Sen. Greg Ryberg (R- Aiken) introduced 3 bills today that will not allow someone who fails to file a SC tax return to appear on a ballout for elected ofice in South Carolina. S. 0736, S. 0737, & S. 0738
W. GREG RYBERG
SENATOR, AIKEN COUNTY
LABOR, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY: CHAIRMAN
Ryberg Decries Legislative Tax Cheats
Senator Greg Ryberg (R – Aiken) today introduced three bills to prohibit tax cheats from serving in either the South Carolina House or the South Carolina Senate, any other elected office or as a gubernatorial appointee. Senator Ryberg filed his legislation following a revelation by the South Carolina Department of Revenue that its records show no filing at all for twelve House members in one or more years between 1999 and 2007.
The Department of Revenue also reported that, “based upon income sources and income amounts documented by the Department’s existing files, eleven of the twelve House members are presumed to have a duty to file.”
The Department of Revenue further reported that for the tax years 1999-2007 three members of the House “show a combined total of $21,044 in unpaid individual income taxes.”
Senator Ryberg reacted to the report by saying that, “South Carolinians deserve and have a right to expect that their elected representatives and other public officials not only follow the law but also stand above any reproach in their financial dealings.”
Senator Ryberg further declared that, “The idea that some members of the General Assembly hold the laws of this state in so little regard that they simply ignore them when they find them inconvenient offends me and every other decent South Carolinian.”
Senator Ryberg added that, “The further idea that in this time of financial hardship, when so many South Carolinians are struggling to keep up with their bills, there are members of the General Assembly who simply decide to not pay their bills or their taxes insults me and every other decent South Carolinian.”
The three bills now head to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Ryberg called for expedited hearings on this. “I trust that every Senator takes this matter as seriously as I do, and I call upon them to move this legislation forward to be in place by the 2010 elections.”
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