SC Green is the voice of the landscape industry in South Carolina. Our members are from all areas of the state and count on SC Green to represent their interests at the State House in Columbia. We advocate for policies that promote a healthy business climate for green industry companies and other businesses while also protecting the environment.
We work with lawmakers in the South Carolina General Assembly as well as regulators and state agencies such as Clemson Regulatory Services, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, SC Department of Agriculture, and others. We are proud of our work with these groups to promote professionalism, safety, and environmental sustainability in our industry.
April Legislative Update
Global events have caused fuel and input prices to surge in recent weeks. These cost increases are impacting SC Green Industry members, as well as their suppliers and customers. Some legislators want to alter the state’s taxing and spending priorities in response to this situation.
- Gas Tax Suspension Priority for Some Legislators, but Faces Long Odds
The issue of surging fuel costs is an item that was not top of mind for legislators when the budget process started in January, but it has crept into the budget discussion since United States commenced military action against Iran.
As global fuel prices remain high as a result of this conflict, several South Carolina lawmakers have proposed temporarily suspending the state’s gas tax. Georgia has adopted such a suspension and other states are considering the idea. Georgia recently “became the first state in 2026 to implement a…gas tax suspension, saving residents nearly $400 million over 60 days through House Bill 1199. The suspension runs until May 18th and temporarily eliminates the state’s $0.333 per gallon tax on regular gas and $0.373 per gallon tax on diesel.”
Multiple South Carolina legislators have introduced bills aimed at providing temporary relief by suspending the state’s 28-cent-per-gallon motor fuel “user fee.”
On March 24, Senator Russell Ott (D-Calhoun) filed a joint resolution (S. 1045) to suspend the state’s gas tax for 30 days, with an automatic 30 day extension if the average price of gasoline has not fallen by 15 percent by that point. Two Republican senators have joined Ott as co-sponsors of the bill.
There are several gas tax suspension bills filed in the House, including:
- 5419, a thirty day gas tax suspension sponsored by Republican Representative Mark Smith (R-Berkeley) and dozens of other House members
- 5422, which is similar to the Ott resolution
- 5475, a ninety day gas tax suspension sponsored by several House Democrats
Other public officials and candidates have chimed in on the issue as well. First Congressional District Representative Nancy Mace, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Governor, endorsed the idea recently and vowed to sign such legislation as governor.
One of her opponents for the nomination, Attorney General Alan Wilson, echoed these comments, calling for “an immediate suspension to the gas tax.”
While these calls for a gas tax suspension have gained support in both chambers, House and Senate leaders have quietly scuttled attempts to bring the items up for debate. The leading voice in opposition to the gas tax suspension has been Governor Henry McMaster.
McMaster called the suspension idea a “knee-jerk reaction” and said that there are numerous current and future road improvement projects that “(that state is) going to have to pay for billions of dollars” to complete.
As long as the Iran conflict persists and supply disruptions continue, pressure on state lawmakers to provide relief will remain steady. However, the consensus among legislative leadership and the Governor’s office seems to be in favor of protecting the state’s infrastructure investments over providing short-term price relief for consumers in South Carolina.
