YOUR TAXES AT WORK

Lots of people want your tax money.

Last year, municipalities, fire and special purpose districts, public colleges and at least 3 state agencies spent more than $1.4 million in tax dollars lobbying state officials, State Ethics Commission records show.

That grows to at least $2.9 million if other state-created or state-owned agencies, organizations that cater to local governments or public employee groups, and private foundations supporting state schools are included, we found.

Last year The Nerve reported:

• At least 14 former House members were registered state lobbyists.

• Gov. Henry McMaster hired a large law and consulting firm in an “emergency procurement” contract to lobby the US government.

3 SC agencies in 2019 reported lobbying expenses:

• Department of Natural Resources ($2,091).

• Patriots Point Development Authority ($6,000).

• John de la Howe School for Agriculture ($43,329).

13 public colleges reported $639,592 in state lobbyist payments and related expenses last year, according to the State Ethics Commission’s year-end report,

The top 5:

The Citadel $61,306

Clemson $141,451

Coastal Carolina $30,366

College of Charleston $31,196

Florence-Darlington Technical College $12,209

In 2018 The Nerve found:

• The wife of Rep. Brian White, the immediate past Ways and Means chairman, worked for the Tri-County Technical College Foundation. The college received 76% more from the state when White took over as committee chairman.

• The daughter of Sen. Hugh Leatherman, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, is a member of the Francis Marion University Board of Trustees.

• At MUSC, the father of state Rep. Murrell Smith, the Ways and Means chairman, and the brother of Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, sit on the school’s boards.

The Nerve found 28 municipalities including Lexington, 2 school districts, fire, water and other special purpose districts, collectively spent $773,343 lobbying.

The Municipal Association of SC reported the largest total amount, $633,342, among all public agencies and related organizations.

The SC Association of Counties was $166,005.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .