposed to rehabilitate.

S.C. population is booming, but not its voter rolls. About 3.4 million people were registered here in 2022, according to the S.C Election Commission’s year-end report, roughly the same as the most recent registration total listed Sept. 15.

McMaster recognized for conservation efforts. This story outlines recognition by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina for Gov. Henry McMaster’s efforts to protect the environment through the years.

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