“Back Row Boys” Switch Leatherman’s TRAC

A small group of fiscally conservative lawmakers in the S.C. Senate averted what could have been a big-time disaster for taxpayers today.

Led by common sense Senators Phil Shoopman, Tom Davis and Mick Mulvaney, the Senate approved sweeping changes to a socialist Trojan Horse that – if left unamended – would have rewritten the Senate rulebook and bestowed upon an unelected task force responsibilities typically reserved for elected officials.

The original bill – sponsored by Sen. Hugh Leatherman – would have created a Tax Realignment Commission (TRAC) appointed by legislative leadership, not rank-and-file members.

That commission would have been granted the authority to propose major changes to certain portions of the state’s tax code, but individual lawmakers would have been prohibited from debating and amending those changes.

Instead, they would have been forced to vote “up” or “down” to adopt the commission’s report.

(Click here, here and here for more information on TRAC).

Not surprisingly, rank-and-file members leery of the potential for special interest abuse (and with no say in the selection of the committee members) rebelled against the proposal.

Led by a group of conservatives referred to as the “back row boys” (because of their seat assignments on the back row of the Senate), they inserted amendment after amendment to the proposal that successfully gutted its most dangerous provisions.

“We managed not to shirk our responsibility today,” Sen. Mick Mulvaney told FITS. “There were many of us, including those of us on the back row, who didn’t want to hand over our responsibilities and rights as lawmakers to another blue ribbon task force that we would have very little say in selecting.”

One of the most important amendments to the bill – drafted by Sen. Phil Shoopman – made sure they didn’t have to.  Shoopman’s amendment, advanced on the floor by Sen. Danny Verdin, preserved the legislature’s right to debate and amend the final TRAC report.

Another key amendment – sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis – forced Leatherman’s commission to examine $7 billion in “other funds” that were highlighted in a recent report published by the S.C. Policy Council.

The original version of the bill only permitted the commission to look at a portion of general fund revenues.

Davis praised the Senate for adopting his amendment.

“Two weeks ago, before the S.C. Policy Council Report came out, most people didn’t even know these funds existed,” Davis said. “Now, for this first time this ’shadow budget’ is going to be examined.”

There were other victories for S.C. taxpayers, as well.

Mulvaney sponsored an amendment that will prohibit lobbyists from contacting members of Leatherman’s committee except during public hearings, while Bryant sponsored an amendment insisting that any recommendations of the committee be revenue neutral.

Mulvaney’s amendment passed, but Bryant’s failed by one vote.

The legislation, as amended, now heads to a routine third reading in the Senate.

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