Energy law part of national push
April 1, 2010 by admin
A new law in South Carolina that will allow electric customers to take out loans to make energy-efficiency upgrades and reduce the need for more power plants is expected to be replicated nationally.
Gov. Mark Sanford signed the proposal into law Wednesday and efforts are under way in Congress to use it as a model for a national program.
As early as June, an estimated 225,000 customers of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina could take out low-interest loans to buy new roofs, heating and air units, insulation or other items to make their homes more energy-efficient. The upgrades will generate savings each month on the electric bills, which would be used to pay back the loans.
Before that could happen, however, the cooperatives are looking for Congress to put up the cash to make the loans. A bipartisan group of U.S. House members and senators — including House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, 5th District Rep. John Spratt, both Democrats, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — are backing the plan and working toward its approval in Congress.
Clyburn said he hopes Congress will act soon on the legislation pending in the U.S. House and Senate.
“Through this program we are creating real energy savings and jobs, providing value to consumers and the government will receive a return on its investment,” Clyburn said in a statement. “There is no downside to this initiative.”
The loans would range from $1,500 to $7,000 and would be paid back in five to 10 years with savings on residents’ electric bills. The loans would be made to cooperative customers at a 2.5 percent interest rate.
Sanford said he supports the legislation because it provides a free-market opportunity for individuals to cut energy costs.
“The beneficiaries are real. The savings are real. The consequences are real,” he said.
The idea is also supported by the environmental community. Hamilton Davis, energy and climate director for the Coastal Conservation League, said the legislation is “visionary.”
The law would allow other power companies to offer the low-interest loans to their customers, if they decide to do so.
Appliance rebates
Shoppers in South Carolina are quickly snapping up rebates for energy-efficient appliances.
More than half of the $3.9 million set aside for rebates on Energy Star-certified appliances was claimed by Wednesday evening, the first day the incentives were offered as part of the federal stimulus and recovery law.
At that time, the South Carolina Energy Office said on its Web site about $1.7 million remained for the rebates of $50 to $100 on clothes washers, refrigerators and dishwashers.
About $282,000 of the rebates up to $500 for water heaters and central air conditioning units remained.
The rebates will be applied at store checkouts for smaller appliances. Companies installing whole-house equipment, such as water heaters and heating systems, will reserve rebates online and give customers mail-in forms.
For more information visit: www.appliancerebates.sc.gov
Senator Luke Rankin on Energy Efficiency
March 31, 2010 by admin
Senator Luke Rankin talks about the energy efficiency bill which was signed by Governor Sanford yesterday. In this time of economic decline when energy costs are skyrocketing, we must do everything we can to make our homes and businesses more energy efficient.
South Carolina’s Kidney Community Thanks State Senator Luke Rankin for Valuable Support of Medigap Legislation
March 31, 2010 by admin
COLUMBIA, S.C., March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Members of South Carolina’s kidney community – including the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas, South Carolina Region (NKF) and Dialysis Patient Citizens; patients; caregivers and other supporters – thank state Senator Luke Rankin (R-Myrtle Beach), Chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Subcommittee, for signing on as a bill co-sponsor in support of proposed legislation designed to help hundreds of kidney patients and thousands of the disabled in South Carolina access needed health insurance coverage for life-saving medical care.
The legislation, S. 1128 – up for second reading in the Senate, having passed at the subcommittee and full committee level – would allow end stage renal disease (ESRD) and disabled South Carolina residents under age 65 to purchase secondary insurance coverage known as Medigap to help with their medical expenses. Under federal law, all Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 65 are already able to purchase this insurance, which provides them with the ability to access needed medical treatments, including kidney transplant, without cost being a barrier.
“On behalf of South Carolina’s kidney patients who are currently struggling with paying their medical bills for life-saving and life-enhancing care, we applaud Senator Rankin for his support of enhancing these patients’ access to care,” said Beth Irick, National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas Division President. “Expanded access to Medigap will help these patients while also saving the state Medicaid program millions of dollars, and we sincerely hope the state legislature will ensure its passage this year.”
