Our weekly Top Five feature offers big stories or views from the past week with policy and legislative implications.
Undocumented immigrants’ state and local tax contributions, Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, Feb. 24, 2016
This updated study takes a look at the state and local taxes paid by undocumented immigrants, who are the focus of a lot of political debate in election-year debates. Among the findings is that 11 million undocumented immigrants pay an estimated $11.6 billion in state and local taxes every year. In South Carolina, contributions are estimated to be $68 million a year, a number that is projected to grow by $18.4 million a year if the state’s undocumented workers were granted full legal status.
Chief justice wants legislature to change funding of courts, S.C. Radio Network, Feb. 24, 2016
“State Supreme Court Chief Justice Costa Pleicones told a joint session of the House and Senate Wednesday he’s deeply concerned by how much South Carolina’s courts depend on court fines and fees to operate. ‘Collections were down in 2015… demonstrating again the unstable financial foundation upon which the budgetary needs of your court system, in part, rest.’”
State launches initiative to protect cyber assets, Associated Press, Feb. 24, 2016
“The initiative’s goal will be to secure the state’s critical cyber infrastructure by training government workers, business people and small business owners about security techniques to counter cybercriminals and prevent the theft of vital information.”
Gas prices likely to rise, The Post and Courier, Feb. 23, 2016
Because oil drilling is down, the glut of oil that has kept prices low is starting to subside, which means prices will rise in the future as a reaction. That will impact everything from family pocketbooks to state coffers.
Alarms ringing for some at State Ports Authority, The Post and Courier, Feb. 21, 2016
State officials say months of declines in port volume are seasonal, but some on the State Ports Authority board say they want to be ready in case the declines persist.
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