Senator: “Cautiously optimistic” for road bill

Without a final agreement, the South Carolina Senate met until 11 last night, trying for a bill to fix the roads and the bridges.  But today is a new day. And State Senator Thomas Alexander is “cautiously optimistic” that continued debate today will lead to a resolution.  The Oconee-Pickens Republican is talking about a bill granting tax relief, yet incrementally raising South Carolina’s notoriously low gas pump tax.  But raising the tax is likely to be rejected by the new governor, Henry McMaster.  Alexander is pessimistic that the legislature can over-ride a veto by the governor.