S.C. lawmakers look at cutting ammo taxes, raising teacher pay
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - An Upstate lawmaker has prefiled a bill that would exempt certain ammunition from sales tax in the state of South Carolina.
Meanwhile, two other lawmakers have prefiled bills to set a minimum salary for teachers in the state with amounts varying by $18,000.
Ammo taxes
Rep. Ashley Trantham (R-Greenville) proposed House Bill H.4557, which would amend state law “to exempt small arms and small arms ammunition.” The bill was prefilled on Nov. 16, and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee that same day, FOX Carolina reported.
The amendment targets small arms and small arms ammunition. “Small arms,” as described in the document, means “any portable firearm, designed to be carried and operated by a single person including, but not limited to, rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers, with no barrel greater than an internal diameter of .50 caliber or a shotgun of ten gauge or smaller.’”
It describes “small arms ammunition” as “firearm ammunition designed for use in small arms.”
The South Carolina state sales tax rate is 6%.
The General Assembly returns to the State House in January.
Teacher pay
Two South Carolina lawmakers have prefiled separate bills to set a minimum salary for teachers in the state with amounts varying by $18,000.
Rep. Joseph H. Jefferson, who represents Berkeley and Dorchester counties, proposed a bill that would require new teachers to receive at least $52,000 annually beginning in the school year 2024-2025. In addition, any current teacher who earned less than $52,000 in the 2023-2024 school year must receive a salary of no less than $55,000.
“Teachers have really been responsible for training and educating our youth of today and tomorrow, in order to do that we need the best quality teachers we can find, in order to do that, they need to be compensated,” he says.
He says $52,000 is comparable to what new industries coming into the tri-county area are paying. Data from the South Carolina Education Association shows in 2021-2022 the average starting salary for a teacher in South Carolina was $38,929.
Education has been an integral part of Jefferson’s life. His mother was a teacher, and his wife currently teaches.
“She loves it, but I see her getting up at 4:30 in the morning and getting back at 5 and 6 o’clock in the evenings,” he says. “If you’re around teachers you realize they are the most dedicated, most disciplined employees there are.”
Rep. Wendell Gilliard, who represents Charleston County, proposed the second bill. His would require new teachers to receive at least $70,000 annually beginning in the school year 2024-2025. In his bill, any current teacher who earned less than $70,000 in the 2023-2024 school year must receive a salary of no less than $75,000.
He says teachers are leaving the industry left and right, and increased compensation would help with teacher retention. In 2022, schools in South Carolina started with 1,474 vacant teaching positions, according to the South Carolina Department of Education.
“If we don’t do anything about it, then the problem is just going to get worse, and believe me it’s bad enough now,” he says.
When you factor in the cost of living, inflation and what other industries are paying in Charleston County, $70,000 is a great start, he says.
“People are seeing a temptation to say, ‘Hey, look, why am I putting up with this, when I can go to a much better-paying job, a better environment? I don’t need to be here.’ That’s the reality of it all,” Gilliard says.
Jefferson says Gilliard’s $70,000 minimum is “great if it can be done,” and that he will vote in favor of the proposal when the legislative session starts early next year.
“If we can’t get that, certainly I would think that they would consider the $52,000 a year salary,” he says.
Gilliard says he will Jefferson’s bill as well.
“Anything is better than what we’ve got now,” Gilliard says.
The South Carolina House is set to be back in session during the second week of January.
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