Legislative Watch 
LEGISLATIVE
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5/15/06-The House has approved an effort sought by Gov. Mark Sanford that would cut prices at the pump for three months. The first-of-its-kind effort now heads to a House-Senate conference committee.
House lawmakers voted Wednesday, May 10, to add a provision to the House budget that would suspend the state’s 16.75-cent tax on diesel and gasoline from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. The Republican governor proposed a moratorium from the tax from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Republican-led House changed the time period from summer to late fall, saying it would benefit state residents more than tourists who visit the state’s beaches, The Greenville News reported.
Some Senate Democrats have tabbed the effort as political pandering in an election year. Others in the chamber, including Republican leaders, raised concerns about losing out on nearly $100 million in taxes mostly used to pay for road work. They also questioned whether fueling stations would drop prices.
Sanford said the lost revenue could be covered by nearly $1 billion in new revenue for the state this year, the newspaper reported.