Under current Medicare law, two populations qualify for coverage: individuals over the age of 65, and those under 65 who meet certain conditions, including the diagnosis of ESRD and being deemed disabled. While Medicare covers most medical costs, it requires patients to pay deductibles and co-pays, which most patients pay for through the assistance of secondary insurance. However, hundreds of kidney failure patients and thousands of disabled people in South Carolina under age 65 have no secondary insurance coverage, and are unable to afford their out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Last week, former NBA All-Star and kidney transplant recipient Alonzo Mourning joined the NKF in speaking with South Carolina lawmakers about the benefits of Medigap for kidney patients by improving their access to care and helping them preserve their financial independence in helping them avoid having to “spend down” their assets and turn to the state for Medicaid support.
“Right now, my monthly bills not covered by Medicare are too heavy a burden on top of my other regular costs of living, and under current state law I will have to wait 11 more years before I can purchase a more affordable Medigap plan,” said Greg Stricheck, a 54-year-old dialysis patient from Myrtle Beach. “I am proud of my Senator for stepping up to back this needed solution for patients like me, and I appreciate his support for us in the legislature.”
“Recent estimates have shown that Medigap legislation in South Carolina could actually result in approximately $5 million in savings to the state’s Medicaid program over five years, so it makes sense to do from a health standpoint as well as a financial standpoint,” said Chad Lennox, Executive Director of the national, non-profit, patient-led Dialysis Patient Citizens, which represents approximately 450 members of the kidney community in South Carolina. ”We appreciate Senator Rankin’s and the state Senate’s attention on this important matter that has the potential to greatly improve many South Carolinians’ quality of life.”
Delegations for Horry, Georgetown Counties to Speak at 2009 Legislative Luncheon
December 10, 2009 by admin
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its 2009 legislative luncheon for members and others who wish to meet legislators for Horry and Georgetown counties 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, December 9 at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes.
A moderated Q&A session will follow lunch. The event is sponsored by Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS.
Those attending the luncheon will have the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns to legislators. Elected officials invited to attend include Senators Ray Cleary, Dick Elliott and Luke Rankin as well as Representatives Liston Barfield, Alan Clemmons, Tracy Edge, Nelson Hardwick, George Hearn, Vida Miller and Thad Viers. Read more
Property tax relief could start soon for Myrtle Beach residents
September 28, 2009 by admin
Myrtle Beach leaders say they want to give property owners the tax credit they promised a year earlier than planned.
Councilman Phil Render wants the city to approve a resolution asking the General Assembly to amend the law it passed this spring that allows the city to collect a 1 percent sales tax and give that money to an authorized group to promote the Grand Strand to potential out-of-area visitors.
The state law says that after the second year of the 10-year tax, the city will retain 20 percent of the money and give property owners a tax credit.
“The chamber needs a recurring revenue stream, but people need help, too,” Render said. “We’re in tough times.”
Render’s proposal would shave about $1,000 off his own property tax bill this year.
Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, was the lawmaker who included the property-tax clause in the bill in the first place, and he said he likes this idea.
“The delegation would have to agree to it, but I’m more than willing to talk about it,” Rankin said. “I’m certainly not opposed.”
Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said Myrtle Beach’s legislative delegation would be open to talking about the idea and evaluating the likelihood of its success in the General Assembly.
“No one has approached me with it yet, so this is just a first impression,” Clemmons said, “but we are a tax-relief-loving people.”
The city has already chosen to give property owners about a 90 percent break on the millage they pay inside the city. Of the 64.4 mills the city charges in property tax, the council elected to give property owners a credit for 57.1 mills, or all the tax the city uses for city operations. Property owners will still pay the remaining 7.3 mills that’s dedicated to debt repayments for city projects.
Render said the tax break could also prop up the sagging residential real estate market.
