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As the 126th regular session of the South Carolina General Assembly gets underway, a familiar face will be sharing his expertise behind the scenes. Former state representative Gary Simrill confirmed this week he will be providing “limited consulting” to the S.C. House GOP caucus this year.
“I will be consulting on policy strategy,” Simrill told FITSNews on Thursday (January 16, 2025).
Terms of Simrill’s consulting deal were not immediately available.
A Republican from Rock Hill, Simrill served thirty years in the legislature from 1993-2022. At the time of his retirement, he was chairman of the powerful ways and means committee – which compiles the first draft of the state budget each year. Prior to that, he served three terms as majority leader of the chamber.
“Former members can be a valuable resource,” Simrill told FITSNews. “In all fields, not just those in the body politic. If someone has decades of experience, they can provide important context (to policy decisions). I look forward to advising the House Republican Caucus – and to what I know is going be their continued success.”

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During his tenure in Columbia as a lawmaker, Simrill’s lasting legislative legacy was the passage of the massive “Infrastructure and Economic Development Reform Act of 2017” – more commonly known in political parlance as the “gas tax hike.”
Needless to say, this measure was repeatedly (and correctly, as it turned out) panned by our founding editor – who argued Palmetto State residents already paid a disproportionately high percentage of their income on fuel and that the politicians digging deeper into their pockets needed to do a much better job of prioritizing infrastructure appropriations.
Simrill’s advocacy for tax hikes has some questioning the timing of his new consulting side gig. Tax cuts are the order of the day in Columbia right now; or at least there is much discussion of them. For example, House speaker Murrell Smith proclaimed earlier this month that “now is the time for historic tax reform.”
So far, though, only fiscal conservatives in the S.C. Freedom Caucus – and Democrat Justin Bamberg – are proposing bold tax cut plans.
Given this environment, some conservative members on the House’s right flank are wondering what type of advice Simrill would give to Leadership on that issue.
“If the reports are true that the House GOP Caucus will be hiring the architect of the largest tax hike in state history, it certainly raises questions in my mind on if the House will actually be enacting real tax cuts this year,” said Jordan Pace, chairman of the Freedom Caucus and lead sponsor of one of the income tax elimination bills.
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RELATED | GOVERNOR’S LIMP-WRISTED ‘TAX CUT’
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Simrill disagreed with those concerns. He said his time in Columbia resulted in more than his signature accomplishment – and pointed to a tax decrease he authored.
“One issue does not a person or a body make,” he said. “It was also my bill that lowered the income tax from seven percent to six and a half percent and collapsed the tax brackets, which meant more savings for South Carolinians.”
Simrill added that just because an elected official is no longer in office, it doesn’t mean they can’t continue making an important contribution.
“In my thirty years’ experience, I have seen many former members who have levels of knowledge and expertise. They may be retired from their political office, but they certainly retain the knowledge and skills from their service to the people of South Carolina.”
Simrill has his own business and, among other things, provides consulting services to various clients.
While the record of any member, former or current, regarding raising or lowering taxes is always of interest, it comes amid a backdrop highlighting new interest in it. Just one week into the 2025 session, tax cuts are already emerging front and center as one of its dominant issues.
In addition to Speaker Smith’s promise to deliver on it this year, Senate finance chairman Harvey Peeler has likewise vowed to make it happen — going so far as to promise an even bigger cut than whatever the House may pass. One reluctant passenger on the tax cut train? Governor Henry McMaster. Though vocally supportive, the tepid cut contained within his 2025-2026 budget proposal has underwhelmed many legislators.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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1 comment
The damn roaches just go back into the wall, then re-emerge when they smell food in the kitchen.