South Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill to Dissolve SCDOT Commission

The agency in charge of the roads and bridges you drive on every day could be getting a major overhaul. The South Carolina House and Senate are considering separate bills to eliminate the Department of Transportation Commission.

Right now, the Secretary of Transportation runs the day-to-day operations of the DOT, while a seven-member Commission makes policy decisions and approves projects. State lawmakers appoint six of the seven commissioners based on Congressional districts. The governor appoints the seventh, at-large commissioner.

Gov. Nikki Haley said in her State of the State address last month, "It's a balancing act, one that has the entire Department answering to two bosses. Worse, the Commission system is entirely political and pits the regions of our state against each other."

The House Judiciary Committee debated the House version Tuesday afternoon, making some changes to it. The House plan would eliminate the DOT Commission, leaving the secretary to run the agency and set policy. The committee voted 16-4 to send the bill to the full House floor for debate.

The legislature would get more involved with the agency's budget, which is more than $1.3 billion a year. Now, and in the past, the legislature approved just one line in the budget, essentially sending the DOT the entire amount for it to spend. Under the House bill, the legislature would approve a much more detailed budget for the agency.

Rep. Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, main sponsor of the bill, says it would make the agency much more accountable and transparent. "Any project over $20 million will have its own separate line item and can certainly be debated by this body, where people can see," he says.

The House Judiciary Committee plan would create a new 17-member advisory panel that would give the DOT secretary input about local road and bridge needs. Unlike the current commission, though, it would not set policy or take votes, only make recommendations.

The House bill has 64 co-sponsors, more than half of the 124 members of the House. But there is opposition. Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Denmark, said at Tuesday's committee meeting that he's concerned the plan would give too much power to the governor.

Over in the Senate, Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Conway, says the only major problem at the DOT is its cash flow, which kept it from paying contractors on time last summer.

"Fix the cash flow crisis, which is happening," he says. "New eyes, new accounting standards are making sure that our subcontractors are being paid timely. But don't throw out the whole and consolidate in the hands of one whose interests may be re-election versus economic development for the state, not just for today or the next election cycle but for the next 20 years."