“Who wouldn’t want to move to a place where you only pay $69 in city property taxes on a $300,000 house?” said Councilman Wayne Gray, who supports the idea and said he thinks the General Assembly will, too.
He said the only discussion will likely be that those who promoted the tax to the General Assembly presented an urgent need for the money and the economy is still rocky.
The city said things were so dire when discussing the tax that it chose not to put the sales tax to a voter referendum this fall, but to approve the tax increase this spring - raising the ire of many in the area.
“We’ve already seen meaningful results [from the chamber]. We have a level of funding that will work and allow us to give people a tax break and add tourism-related infrastructure,” Gray said.
Render said fiscally, there’s no reason not to start the tax credit early.
But Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, said he would want to see and consider the numbers along with finding out how the chamber would be able to absorb the loss, but he supports the idea in concept.
“I support any kind of tax relief to homeowners and property owners,” Viers said. “I will definitely look into it, and I’d love to get everyone around the table to talk about it.”
Viers said new legislation won’t get a first reading until January, anyway, but it could be pre-filed.
Chamber President and Chief Executive Brad Dean said his group hasn’t reviewed the idea with its legislative policy council yet, but “because the tourism fee mandates the largest municipal tax cut in state history, I expect his idea will attract a lot of attention and merit consideration. When debated in the General Assembly, the tourism fee was viewed as a tool to boost the economy and create jobs, but now that City Council has turned it into a tool to eliminate property taxes, I expect this proposal will get a serious look.”
Councilman Mike Chestnut said he didn’t see why the legislature wouldn’t support the idea “unless there’s something we’re missing. But we’re committed to it and want to move forward and give people tax relief as soon as we can.”
Rankin: Let school board move on with recommendation
August 28, 2009 by admin
An Horry County legislator is calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to support the Horry County School Board in its decision to recommend Neil James to fill a vacant seat on the board.
In a letter obtained by WMBF News, Sen. Luke Rankin (R-Horry County) asks the governor to support the nomination of Neil James to the position. James was nominated after former board member, Chris Shannon, was indicted on charges of felony breach of trust and fraudulent intent.
The crime, officials say, were grounds for removal from the school board.
Horry County School Board officials allowed others to apply for Shannon’s vacant District 10 seat and were able to narrow the candidate pool down to three individuals.
Following the recommendation of James to the governor, Rankin believes others have been contacting Sanford regarding the appointment of a second individual to the position. That person, Rankin claims, did not filter through the board’s selection process.
“Your choosing to do otherwise would be one of the most unfortunate acts of putting political patronage above merit you could embrace, which would totally circumvent the work of those who’ve been elected to serve,” Rankin wrote in a letter to Sanford.
Should James be chosen to fill Shannon’s unexpired term, he would serve until 2010.
Bills would let Horry County sales tax rise
March 20, 2009 by admin
Penny would fund tourism promotions
by Zane Wilson - For The Sun News
The state Senate is close to passing a bill that would allow Horry County and its towns to impose a new 1 percent sales tax that would be used for tourism promotion.
Where adopted, the new tax would bring sales taxes to 9 percent on most items people buy except groceries, the highest in the state.
The bill allows, but does not require, the local governments to pass the tax.
If adopted by the Horry County Council for the unincorporated areas and by all the towns, the tax would bring in $59.1 million the first year, according to an analysis from the state economist.
However, Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland said she does not support the plan.
“The locals shouldn’t have to fund tourism any more than we already do,” she said.
Backed by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, the twin bills are on fast tracks. The Senate version, introduced Feb. 25, is up for its crucial second reading Tuesday after receiving quick subcommittee and committee approval earlier this week.
The House version was filed Feb. 19 and has not been taken up by its committee but is expected to pass, said Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach. He is the main sponsor of the House bill, joined by four other of the county’s representatives: Alan Clemmons, R-North Myrtle Beach; Nelson Hardwick, R-Surfside Beach; George Hearn, R-Conway; and Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach.
Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, is the lead sponsor of the Senate bill but all three of the county’s other senators also are sponsors: Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach and Yancey McGill, D-Kingstree. Read more
Rankin bill pushes Limehouse to act on I-73
February 2, 2009 by admin
Good for Secretary Buck Limehouse of the S.C. Department of Transportation, for agreeing last week to lead the quest to get some part of Interstate 73 built in the next 12 months. His willingness to start work on the road well may have been inspired by a proposal to give control of the S.C. DOT back to the General Assembly. But we attribute his leadership effort to recognition that a political moment for this much-needed economic lifeline has come into being and to his desire to seize that moment.
As Limehouse no doubt would agree, others who understand the importance of this 85-mile limited-access link between Horry County and metro Charlotte, N.C., deserve the credit for creating this political moment. During a visit to Washington last week, Horry County elected officials and business leaders impressed the importance of the project upon the S.C. congressional delegation, key staff members and key federal agency members.
Out of that hard work grew a limited commitment from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham to back I-73 during stimulus negotiations under way in the Senate and in the future. In return, he wants state leaders to identify a financing source for the state’s share of the cost.
In response, the Horry County legislative delegation, led by S.C. Reps. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, and Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, partnering with S.C. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, unveiled a proposal to create a multicounty authority to generate revenue for the project. The Pee Dee economic development consortium to which the counties belong, the North Eastern Strategic Alliance, also backs the bill.
The proposal would create a 3 percent motor fuels surtax in the four counties through which the highway would run: Horry, Marion, Dillon and Marlboro. If the councils of those counties agree, as the proposal requires, this surtax would be levied between April 1 and Sept. 30. This provision would ensure that tourists provide as much of the money to build I-73 as the residents of those counties - maybe more.
The potential that a stable, recurring revenue source for Interstate 73 could come into being apparently got Limehouse’s attention. Gone was his earlier inclination to exclude an I-73 project from the state’s stimulus list because no other source of money for the project was apparent. Limehouse also agreed that the most-discussed such project, an I-73 interchange at Interstate 95 in Dillon County, might work as a stimulus project after all - if it could be connected with existing roads on the east and west sides of I-95.
It’s possible that S.C. Sen. Luke Rankin’s proposal last week to return the S.C. DOT to total legislative control had an effect on Limehouse. That scenario, if enacted, could cost him his job - or at the very least render him a pawn to the legislative transportation committees.
Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, believes that the current S.C. DOT setup, under which Limehouse reports to Gov. Mark Sanford while six of the seven members of the DOT Commission are legislatively appointed, hasn’t worked. Perhaps because Sanford’s grip on the agency is so tenuous, he’s devoted little political capital to I-73 or other signature projects - and he opposes the stimulus in any event.
It would be better if the S.C. DOT became a full-bore Cabinet agency. But as long as Sanford is governor, that seems unlikely to happen.
Regardless, Limehouse’s welcome decision for I-73 well may undercut the impetus behind the Rankin bill. The gentleman has made an early start on the long-awaited road a real possibility at last. For that, his many friends in Horry County and the Pee Dee should be grateful.
I-73 makes progress with state leaders
January 30, 2009 by admin
As officials have gone back and forth on whether the state will receive stimulus funding for the proposed I-73 project, some state lawmakers and local officials are looking for ways to generate money right here in the Palmetto State. That was on the agenda in Columbia Thursday as officials met before the Northeastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) I-73 Committee to discuss funding the project.
Supporters of the proposed interstate project have been fighting an uphill battle with some state leaders, including Governor Mark Sanford and state transportation officials.
“We didn’t think it would be this hard to convince our own leaders, but the jobs we need in the Pee Dee and the jobs estimated by economist Don Shunk has convinced many leaders now is the time to start I-73,” said Brad Dean, President and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Until Thursday, state transportation officials had stressed that I-73 was not shovel ready, while supporters of the project strongly disagreed. Meanwhile, the governor has been an opponent of accepting federal stimulus dollars, saying spending has gotten out of hand.
