A late night amendment proposed on March 14th by Democratic Representatives Russell Ott, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, and Patsy Knight that sought to provide tax relief for working college students was met with staunch opposition by House Republican leadership. That’s right SC Republicans were anti-tax credits! – at least when it came to SC hardworking college students.
The proposed amendment would have provided a $300 tax credit to WORKING students enrolled in South Carolina public colleges and universities. Even more disturbing the tax credit would have only been applied to students working full time. Though one would think the GOP would be happy to throw support behind a move to slash taxes for students who understand both the value of earning an education, and the value of making a dollar, the roll call vote to table the amendment certainly proved otherwise.
Ott proposed that $6 million dollars that became available in the budget after the deletion of another line item be used for the creation of the Tax Relief for Students Fund. Ott and his co-sponsors believed that this would be a, “good opportunity to send money back to the taxpayers,” and support students who are also burdened with the responsibility of working a full-time job.
The Republican Majority sealed the fate of the amendment with a motion to table that ended in a 60-47 vote that closed the door on tax relief for students and ensured that struggling college students will continue to do just that. See Vote Here.
So House Republicans don’t believe in offering tax credits/breaks for SC students, which would have been a positive to the local communities and economies they reside? We ask you, the people of South Carolina, which is the party of fiscal conservatives in the Chamber? Are taxes breaks only acceptable for the rich in the state?
This is yet another example of failed leadership by Republicans in SC.