Carolina Politics Online

There are three candidates in the Tuesday’s primary to determine who the Republican nominee will be for the 12th Senate District. The 12th covers part of Spartanburg County and is currently represented by State Senator John Hawkins who is thankfully retiring. The three candidates are business owner Lee Bright, State Representative Scott Talley of the 34th State House District, and business L.B. Watson.

Bright has a firm and outspoken position on lowering the income tax burden on state residents and reigning in the disgusting 40% growth of government we have experienced over the past three years in Columbia. He is correct in his assessment that if we lower the income tax and institute some type of tort reform it will be a beacon for industrial growth here in South Carolina.

Talley also has a taxpayer friendly record. Governor Mark Sanford named him a “taxpayer hero” for his efforts at cutting taxes and frivolous spending.

As a State Representative, Scott:

• Served on the committee that drafted the property tax relief package…cutting property taxes by $500,000,000.

• Backed a plan to eliminate grocery taxes, saving taxpayers $200 million per year.

• Supported a plan to cut income taxes by $86 million per year.

• Pushed a plan to suspend the state’s $16.75-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax for three months.

• Introduced a plan to cap state spending at the rate of population growth plus the growth in personal income..

Scott has also consistently backed a plan that limits the growth of government spending to population + inflation.

L.B. Watson has also proclaimed himself to be have a conservative view on spending public dollars. I’ve a harder time finding more information on him.

I think the state will probably do well with any one of these guys in the Senate which is a nice change of pace and they’ll certainly be an improvement over Hawkins. This is a win-win situation no matter the outcome.

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