“The governor doesn’t want to get the money to build this, so it’s a vital problem that we need to put in the hands of the people accountable not the hands of one person,” said Senator Luke Rankin, (R) Horry County.
Senator Rankin proposed a bill Thursday that would give legislators, not the governor, the power to appoint the state secretary of transportation. Rankin tells NewsChannel 15 this could prevent one or two people from blocking an effort supported by many, such as I-73.
“The governor is single-handedly able to deny the state these funds,” stressed Rankin.
Supporters are now hopeful I-73 is gaining traction, especially after an effort to begin raising funds locally. Representative Alan Clemmons of Myrtle Beach proposed a bill creating a multi-county authority. That body’s task would be to implement 3% tax on each total purchase of gas along the I-73 corridor, in Marlboro, Dillon, Marion and Horry Counties.
“I think what we’re hearing from Washington is they’re willing to help with I-73, but they want the state to pitch in as well,” said Dean.
The 3% tax would only apply between April 1st and September 30th, when the highest number of tourists are on those county roads. While the majority of tourists are headed to Horry County, Clemmons tells NewsChannel 15 that locals in the other corridor counties won’t have to foot the bill for the tax, as the tourists will have to drive through those counties in order to get to the Grand Strand. Clemmons said in passing through Marlboro, Dillon and Marion Counties, tourists will often stop and get gas in the Pee Dee, just before driving that final stretch to the beach.
State transportation officials also seem to now be on board with building the project in different phases, piece by piece, a measure they had been reluctant to back previously.
“They acknowledged we can build the interstate in pieces, which we all thought needed to happen. They’re very encouraged about the interchange on 95 along North and South, which would mean jobs in the Pee Dee,” noted Dean.
Many have questioned whether I-73 will receive federal funding. Last week, Senator Lindsay Graham, (R) South Carolina, said he was skeptical the project would get the nod. But local officials tell NewsChannel 15 now that it seems the state can also raise funds to, at least to a degree, match federal aid.
As it stands now, federal stimulus money is expected to be distributed in three different pools: 1) money that needs to be spent within 90 days, 2) obligated funds that need to be spent by August 2010, and 3) grants for projects of regional and national significance that must be started and finished within a few years.
Representative Clemmons said that the I-73 project falls in all three of those pools.
Clemmons tells NewsChannel 15 that “there is no better project that is more qualified in this region to receive funding than I-73.”
By Mola Lenghi
Carolinalive.com
Rankin files bill to reform selection of Transportation Secretary
January 30, 2009 by admin
In an effort to bring more accountability to the state’s top transportation executive office, Senator Luke Rankin on Wednesday introduced legislation that would change the appointment process and require an annual performance review for the position, a news release said.
According to the release, the bill would have the Joint Transportation Review Committee (JTRC), which is already in place, nominate one qualified candidate for the Governor’s consideration as Secretary of Transportation. Should the Governor approve of the nomination, the Secretary would serve a six-year term and could only be removed from office for just cause. The bill specifies that the Secretary has a duty to the citizens of South Carolina to execute his responsibilities in a manner that is most advantageous to the needs of the public. The JTRC would also be responsible for conducting an annual performance review of the Secretary.
“Given the Governor’s oft repeated opposition to any federal assistance, and his silence on behalf of the state’s only congressionally designated project of ‘national and regional significance’, I-73, it is critical that this position be accountable to all of South Carolina and not just one. Because locally elected legislators are more in touch with the people, they better understand the needs of our state and are more accountable.“ Rankin said in the release. “We need to restore common sense to our leadership, and this bill is an attempt to do that,” Rankin added.
The legislation was co-sponsored by Senator Hugh Leatherman, Finance Committee Chairman, Senator John Land, Senator Gerald Malloy and Senator Dick Elliott, the release said.
By David Hart
SC Now
